Books and Ideas

The Anxious Influences of Netflix’s “White Noise”

The Anxious Influences of Netflix’s “White Noise” The Anxious Influences of Netflix’s “White Noise”

What has Noah Baumbach wrought in his adaptation of the 1985 postmodern novel?

Jan 25, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Vikram Murthi

Then–Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama in Mitchell, S.D.

What Does It Take to Win? What Does It Take to Win?

In his new history of American politics, Timothy Shenk examines the past and future of political realignments.

Jan 24, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Kim Phillips-Fein

The Strange Thrills of “The Crown”

The Strange Thrills of “The Crown” The Strange Thrills of “The Crown”

While the infighting and personal lives of the British royals is boring, their desperate struggle to protect the monarchy makes for fine television. 

Jan 23, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Gary Younge

US radio talk show host and conservative political commentator Rush Limbaugh

Rush Limbaugh’s Toxic Legacy Rush Limbaugh’s Toxic Legacy

The more unpleasant side of Limbaugh does not appear in his new posthumous book, but it is hard to not think about its influence.

Jan 23, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Nathan Robinson

In a Land of Apartheid, a Trip to the Beach Can Be an Act of Resistance

In a Land of Apartheid, a Trip to the Beach Can Be an Act of Resistance In a Land of Apartheid, a Trip to the Beach Can Be an Act of Resistance

Not long ago, The Nation’s Palestine correspondent snuck into a moshav to sunbathe, because no one owns the sea.

Jan 23, 2023 / Mohammed El-Kurd

A.E. Stallings and the Afterlives of Antiquity

A.E. Stallings and the Afterlives of Antiquity A.E. Stallings and the Afterlives of Antiquity

In a career spanning collection This Afterlife, the poet opens up a dialogue about the history of form and the rich possibilities of the practice's oldest modes of expression.

Jan 19, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Ryan Ruby

Was the True Meaning of Capitalism Forgotten?

Was the True Meaning of Capitalism Forgotten? Was the True Meaning of Capitalism Forgotten?

A conversation with historian Michael Sonenscher about the tricky task of defining capitalism and his new book, Capitalism: The Story Behind the Word. 

Jan 18, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins

Merrick Garland at press conference

Why Biden and Trump Are Both Trapped in Secret-Document Scandals Why Biden and Trump Are Both Trapped in Secret-Document Scandals

The real problem is the national security state’s love of classification.

Jan 17, 2023 / Jeet Heer

Trump on a screen during the January 6 hearings

The Failures of the January 6 Report The Failures of the January 6 Report

Historian Jill Lepore’s effective critique in The New Yorker is marred by a lazy counternarrative.

Jan 13, 2023 / Jeet Heer

Norman Fruchter by the ocean.

Norman Fruchter Was a Giant in the Fight for Education Equity Norman Fruchter Was a Giant in the Fight for Education Equity

Fruchter, who passed away recently, was also a key figure in the New Left on both sides of the Atlantic.

Jan 13, 2023 / Obituary / Alix Kates Shulman

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