Books and Ideas

Apocalypse No! Pseudo-Archaeology, Ancient Tech-Lords, and Ordinary People.

Apocalypse No! Pseudo-Archaeology, Ancient Tech-Lords, and Ordinary People. Apocalypse No! Pseudo-Archaeology, Ancient Tech-Lords, and Ordinary People.

Why the Netflix series Ancient Apocalypse is worth taking seriously. Hint: It’s not the science.

Dec 22, 2022 / David Wengrow

Emmanuel Carrère’s Brilliant Narcissism

Emmanuel Carrère’s Brilliant Narcissism Emmanuel Carrère’s Brilliant Narcissism

His latest “nonfiction novel,” Yoga, explores his favorite theme: himself. 

Dec 22, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Max Norman

An Unpublished Poem by Paul Newman

An Unpublished Poem by Paul Newman An Unpublished Poem by Paul Newman

Previously uncovered words from the eminent late actor, director, and philanthropist.

Dec 21, 2022 / Paul Newman

Elon Musk and his Twitter profile.

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Twitter Files? Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Twitter Files?

Just because the mainstream media decided to ignore them doesn’t mean the files aren’t newsworthy—or important.

Dec 20, 2022 / Ross Barkan

The Mythology of George Balanchine

The Mythology of George Balanchine The Mythology of George Balanchine

A conversation with Jennifer Homans about the ballet master's literary influences, his complicated legacy, and the metaphysical side of dance.

Dec 15, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Dilara O’Neil

What the West Gets Wrong About the Rwandan Genocide

What the West Gets Wrong About the Rwandan Genocide What the West Gets Wrong About the Rwandan Genocide

The mass killings haunt US foreign policy and distort how we understand ethnic violence.

Dec 15, 2022 / Feature / Jina Moore

America Online: A Cautionary Tale

America Online: A Cautionary Tale America Online: A Cautionary Tale

On the rise and fall of the quintessential ’90s online service provider—and a warning about today’s social-media giants.

Dec 15, 2022 / Feature / Joanne McNeil

The Contradictions of Adam Smith

The Contradictions of Adam Smith The Contradictions of Adam Smith

A conversation with Glory Liu about the thinker's influence on American politics, the many ways his work has been misunderstood, and why we remember Smith as a champion of capitali...

Dec 14, 2022 / Q&A / Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins

Reading Judith Butler’s “Gender Trouble” in the Age of Ron DeSantis

Reading Judith Butler’s “Gender Trouble” in the Age of Ron DeSantis Reading Judith Butler’s “Gender Trouble” in the Age of Ron DeSantis

More than 30 years after it was published, the seminal queer theory text still has some things to say.

Dec 14, 2022 / Feature / Naomi Gordon-Loebl

The Radical Internationalism of the Spanish Civil War

The Radical Internationalism of the Spanish Civil War The Radical Internationalism of the Spanish Civil War

A new graphic history charts the exploits of those Americans serving in the war’s International Brigades.

Dec 14, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Bill Fletcher Jr.

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