Books and Ideas

Claudio Lomnitz and the Vertigo of Translation

Claudio Lomnitz and the Vertigo of Translation Claudio Lomnitz and the Vertigo of Translation

In his generations-spanning new book, the anthropologist tracks the story of Jewish life in Latin America through the travails of one family. 

Feb 23, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Ilan Stavans

A “Simultaneously Hidden and Deliciously Obvious” History of Levantine Cuisine

A “Simultaneously Hidden and Deliciously Obvious” History of Levantine Cuisine A “Simultaneously Hidden and Deliciously Obvious” History of Levantine Cuisine

Writer Antonio Tahhan and Anny Gaul, an assistant professor at the University of Maryland, College Park, discuss a new collection of essays on the region’s food.

Feb 22, 2022 / Q&A / Alexia Underwood

Trump Took 15 Boxes of Official Documents When He Left Office

Trump Took 15 Boxes of Official Documents When He Left Office Trump Took 15 Boxes of Official Documents When He Left Office

So why’d he take those boxes home? Well, here’s a strong suspicion: He meant to put stuff on display And charge a steep admission.

Feb 22, 2022 / Column / Calvin Trillin

I Helped Publish “Maus.” Never Once Have I Regretted It.

I Helped Publish “Maus.” Never Once Have I Regretted It. I Helped Publish “Maus.” Never Once Have I Regretted It.

If you truly want a teenager to read any book with gusto, the first thing you need to do is, of course, ban it.

Feb 21, 2022 / Tom Engelhardt

Statue of Liberty

What Might the World Look Like in 2025? What Might the World Look Like in 2025?

A dispatch from the future.

Feb 15, 2022 / John Feffer

The Immortal Influence of Greg Tate

The Immortal Influence of Greg Tate The Immortal Influence of Greg Tate

His writing will be a touchstone for generations of critics to come.

Feb 14, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse

Three stacks of 100 dollar bills.

How the “American Dream” Became Un-American How the “American Dream” Became Un-American

When plutocrats defend it, and democrats bewail its passing, it’s time to recall the original meaning of the phrase.

Feb 10, 2022 / Maria Bustillos

Manthia Diawara in the Archive of Postcolonialism

Manthia Diawara in the Archive of Postcolonialism Manthia Diawara in the Archive of Postcolonialism

His films put into practice the history of radical Black thought by placing generations of thinkers in conversation.

Feb 10, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Elias Rodriques

Book Bans Are on the Rise. But Librarians and Authors Are Fighting Back.

Book Bans Are on the Rise. But Librarians and Authors Are Fighting Back. Book Bans Are on the Rise. But Librarians and Authors Are Fighting Back.

In the past few decades in the US, book banning has taken on a decidedly more genteel character.

Feb 8, 2022 / Katrina vanden Heuvel

The Haunted World of Edith Wharton

The Haunted World of Edith Wharton The Haunted World of Edith Wharton

Whether exploring the dread of everyday life or the horrors of the occult, her ghost tales documented an America haunted by the specters of isolation, class, and despair. 

Feb 8, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Krithika Varagur

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