Books and Ideas

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

Palin Redux

Palin Redux Palin Redux

Sarah Palin flouts a New York ordinance by dining in an Upper East Side restaurant unvaccinated.—News reports Refusing the vaccine means freedom, she says, And no one can ever nega…

Feb 8, 2022 / Column / Calvin Trillin

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

What Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” Means to the Children of Survivors

What Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” Means to the Children of Survivors What Art Spiegelman’s “Maus” Means to the Children of Survivors

On banning the book that changed what we talk about when we talk about the Holocaust.

Feb 4, 2022 / Linda Mannheim

In Search of Self-Destruction on an Oil Rig

In Search of Self-Destruction on an Oil Rig In Search of Self-Destruction on an Oil Rig

Tabitha Lasley’s Sea State is an intimate and blistering memoir of a writer’s life amidst the UK’s offshore natural gas industry.

Feb 3, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Jess Bergman

The Limits of Understanding the Pandemic Philosophically

The Limits of Understanding the Pandemic Philosophically The Limits of Understanding the Pandemic Philosophically

Byung-Chul Han’s The Palliative Society tries to contextualize the emotional and cultural ramifications of Covid-19 without ever addressing its material consequences.

Feb 1, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Clinton Williamson

Residencias de la Memoria

Stumbling on Chilean Stones—and Chilean History Stumbling on Chilean Stones—and Chilean History

Chile has a new leader and a bright future. But a country in which 44 percent of the electorate voted for an admirer of Pinochet is in need of as many obstacles to forgetting as po...

Jan 27, 2022 / Ariel Dorfman

The Sublime Ironies of John Ashbery

The Sublime Ironies of John Ashbery The Sublime Ironies of John Ashbery

Does his first posthumous collection, Parallel Movement of the Hands, help answer the riddle of his poetic project? 

Jan 27, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Ryan Ruby

Danielle Allen Is Running for Massachusetts Governor to Revive American Democracy

Danielle Allen Is Running for Massachusetts Governor to Revive American Democracy Danielle Allen Is Running for Massachusetts Governor to Revive American Democracy

Can she convince the state’s voters to put her ideas into practice?

Jan 25, 2022 / Feature / Serena Cho

Ballot Box

Republicans Replace Local Election Officials With Trump Loyalists Republicans Replace Local Election Officials With Trump Loyalists

Is this, in fact, a type of coup? Well, fears of that are mounting: It’s not just who can vote that counts. It’s who can do the counting.

Jan 25, 2022 / Column / Calvin Trillin

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