Cultural Criticism and Analysis

Deference to Religion Has No Place in Higher Education

Deference to Religion Has No Place in Higher Education Deference to Religion Has No Place in Higher Education

The controversy at Hamline over a painting of Muhammad shown in an art class demonstrates the danger of prioritizing religious beliefs over academic freedom.

Feb 2, 2023 / Column / Katha Pollitt

Members of the League of Nations looking over their shoulders during an assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, 1920

The Long, Bitter History of Globalism The Long, Bitter History of Globalism

A conversation with Tara Zahra about the early-20th-century origins of globalism, how debates over a globalized world have morphed across a century, and her new book, Against the W...

Jan 31, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins

Victor Navasky in 1962.

Victor Navasky: An Avatar of the American Left, 1932–2023 Victor Navasky: An Avatar of the American Left, 1932–2023

Editor of The Nation, 1978–1995; editorial director and publisher, 1995–2005.

Jan 27, 2023 / Obituary / Kai Bird

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

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

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

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

Actor Slim Pickens rides the bomb, waving his cowboy hat.

“The New Yorker” Goes All In on Our Precious Bodily Fluids “The New Yorker” Goes All In on Our Precious Bodily Fluids

Or, how I learned to stop worrying and love the virus.

Jan 11, 2023 / Gregg Gonsalves

A black and white photo of a young Hannah Arendt lounging.

Hannah Arendt Was Really a Prophet Against Conformity Hannah Arendt Was Really a Prophet Against Conformity

To the question of how totalitarian methods could ever draw the compliance of free citizens, she replied: through the enchantment of success.

Jan 9, 2023 / Column / David Bromwich

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

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