Cultural Criticism and Analysis

Kent Macdougall

A Socialist in the Newsroom: Kent MacDougall, 1931–2021 A Socialist in the Newsroom: Kent MacDougall, 1931–2021

The once-controversial reporter and teacher dies without notice.

Mar 11, 2022 / Tom Goldstein

The Messy Humanity of Leo Bersani (April 16, 1931–February 20, 2022)

The Messy Humanity of Leo Bersani (April 16, 1931–February 20, 2022) The Messy Humanity of Leo Bersani (April 16, 1931–February 20, 2022)

Two friends and colleagues on the late scholar, whose analyses of gay identity during the height of the AIDS crisis still loom large over sexuality studies.

Mar 7, 2022 / Zahid R. Chaudhary and Anne Anlin Cheng

My Norman Mailer Problem—and Ours

My Norman Mailer Problem—and Ours My Norman Mailer Problem—and Ours

Digging down into the roots of white America’s infatuation with Black.

Mar 7, 2022 / Feature / Darryl Pinckney

The Enigma of Roberto Bolaño

The Enigma of Roberto Bolaño The Enigma of Roberto Bolaño

David Kurnick’s new book reappraises the Chilean writer, clarifying the preconceptions and myths that haunted his earliest work.

Feb 24, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Lily Meyer

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

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

Terry Teachout and the Last of the Conservative Critics

Terry Teachout and the Last of the Conservative Critics Terry Teachout and the Last of the Conservative Critics

He was a generation younger than Joan Didion and her cohort of critics who got their start at National Review. With his death, their strain of criticism seems not only rare but per...

Jan 20, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Jeet Heer

5 Lessons From Hunter S. Thompson

5 Lessons From Hunter S. Thompson 5 Lessons From Hunter S. Thompson

Wisdom from the godfather of gonzo.

Jan 17, 2022 / Peter Richardson

Rebecca Solnit Is Not Giving Up Hope

Rebecca Solnit Is Not Giving Up Hope Rebecca Solnit Is Not Giving Up Hope

An interview with the essayist about the need for bread and roses—especially in perilous times.

Jan 14, 2022 / Q&A / John Nichols

When Sidney Poitier Picked Up the Gun

When Sidney Poitier Picked Up the Gun When Sidney Poitier Picked Up the Gun

Notes on a couple of native sons.

Jan 10, 2022 / Gene Seymour

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