Cultural Criticism and Analysis

The Strange Career of American Exceptionalism

The Strange Career of American Exceptionalism The Strange Career of American Exceptionalism

…and Barack Obama’s curious role as its most ardent recent champion and prominent victim.

Dec 6, 2016 / Feature / Greg Grandin

One Flew Over Bellevue

One Flew Over Bellevue One Flew Over Bellevue

As little as David Oshinsky might care to admit it, the idea that Bellevue is a place for “crazies” has stuck in our cultural consciousness.

Dec 3, 2016 / Nathan Smith

The Second Coming of MTV News

The Second Coming of MTV News The Second Coming of MTV News

Its rebirth gives insights into twin trends across the media landscape: prestige and diversity.

Dec 2, 2016 / Wei Tchou

Cohen_Philip Guston

Philip Guston’s Man Beyond Redemption Philip Guston’s Man Beyond Redemption

Guston’s drawings of Richard Nixon stayed private until decades after the artist’s death.

Nov 26, 2016 / Alina Cohen

Darcy James Argue’s Terrific Thrill

Darcy James Argue’s Terrific Thrill Darcy James Argue’s Terrific Thrill

A staggeringly ambitious album explores the themes of cultural paranoia and false truth.

Nov 25, 2016 / David Hajdu

Mars

Seeing Mars, Seeing Red Seeing Mars, Seeing Red

As the climate warms and this planet of ours continues sprinting toward extinction, we’re seeing the cultural fixation with Mars take center stage.

Nov 19, 2016 / Sam Sax

The Personal Is Political, But Not Always Fictional

The Personal Is Political, But Not Always Fictional The Personal Is Political, But Not Always Fictional

What is the novelist Intizar Husain’s theory of Pakistani history?

Nov 19, 2016 / Ratik Asokan

‘I Am Interested in Collective Characters’: An Interview With Nanni Balestrini

‘I Am Interested in Collective Characters’: An Interview With Nanni Balestrini ‘I Am Interested in Collective Characters’: An Interview With Nanni Balestrini

The legendary Italian author speaks with Rachel Kushner.

Nov 17, 2016 / Q&A / Rachel Kushner


Criticism in the Twilight

Criticism in the Twilight Criticism in the Twilight

What role can the critic play in today’s uncertain times?

Nov 16, 2016 / Books & the Arts / Nicholas Dames

Zadie Smith’s Liberal Imagination

Zadie Smith’s Liberal Imagination Zadie Smith’s Liberal Imagination

Once reveling in the hopes and possibilities of a multicultural society, her fiction now has taken on a more despairing outlook.

Nov 2, 2016 / Books & the Arts / Adam Kirsch

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