Non-fiction

New York City and the Persistence of the Atlantic Slave Trade

New York City and the Persistence of the Atlantic Slave Trade New York City and the Persistence of the Atlantic Slave Trade

Even after slave trade was banned, the United States and New York City, in particular, were complicit in allowing it to persist.

Feb 24, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Gerald Horne

Will We Ever Fully Understand Humans’ Impact on Nature?

Will We Ever Fully Understand Humans’ Impact on Nature? Will We Ever Fully Understand Humans’ Impact on Nature?

A conversation with Elizabeth Kolbert about her new book, efforts to “control the control of nature,” and how the climate beat has changed. 

Feb 3, 2021 / Q&A / Naomi Elias

Perverse and Unfair: The Radical Steps to Fix the Housing Crisis

Perverse and Unfair: The Radical Steps to Fix the Housing Crisis Perverse and Unfair: The Radical Steps to Fix the Housing Crisis

On the history of the single-family home in America, alternative modes of housing, and what it will take to fix the housing market.

Feb 1, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Marianela D’Aprile

How Did We End Up With Our Current Public Defender System?

How Did We End Up With Our Current Public Defender System? How Did We End Up With Our Current Public Defender System?

Sara Mayeux’s new history highlights how without a more fundamental transformation of criminal law, public defenders often provide only a limited form of equality and fairness befo...

Dec 14, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Matthew Clair

The Long Roots of Endless War

The Long Roots of Endless War The Long Roots of Endless War

A new history shows how the glut of US military bases abroad has led to a constant state of military conflict.

Nov 30, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Daniel Immerwahr

The Radical Origins of Self-Help Literature

The Radical Origins of Self-Help Literature The Radical Origins of Self-Help Literature

How did the genre of self-help go from one focused on collective empowerment to one serving the class hierarchy as it stands?

Nov 17, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Jennifer Wilson

Nicholson Baker’s Maddening Search for the Truth

Nicholson Baker’s Maddening Search for the Truth Nicholson Baker’s Maddening Search for the Truth

Denied access to files about the use of biological weapons during the Cold War, the novelist transformed his new book into a study of how America keeps its secrets.

Oct 6, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Charlie Savage

Can the American University Be Saved?

Can the American University Be Saved? Can the American University Be Saved?

Covid-19 has revealed the glaring inequalities of higher ed in the United States and may push the system to the point of crisis.

Sep 8, 2020 / Books & the Arts / Daniel Bessner

The Looter Is the Most Misunderstood Figure in American Politics

The Looter Is the Most Misunderstood Figure in American Politics The Looter Is the Most Misunderstood Figure in American Politics

A conversation with Vicky Osterweil about misconceptions around the politics of looting and its radical tradition.

Sep 3, 2020 / Q&A / Stephen Kearse

Why Has Society Failed to Integrate Grief Into Public Life?

Why Has Society Failed to Integrate Grief Into Public Life? Why Has Society Failed to Integrate Grief Into Public Life?

We talked to Rachel Kauder Nalebuff about the politics of care, mourning, and her new book, Stages: On Dying, Working, and Feeling.

Jul 8, 2020 / Q&A / Sam Huber

x