Culture
Trump Was Terrible. But Biden Was Worse. Trump Was Terrible. But Biden Was Worse.
Trump’s lies and unhinged ranting went unchallenged because Biden was incoherent and lost.
The Lost Lessons of the First Televised Presidential Debates The Lost Lessons of the First Televised Presidential Debates
In 1960, The Nation asked a collection of thinkers and critics to grapple with the significance of the televised debates between Nixon and Kennedy. Here’s what they said.
The Man Hồ Chí Minh Once Was The Man Hồ Chí Minh Once Was
Joseph Andras’s novel on the Vietnamese revolutionary’s salad days in Paris imagines how a young radical became an icon.
A Fantasy of Post-Generational Politics A Fantasy of Post-Generational Politics
A recent book argues that reordering the stages of work and life—including retirement—could eradicate conflicts between generations, while ignoring the real issues that divide us….
Books
The Myths of Anne Carson The Myths of Anne Carson
Throughout her long and prolific career, Carson has specialized in unexpected juxtapositions between modern life and ancient times, contemporary art and the literature of the…
The Enigma of Frantz Fanon The Enigma of Frantz Fanon
A revolutionary and an intellectual, a nationalist and a cosmopolitan, a doctor and a revolutionary, Fanon was always multiple.
Marty Peretz and the Travails of American Liberalism Marty Peretz and the Travails of American Liberalism
From his New Left days to his neoliberalism and embrace of interventionism, The Controversialist is a portrait of his own political trajectory and that of American liberalism too….
Film
Time, Space, and Annie Baker Time, Space, and Annie Baker
The playwright’s remarkable debut film, Janet Planet, immerses the viewer in the sounds and sorrow of a middle-schooler’s endless summer.
How the Academy Flubbed Its Moguls Memorial How the Academy Flubbed Its Moguls Memorial
The Academy’s film museum, seeking to placate critics who decried its earlier omission of Jewish moguls, rushes to fix its clumsy handling of a sensitive subject.
The Inhuman Gaze of “Evil Does Not Exist” The Inhuman Gaze of “Evil Does Not Exist”
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s new film, an eco-thriller set in a sylvan Japanese town, explores the messy entanglements of human, machine, and nature that make up planetary existence.
Hollywood’s Blockbuster Crisis Hollywood’s Blockbuster Crisis
On this episode of The Time of Monsters, Daniel Bessner discusses what corporate monopolies are doing to the dream factory.
Philip Glass, Solo Artist Philip Glass, Solo Artist
In his most recent album, the composer marks a new turn in his style.
Television
Trump Was Terrible. But Biden Was Worse. Trump Was Terrible. But Biden Was Worse.
Trump’s lies and unhinged ranting went unchallenged because Biden was incoherent and lost.
Donald Trump and “Doc” Ronny Jackson Are Hypocrites About Drugs and Dementia Donald Trump and “Doc” Ronny Jackson Are Hypocrites About Drugs and Dementia
The incoherent former president and his allegedly pill-pushing White House physician need to look in a mirror.
Has Jeff Bezos Embraced the Rupert Murdoch Model of Leveraging Sleaze for Power? Has Jeff Bezos Embraced the Rupert Murdoch Model of Leveraging Sleaze for Power?
The Washington Post is now run by a master of squalid tabloid journalism.
Architecture
What’s the Deal With Manhattan’s Pencil-Thin High Rises? What’s the Deal With Manhattan’s Pencil-Thin High Rises?
A walk along 57th Street.
Soviet Monumental Architecture Soviet Monumental Architecture
On this episode of American Prestige, Katherine Zubovich on her new book about skyscrapers in Moscow.
The Radical World-making of Joanna Russ The Radical World-making of Joanna Russ
In her science fiction, the novelist offered not only an astringent critiques of the present but also bold visions of the future.
Music
Seeing Ourselves in Joni Mitchell Seeing Ourselves in Joni Mitchell
Ann Powers’s deeply personal biography of Joni Mitchell looks at how a generation of listeners came to identify with the folk singer’s intimate songs.
Philip Glass, Solo Artist Philip Glass, Solo Artist
In his most recent album, the composer marks a new turn in his style.
The State of the Gay Bar The State of the Gay Bar
A new book explores the phenomenon of gay bar closures and the forms of nightlife that have emerged to replace them.
The Genius of Ella Fitzgerald The Genius of Ella Fitzgerald
She remade the American songbook in her image, uprooting the very meaning of musical performance.
Talking Punk, Nirvana, and the Ethics of Art Under Capitalism With Steve Albini Talking Punk, Nirvana, and the Ethics of Art Under Capitalism With Steve Albini
The legendary engineer, producer, and musician who died on May 7 spoke to Daniel Bessner about his career and the state of the music industry.
Publishing
Lauren Oyler and the Critic in the Internet Age Lauren Oyler and the Critic in the Internet Age
In No Judgment, the novelist and critic explores the perilous activity of literary criticism in the era of social media.
Javier Milei’s Amputation Regime for Argentina Javier Milei’s Amputation Regime for Argentina
The country’s new president has imposed a set of brutal austerity measures as part of a so-called “chainsaw plan.” The carnage is already mounting.
The Death and Life of Great American Media The Death and Life of Great American Media
The crisis of the news business is far from over, but we’re still doing what we’ve been doing for over 159 years.
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In Great Expectations, Cunningham examines the hope and aspirations of the Obama generation.
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