The First Draft of Cultural History
Lena Dunham’s new memoir is a fascinating primary source of Hollywood in the 2010s.
What To Read
If You Want a Better World, Act Like You Live in It
We’ve had Henry David Thoreau the environmentalist, the libertarian, the life coach. To understand his influence, think of him first as a dissident.
The Publishing Mystery That No One Wants to Talk About
A minimally speaking autistic man just wrote a best-selling book. Or did he?
The Paradox of Modern Medicine
Testing has become so advanced that doctors now miss important elements of diagnosis.
Fortunes
A short story
The Honor of the Layward Brothers
A short story
We Are Not One
A short story
Diseducators
A short story
Have a Difficult Childhood? These Writers Did Too.
Humans have been telling stories about neglected or endangered children for millennia. Here are eight compelling ones.
12 Books to Help You Love Reading Again
Focusing on anything, let alone a book, has been hard lately. These are the titles that reignited our love for literature.
The Dark Side of Tourism
Vacations usually rest on a fantasy—but there’s a cost to maintaining the illusion: Your weekly guide to the best in books
Nine Books Every Sports Lover Should Read
The best of this writing combines the drama of waiting to see who will win with the emotional pleasure of reading about a great character.
What a Warming Planet Means for Literature
Worrying about climate change is now just part of life on Earth: Your weekly guide to the best in books
Six Books to Guide You Through the Real American West
These novels remind readers that the story of the region is as vast as its landscape.
The Ways We Make a Living
Work isn’t everything, but for better or for worse, our lives orbit around it: Your weekly guide to the best in books
Seven Books Grappling With What Writers Leave Behind
When an author dies, their legacy can be left entirely in the hands of their estate.
There’s Nothing Like a Great Takedown
A negative review can be a beautiful thing: Your weekly guide to the best in books
Eight Books in Which Ignorance Is the Point
People are always searching for answers, but not knowing can be its own reward.