The Nearly Impossible Task of Describing Pain
Garth Greenwell’s latest novel finds the language to capture the ineffable human experience of serious illness.
Book Review
Rachel Kushner’s Surprising Swerve
She and her narrators have always relied on swagger—but not this time.
What a 100-Year-Old Trial Reveals About America
A new book on the Scopes case traces a long-simmering culture war—and the fear that often drives both sides.
Why Did This Progressive Evangelical Church Fall Apart?
In her new book, Eliza Griswold examines the forces that led to one congregation’s collapse.
When Wellness Can’t Bring Happiness
A provocative 1970s novel reads like a contemporary cry for freedom from the expectations of others.
The Monumental Discovery That Changed How Humans See Themselves
The unearthing of dinosaur bones transformed Victorian society—and long-held notions about our place in the world.
A Satire of America’s Obsession With Identity
The hero of Danzy Senna’s new novel is trying, and failing, to write the Great American Biracial Novel.
Consider the Boor
In Jo Hamya’s new novel, pity becomes a form of power.
When Realism Is More Powerful Than Science Fiction
In On Strike Against God, Joanna Russ imagined a freer world while confronting its inequities head-on.
A Marriage That Changed Literary History
Fanny Stevenson forced her husband, Robert Louis Stevenson, to live a bigger life than he had known.