The Widower’s Lament
After the death of the poet Wendy Barker, her grieving husband turns to the literature of loss
By Steven G. Kellman Monday, March 4, 2024
The World at the End of a Line
The grandson of one of American literature’s Lost Generation novelists reflects on his namesake’s love of the sea
By John Dos Passos Coggin Thursday, April 13, 2023
The Goddess Complex
A set of revered stone deities was stolen from a temple in northwestern India; their story can tell us much about our current reckoning with antiquities trafficking
By Elizabeth Kadetsky Thursday, March 2, 2023
Last Rites and Comic Flights
A funeral in a 1984 Japanese film offers moments of slapstick amid the solemnity
By Pico Iyer Thursday, July 28, 2022
The Believer
When nobody would touch Joyce’s manuscript, Sylvia Beach stepped in
By Keri Walsh Wednesday, June 15, 2022
Know Me Come Eat With Me
In the world of Ulysses, food turns out to be everything
By Flicka Small Thursday, June 9, 2022
It Happened One Day in June
Why Ulysses is as vital as ever— compelling, complex, and direct
By Robert J. Seidman Wednesday, June 1, 2022
The Bomb Next Door
Eighty years into the atomic age, U.S. nuclear power reactors have produced several million tons of radioactive waste—and we still have no idea how to dispose of it
By Thomas A. Bass Wednesday, June 1, 2022
The Lions and the San
How could a people survive for thousands of years with so many predators in their midst?
By Elizabeth Marshall Thomas Wednesday, June 1, 2022
Confessions of a Cyclist
Traversing New York City on two wheels can be both life-affirming and perilous
By Jonathan Liebson Wednesday, June 1, 2022
A Ukrainian Story
Displacement is sadly nothing new for my family’s homeland
By Megan Buskey Saturday, February 26, 2022
Paris Once Again
Recalling a return visit during the before times
By Andrew Hudgins Saturday, February 19, 2022
A Matter of Pride
The enduring legacy of Gentleman’s Agreement
By David Lehman Monday, February 10, 2020
The Ultimate Cost of Our Endless Wars
Could the debt alone deal a fatal blow to our democracy?
By Jerry Delaney Tuesday, March 5, 2019
Present-Day Thoughts on the Quality of Life (1969)
Jacques Barzun delivered this lecture half a century ago