Going Home, Going Away
At a 50th high school reunion, a well-known traveler recalls his pride in the hometown he was so eager to leave behind
By Paul Theroux Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Giving Absurdity Its Due
In the Panthéon, Albert Camus joins a kindred soul
By Robert Zaretsky Monday, March 1, 2010
Brush Up Your Berlin
And beware of kiss-me-I’m-poetical junk
By David Lehman Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Sesquicentennial Excess
Must we erase evidence of later commemorations at Civil War sites?
By Christopher Clausen Monday, June 1, 2009
Who Was Hall?
And just what was his connection to hedgehogs?
By Jeremy Bernstein Sunday, March 1, 2009
‘HD 11964 d’ by Any Other Name
What to call the planets we find beyond our solar system?
By Christopher Cokinos Monday, December 1, 2008
The Most Important Election in History
Is it possible to elect a president without invoking that phrase?
By Christopher Clausen Monday, September 1, 2008
A Most Interesting Young Man
Was that Bob Dylan my sister met on a weir above Woodstock?
By Brian Doyle Sunday, June 1, 2008
The Visual Turn
Painting portraits of other people can tell us truths about ourselves
By Paula Marantz Cohen Thursday, January 8, 2026
The Valedictions of Elwyn Brooks
How the eminent essayist made an art of signing off
By Gregory Martin Monday, December 29, 2025
Expect the Worst
Sometimes we free ourselves by embracing our darkest fears
By Ronald W. Dworkin Thursday, December 4, 2025
The Breath Is Everything 
How an encounter with the Dalai Lama led to forays into Buddhism
By James Conaway Monday, December 1, 2025
Too HIP to Be Square
Wagner’s Ring on period instruments?
By Vivien Schweitzer Monday, December 1, 2025
The Heart of the Matter
A new cardiovascular drug may be revolutionary, but what we really need is more quality time with our doctors
By Jay Neugeboren Monday, December 1, 2025
Gone Fishin’
Could two famous rivermen really have met their end while grappling giant fish in a Kansas river?
By Eric McHenry Thursday, November 6, 2025
Redemption Song
What the rehabilitation of Pete Rose says about American society today
By Eric Wills Friday, October 24, 2025
A Visit to Epidaurus
When a play ends with a dismemberment, the effect on the audience can be transformative
By Rachel Shteir Friday, September 26, 2025
