Fractured Odysseus
The psychiatrist Jonathan Shay’s books on Homer are the key to Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey
By Colin Dickey Thursday, August 20, 2026
Gratitude Isn’t Everything
The revolutionary Patriots owed much to their forefathers, but their fight for universal rights embraced a wider mission
By Robert A. Gross Friday, July 31, 2026
It All Comes Down to This
As the recent World Cup showed, the drama of a penalty shootout can at times be Shakespearean
By Eric Wills Thursday, July 30, 2026
What He Stood For
How Angus Cameron, one of the most significant editors in the history of American publishing, responded to being targeted by the McCarthy blacklist
By Jonathan Coleman Friday, April 24, 2026
Who Is Blake Whiting?
The most astonishingly productive historian in recent times is someone you’ll never meet
By Andrew Lawler Thursday, April 16, 2026
The Importance of Being Idle
What Paul Lafargue taught us about work
By Robert Zaretsky Monday, March 30, 2026
Gilded Guilt
On Taylor Swift, Julian Fellowes, and the class conflicts that never die
By Jessa Crispin Friday, February 13, 2026
The Popper Principle
Did Plato really espouse ideas that led eventually to totalitarianism?
By Robert Zaretsky Thursday, January 29, 2026
It’s a Wonderful (Falling Apart) Life
In the disrepair of our everyday world are suggestions of life’s burdens and consolations
By Ben Slote Friday, December 19, 2025
The Conspiracist Cotton Mather
The zealot who oversaw the Salem Witch Trials initially voiced restraint—what changed?
By Colin Dickey Wednesday, October 29, 2025
What Squid Game Is Really About
How decades of Korean trauma have spawned a pop culture phenomenon
By Jean Kim Saturday, October 16, 2021
Two Poets and a Word
The whole of creation, in just three letters
By Max Byrd Thursday, October 14, 2021
My Guidebook to Japan
Lessons from Thoreau learned in a distant land
By Pico Iyer Saturday, October 9, 2021
Facing Death at the Ends of the Earth
The discovery of the world’s oldest rock offers a hefty dose of perspective
By Walter Nicklin Thursday, October 7, 2021
To Dance an Exclamation Point
The case for An American in Paris as Gene Kelly’s best
By David Lehman Saturday, September 25, 2021
“What’s My Name?”
Ken Burns’s new documentary examines the enduring power of Muhammad Ali
By Eric Wills Thursday, September 23, 2021
A Desperate Escape
The events in Kabul recall terrible scenes in The Aeneid
By Sara Mansfield Taber Saturday, September 18, 2021
An Open Debate
Might Novak Djokovic, despite his loss this weekend, be the greatest tennis player of all time?
By Eric Wills Monday, September 13, 2021
Taking the Long View
Remembering the terror of a pleasant, late-summer morning
