The Diagnostician of Despair
Why Rousseau believed that Enlightenment values would lead us to ruin
By Robert Zaretsky Thursday, December 19, 2024
On Book
August Wilson’s play just hit the big screen, but even greater rewards await on the page
By David A. Taylor Monday, November 25, 2024
The Baritone as Democrat
How Lawrence Tibbett prophesied the Metropolitan Opera crisis of today
By Joseph Horowitz Thursday, November 21, 2024
Writer on Board
The cruise story from Twain to Shteyngart
By Thomas Swick Thursday, September 5, 2024
Nights at the Opera
Long before he wrote his masterly novels, Stendhal was transformed by the power of music
By Robert Zaretsky Thursday, August 15, 2024
A Terrifying Delight
Following Robert Frost into the depths
By Mark Edmundson Thursday, June 27, 2024
Consummated in Exile
A new recording of Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances conveys the breadth of the 20th-century composer’s life’s journey
By Joseph Horowitz Friday, June 14, 2024
Stereotypes and the City
What to make of HBO’s attempts to diversify an iconic show?
By Sharon Sochil Washington Thursday, April 25, 2024
Orator-in-Chief
President Obama’s public remarks revealed his unshakable faith in the unity of the American people
By James Santel Friday, April 28, 2017
We Are the Change We Seek: The Speeches of Barack Obamaedited by E.J. Dionne Jr. and Joy-Ann Reid
By the Content of Its Characters
On rereading “War and Peace” in the age of radical sensitivity
By Melvin Jules Bukiet Friday, February 3, 2017
Superlatalk
The history of the most awesome language ever
By Ralph Keyes Wednesday, December 21, 2016
Injurious Entanglements
Remembering William Trevor’s Anglo-Irish Stories
By George O’Brien Friday, November 25, 2016
Low Definition in Higher Education
When college students are told what to think and what not to say, who suffers in the end?
By Lyell Asher Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Garden State Sorcerer
In his new memoir, Springsteen reveals his inner life but is strangely silent on his music
By Louis P. Masur Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Pawns for Fascism
This piece from 1937 envisions the forces that make a demagogue like Trump possible
By Reinhold Niebuhr Friday, October 14, 2016
The Hidden Music of Words
Academics shouldn’t scoff at literary prose—they have much to learn from it
By Aaron Sachs Tuesday, October 11, 2016
The Aspirational Golf of Arnold Palmer
Ode to the man who brought out the goodness in the game
By Stephen Goodwin Wednesday, October 5, 2016
