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
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
Late Night Thoughts on Nuclear Weapons
The game of nuclear deterrence contains a fatal trap
By Jerry Delaney Monday, October 3, 2016
Rise Up
Hamilton woke me up; I see it waking up young fans, too
By Martha Southgate Friday, September 16, 2016
Unconventional Conventions
Our complete coverage of the 2016 Republican and Democratic events
By Barry Goldstein Tuesday, August 9, 2016
The Silent Candidate
In 1860, after Lincoln received the Republican presidential nomination, he kept his mouth shut until the election—we should be so lucky today.
By Harold Holzer Friday, July 15, 2016
What Michael Herr Meant to Me
On Dispatches, mentors, and writing about war
By Neil Shea Friday, July 8, 2016
Jane Austen’s Ivory Cage
What lies beneath the surface of the grand estates and courtly balls
By Mikita Brottman Monday, May 9, 2016
How to Read Dante in the 21st Century
Breaking the code of “The Divine Comedy” with patient reverence
By Joseph Luzzi Tuesday, March 22, 2016
The Wonder of Wuthering Heights
An interview with Alison Case, author of the novel “Nelly Dean”
