A Vision of Russia as a Country That Runs on Violence
A 1929 Soviet novel shows how dangerous ideas can destroy a society.
Lula Bell
A poem for Sunday
Against Counting the Books You Read
The number of titles you finish in a year says little about your actual reading habits.
The Multiplying ‘Philip Roths’
Has the celebrated author become better known for his persona than for what he wrote?
What to Read If You Want to Reinvent Yourself
Whether you’re starting over or discovering a new identity, these works can help reset your perspective.
Reasons to Live
A poem for Sunday
Midwinter
A poem for Wednesday
Condolence
A poem for Tuesday
Valentine
A poem for Monday
We Love in the Only Ways We Can
A poem for Sunday
Six Books to Read During a Stressful Family Holiday
Reading about other people’s kin, fictional or not, may help you feel better about yours.
It’s Time to Take Another Look at Parole
A new book by Ben Austen argues that prisoners need a path to redemption.
A Modest Proposal for Publishing
An author isn’t the only person who brought a finished title to life.
Our Forests Need More Fire, Not Less
The American history of wildfire suppression has contributed to today’s most destructive blazes.
The Perfect Antidote to an Age of Angsty Literature
The spiky, unsentimental writings of Diana Athill refuse to romanticize emotional discontent.
Zombie History Stalks Ukraine
In a haunted novel, memories of a brutal past transform bodies as well as psyches.
The Invisible Forces Behind the Books We Read
And why they’re so hard to measure
Seven Books That Actually Capture What Sickness Is Like
These titles aren’t interested in sticking to a simple narrative about sickness and health—they explore the textures of human life.
Bored
Published in The Atlantic in 1994
Our Dramatic Relationship With the Natural World
A 2023 novel that revolved around a character getting lost in the wilderness
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