Literature
Browse our essays and reviews on literature.
Flowers for Farah
In her scholarship, mentoring, and activism, Farah Jasmine Griffin brings a praxis of radical love to an unequal academy.
Archive Fever
László Krasznahorkai’s Spadework for a Palace reflects on the power of the surveillance state through the perspective of a librarian who wishes to lock up all books.
Science Fiction as Poetry
In her new book, Danish poet Olga Ravn writes with open love, pity, and compassion for her strange yet familiar creations.
In Defense of Transnormativity
A new book offers a compelling, if imperfect, account of the bad feelings with which trans people often struggle.
The Critic of Gay Desire
Why groundbreaking queer studies scholar Leo Bersani rejected the word “queer.”
Hating Motherhood
Some feminists think we can improve motherhood. But what if abolishing it is the only way to alleviate its problems?
Edith Wharton’s Ghosts
Known mainly as a realist, the writer used the gothic form to explore the horror of being confined by gender.
The In-Between of Environmental Crisis
Two recent essay collections explore the interplay between literary genre and a rapidly changing planet.
“Representation doesn’t just mean heroes. We need the villains as well.”
Marlon James discusses writing realistic Black characters, being inspired by African folktales, and why we don’t have to let go of the world of make-believe to tell serious stories.
The Wisdom of Black Life and Literature
A recording of our virtual literary event with three generations of Black women writers.
What Are “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena”?
A recent government report gave UFOs a rebrand, but so many basic questions remain unanswered.
Autofiction’s First Boom Was in Turn-of-the-Century Japan
Newly translated into English, Minae Mizumura’s An I-Novel is a vivid portrait of immigrant displacement and the ironies of our global cultural ecosystem.
The Obligation of Self-Discovery
Simone de Beauvoir’s relationship with her readers was a mutually demanding collaboration.
The Prophet of the Far Right
Michel Houellebecq’s Islamophobia and chauvinism have made him a favorite intellectual of right extremists. So why does he appeal to so many on the left as well?
What Would Boccaccio Say About COVID-19?
The Florentine humanist’s description of the Black Death in the Decameron remains one of the most thoughtful accounts of a society living under a pandemic.
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