A Sinner Reimagines the Bible
The latest novel from Mary Rakow, This Is Why I Came, could be called the “agnostic Gospels.”
Book Review
Why Winston Churchill Was So Bad With Money
The British prime minister could handle the Blitz but not his bills.
Getting Over Sylvia Plath
Her husband, Ted Hughes, drew on his childhood to create powerful poetry.
The Tyranny of Desire
In new novels, Michel Houellebecq and Margaret Atwood wonder if sexual relationships can thrive without freedom.
The Risky Appeal of Free Climbing
“Some people might call this crazy. I prefer to think of it as badass.”
Extreme Altruism
Larissa MacFarquhar writes about do-gooders who “open themselves to a sense of unlimited, crushing responsibility.”
Thurgood Marshall, Badass Lawyer
The Supreme Court justice may have left a stronger legacy off the bench.
Hit Charade
Meet the bald Norwegians and other unknowns who actually create the songs that top the charts.
RFK Was a Crummy Attorney
A very short book excerpt
The Hypnotic Genius of Elena Ferrante
An epic from Italy about female friendship and fate