The Ordinary Perpetrators and Victims in the Boko Haram Kidnappings
Helon Habila’s new book recounts the horror and revives the call to take notice.
Book Review
The Sugar Wars
Science can’t prove it and the industry denies it, but Gary Taubes is convinced that the sweet stuff kills.
The Uncoupling
Her marriage broken, her house dismantled, Rachel Cusk has broken apart her fiction, too, remaking it in new ways.
A Portrait of ‘Literary Malice’
In his most recent book, Alex Beam details the disintegration of Vladimir Nabokov and Edmund Wilson’s friendship.
How War Created Pippi Longstocking
Astrid Lindgren’s translated diaries don’t dwell on the origin of the popular fictional character—but rather illuminate the turbulent surroundings she emerged from.
Why Is Dating in the App Era Such Hard Work?
Finding love in the postromantic, postmarital age
The Prophecies of Jane Jacobs
She is renowned for championing urban diversity, but her real prescience lay in her fears about the fragility of democracy.
How Music Made Bruce Springsteen
Since before he was the Boss, he's turned to rock and roll to create order out of an anxious and chaotic life.
The Gangly Texan Pianist Who Wooed Soviets During the Cold War
Russian audiences swooned over Van Cliburn during a fraught period in relations with his home country. Nigel Cliff tells the humble musician’s story in a new biography.
Pity the Substitute Teacher
Nicholson Baker went undercover in the classroom. His resulting book delivers a message about education that Americans still need to hear.