Criticism
Is the Twenty-First Century a Creative Void?
Critics mourn a bygone cultural era. But nostalgia for the new isn't new.
Reading the Declaration of Independence as Holy Text
How the American creed emerged—and evolved—over 250 years
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Criticism
The Richard Siken Effect
How Crush changed American poetry—and found a second life online
September 8, 2025
Is Mary Oliver Embarrassing?
Shame seemed like an obstacle to appreciating the poet. Instead, it became the key to understanding her work.
September 2, 2025
When Fact-Checking Meant Something
A new novel captures a bygone era in New York journalism
June 9, 2025
Andrea Long Chu's Problem with Authority
She built a critical voice on risk and provocation. Who is she speaking to now?
April 15, 2025
Zora Neale Hurston’s Rediscovered Novel
A new publication obscures the canonical writer
March 11, 2025
Chaos Agent in Chief
What Michael Wolff’s Trump quartet tells us about the next four years
March 4, 2025