Listening to Books
An essay on audiobooks.
Literature
Infinite Self
Anthony Veasna So died unexpectedly last winter, before his debut book was released. Everyone remembers him differently.
Postures of Transport: Sex, God, and Rocking Chairs
On the British and American fascination with rocking chairs and upholstery springs in the 19th century.
Eat Butterflies With Me?
On Vladimir Nabokov.
Marilynne Robinson’s Essential American Stories
A profile of the author, who “looks to history not just for the origins of America’s ailments but for their remedy, too.”
The Desk and the Daring
On the work of Vivian Gornick.
Maxine Hong Kingston’s Genre-Defying Life and Work
The Asian-American literary pioneer, whose writing has paved the way for many immigrants’ stories, has one last big idea.
How to Write Fiction When the Planet Is Falling Apart
A profile of Jenny Offill, whose latest novel addresses climate collapse.
Would You Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Stop Talking?
How is it that literature has produced a wealth of information about the sex lives of straight white men and yet so little about the abortions they have or have not paid for?
The Myth of Self-Reliance
An encounter with Emerson’s essays.
Fascinated to Presume
In defense of fiction.
The Sum of Life: Zora Neale Hurston
Retracing the writer’s life nearly 60 years after her death.
Born to Run: Herman Melville's Great Escape
On Herman Melville’s literary career.
The Beautiful Power of Ta-Nehisi Coates
A profile of the author on the eve on his debut novel, The Water Dancer.
Fiction Pick of the Week: "Four Crônicas"
Examinations of literature, philosophy, and the self.
The Murderer, the Writer, the Reckoning
An essay from inside Sing Sing.
Liu Cixin’s War of the Worlds
A leading sci-fi writer takes stock of China’s global rise.
Gene Wolfe Turned Science Fiction Into High Art
He worked as an engineer developing the technology to make Pringles potato chips before embarking on a prolific writing career. Known as the Melville of science fiction and celebrated for his inventive and challenging work, Wolfe died on April 14 at age 87.
Fifty Shades of White
The long fight against racism in romance novels.
Ghosts in the House
A profile of Toni Morrison.
Going Hungry at the Most Prestigious MFA in America
Making ends meet in Iowa City.
Varieties of Ether
On the relationship between rivalry and creativity.
The Ugly Scandal That Cancelled the Nobel Prize
“The academy’s prestige has been shattered, probably forever,” by allegations of sexual harassment and corruption.
"I Refuse to Cater to the Bullshit of Innocence"
An interview with Maurice Sendak.
Interview: Ursula K. Le Guin
“There’s always room for another story. There’s always room for another tune.”
