Hard-Luck Men in Hardscrabble Towns
admin In Richard Russo’s novels, the American dream feels like a cruel joke.
Books
Icarus in the Faculty Lounge
The Cambridge professor Jason Arday’s unlikely ascent has come to a tragic end.
The Academics Who Caught Fire
The French theorists of the postwar era argued that the author’s life is irrelevant. Emily Eakin’s lively new book proves…
What if Freud Was Right and Pharma Was Wrong?
A neuroscientist dares to argue that old-fashioned psychoanalysis—not drugs—holds the key to curing mental illness.
When the Narrator Is a Very Good Boy
A new novel helps explain why so many storytellers enlist animal narrators to explore humanity.
Put a Lock on It, Fauci
The private notes of the man who oversaw COVID policy are deeply embarrassing—and surprisingly instructive.
The Part of Our Life We Too Often Forget
Forget starting over. In Valeria Luiselli’s new novel, it’s the messy middle of life that counts.
The Trap of Millennial Fiction
The generation's novels tend to focus on the flatness of modern life—but alienation doesn’t have to be dull.
Dave Eggers Debates Himself
In his new novel, <em>Contrapposto</em>, the author wonders whether artists should shun institutions or build them.
The Subject Too Big for Fiction
Amitav Ghosh believes that climate change requires rethinking the novel. His new work of fiction fails that standard.