Ain’t I a Woman, the first book by the late bell hooks, still retains its power and relevance
The feminist and cultural critic's 1981 polemic reads as though it were written yesterday.
Conspiracy theories, misinformation, and other instances of bad thinking are the subjects of three recent books about our current epistemological crisis
Fake news, disinformation, propaganda, and other elements of a culture that denies reality are corroding our society. These books show a possible road out of this situation.
Cultural reporter Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks about his memoir, Son of Elsewhere, his love of The O.C, and what the banjo has in common with the oud
"Even though I've been living in this country for twenty-two years and this is for all intents and purposes my home – it's where I intend to live the rest of my life – elsewhere is this notion that one or two pieces are missing," says Abdelmahmoud.
Truth and consequences: New York Times journalist Elizabeth Williamson’s new book examines the poisonous seedbed of American conspiracy culture
The New York Times feature writer shows in carefully argued detail that the Sandy Hook hoaxers exist in a direct line with QAnon and the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Rosemary Sullivan defends conclusions in controversial Anne Frank book; HarperCollins to keep the title on sale
The author says in a statement that she has “full confidence” in the work that went into the book.
“It was like unfinished business”: University of Alberta professor David R. Marples on the historical and political context behind Putin’s war in Ukraine
“I never thought Ukrainians anywhere would welcome Russian occupation,” says Marples.
“There are probably people getting away with such things right now”: Sarah Weinman discusses her new book, about a con artist who convinced a right-wing pundit to save him from death row
Edgar Smith, the convicted murderer of a fifteen-year-old girl, found some powerful advocates in conservative writer William F. Buckley, Jr., and Alfred A. Knopf editor Sophie Wilkins.
Freedom to Read Week 2022: From Plato to fake news, Eric Berkowitz provides a concise and nuanced history of censorship in the West
The history of censorship is inextricable from the history of power and in a changing world, it behooves us to consider how to balance speech and security.
HarperCollins Germany to review controversial book about the betrayal of Anne Frank in light of questions about claims in it
The new book, which proposes a Jewish notary as the person responsible for giving up the Franks’ hiding place, has come under fire by historians who question its assertions.
Vampires, mad scientists, and American psychos: David J. Skal examines some cultural underpinnings of the horror genre
In its examination of the roots of American horror cinema, this single-volume survey is valuable, though it lacks follow-through in its second half.