The Incredible Freedom of Not Trying to Look Good
A new book explores the benefits of accepting ugliness instead of trying to change it.
Book Review
The ‘Two Ships’ Theory of American History
Can our unruly national story be squeezed into two vessels?
A Close-Up Look at the Waste of Modern Life
A new memoir by a Montreal garbageman shows the actual work of cleaning up the world’s junk.
How to Save Marriage
To find a future for the institution, we need to accurately account for its wildly varying past.
Where Dogs Go On With Their Doggy Life
Why are there so many canines in fine art?
A Perfect Gilded Age Confection
How America celebrated its 100th birthday
An Urgent Question for Anyone Who Uses Social Media
What should we do when confronted with posts from family influencers?
The Secret of Elizabeth Strout’s Appeal
How she writes best sellers that are also critical darlings
The Lost Idealism of Heartland Rock
The genre of Bob Seger and John Mellencamp reached across the ideological spectrum in a way that seems unimaginable today.
Is Cohabitation the Feminist Future?
Stories about women living together are proliferating—and offering alternative visions to the nuclear family.