Literature
To Thine Own Self Be True
Tara Isabella Burton’s new book ‘Self-Made’ surveys the grand, and sometimes ridiculous, history of how crafting identities shaped our modern world.
An Essayist’s Defense of the Novel
Joseph Epstein’s new book explains why serious fiction matters, and what we’ll lose if we stop reading it.
To Understand ‘Oppenheimer,’ Look Back at Prometheus
Christopher Nolan’s film, like the Greek myth, refuses to simply glorify its protagonist.
Cormac McCarthy’s Blood and Guts Catholicism
The late writer’s gritty style gives us a window into his religious upbringing and imagination.
Socrates and Xi Jinping Go Into a Bar
A review of ‘Plato Goes to China: The Greek Classics and Chinese Nationalism.’