AI promises miracle cures. We expect grounded planes
On the ouster of Jensen Huang, the broadening AI backlash, and the dull desperation of Anthropic and OpenAI’s IPO pitch.
Department
Culture.
Society, trends, and the human experience.
Lately on the shelf
30 of 4779Editors were once heroic literary figures, spotting and nurturing hidden talent. Conglomeration in publishing has changed all that
Editors were once heroic literary figures, spotting and nurturing hidden talent. Conglomeration in publishing has changed all that
The history of the telephone: It was a curiosity, then a luxury item, and then an ordinary necessity
The history of the telephone: It was a curiosity, then a luxury item, and then an ordinary necessity
Camus in love. He exchanged nearly 1,000 letters with Maria Casarès. They are intimate, poetic, unbridled
Camus in love. He exchanged nearly 1,000 letters with Maria Casarès. They are intimate, poetic, unbridled
Janet Malcolm’s journalistic persona was terrifyingly sharp. But her personal letters? “Messy, confusing, repetitive, and frequently boring”
Janet Malcolm’s journalistic persona was terrifyingly sharp. But her personal letters? “Messy, confusing, repetitive, and frequently boring”
Major literary organizations rarely recognize works of science fiction. With M. John Harrison winning the Booker Prize, will that finally change?
Major literary organizations rarely recognize works of science fiction. With M. John Harrison winning the Booker Prize, will that finally change?
Richard Posner described himself as cold, callous, snobbish, selfish, and cruel. It's a good line, but it wasn't true
Richard Posner described himself as cold, callous, snobbish, selfish, and cruel. It's a good line, but it wasn't true
In the silken, seductive, perilous literary world of Saki, wolves howl, cats speak, and epigrams are matters of life and death
In the silken, seductive, perilous literary world of Saki, wolves howl, cats speak, and epigrams are matters of life and death
In a Paris suburb, 60,000 readers gather to celebrate “an American literature that Americans don’t like”
In a Paris suburb, 60,000 readers gather to celebrate “an American literature that Americans don’t like”
David Remnick warned journalists against befriending their subjects. He made one exception for himself: Philip Roth
David Remnick warned journalists against befriending their subjects. He made one exception for himself: Philip Roth
An anthology that merely reflects the market amounts to a passive index fund. The editor’s job is to pick winners. David Lehman explains
An anthology that merely reflects the market amounts to a passive index fund. The editor’s job is to pick winners. David Lehman explains
The midterms: We’re all Bernie Bros now
And plenty of other things I encountered over the last week or so
Vote In The 2026 Book Review Contest
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A Room of One’s Own
Talking to the non-human part of the internet
Introducing the Blygger Protocol
Blygger hackathon kicks off Nov 20
A Literary Map of the United States
From Big Think and Pop Charts, A Literary Map of America that “highlights the real and imagined settings of hundreds of books”. Frank Jacobs takes a closer look at some of the imaginary places on the map, including Sleepy Hollow, Lake Wobegon, Brokeback Mounta…
Solving the Feynman restaurant problem, i.e. how many...
Solving the Feynman restaurant problem, i.e. how many dishes should you sample at a restaurant to find your favorite one? “Once you settle on a dish, the best strategy is to order it on every remaining visit.”
What Havel Teaches Us About Freedom
Democracy is more threatened now than at any time in the last 30 years. But there is reason to hope.
Paul Ford made an app called Mouse Party for easily...
Paul Ford made an app called Mouse Party for easily hosting video watching parties for your friends, no web server needed.
Yes to Life, in Spite of Everything: Viktor Frankl’s Lost Lectures on Moving Beyond Optimism and Pessimism to Find the Deepest Source of Meaning
"Everything depends on the individual human being, regardless of how small a number of like-minded people there is... on each person... creatively making the meaning of life a reality in his or her own being."
Pluralistic: I told you so (13 Nov 2026)
Today's links I told you so: Microsoft is too big to live. Hey look at this: Delights to delectate. Object permanence: Canada's corrupt copyright czar; Universal Music CEO v iPod owners; Berlusconi x neo-fascists; Balancing 3,118 coins on a dime; All for-profi…
The Surma Boys of Afghanistan
Afghan-American visual artist Daniel Malikyar recently shared some great photos of what he calls “a fashion subculture unlike anything I’ve encountered before” that he found in a remote village in the mountains of Afghanistan. I met a group of boys in a remote…
Can AI Compose a Convincing Beethoven Sonata?
Listen and judge for yourself
Welcoming Mike McFaul and Larry Diamond to American Purpose
I’m very happy to announce that Mike McFaul and Larry Diamond have agreed to become regular columnists for American Purpose.
The long-lost source for a sample in Craig Mack’s Flava...
The long-lost source for a sample in Craig Mack’s Flava In Ya Ear has been found. “Back then, rap producers took care in disguising the samples that they chopped up, making them difficult to trace — not just for legal reasons, but as part of the art.”
Critics and biographers alike have tiptoed around a momentous force in John Berger’s writing: sex
Critics and biographers alike have tiptoed around a momentous force in John Berger’s writing: sex
Lionel Trilling described the place where literature and politics meet as a "dark and bloody crossroads." Bad politics and bad books are buried there
Lionel Trilling described the place where literature and politics meet as a "dark and bloody crossroads." Bad politics and bad books are buried there
Anthropologists love to debate: Is their field insufficiently reflexive, too reflexive, too relativistic, or too subservient to dominant norms? Enough!
Anthropologists love to debate: Is their field insufficiently reflexive, too reflexive, too relativistic, or too subservient to dominant norms? Enough!
Literary Hub is trying to determine the best literary TV...
Literary Hub is trying to determine the best literary TV adaptation of all time. I have soft spots for Station Eleven, Mindhunter, Shogun, The Expanse, Normal People, and, especially, My Brilliant Friend. (Where is Fleishman Is in Trouble??)
This Week At Persuasion
Francis Fukuyama on the midterms. Plus, Martin Wolf on The Good Fight.