10 Writers Remaking African Literature in 2026
The writers demanding our attention in 2026 interrogate power, dissect masculinity, and insist on joy in their works of satire, sorcery, and secrets from Africa and the Diaspora.
Books
Features, reviews, interviews, and lists about books including cultural commentary and history, non-fiction, literature, and more.
The Avett Brothers’ Bob Crawford on His “Song” for John Quincy Adams
Quiet moments on the road with the Avett Brothers became Bob Crawford’s research time to write his own sort of “song” for John Quincy Adams.
‘Playmakers’ Explores the Chutzpah That Made Kids’ Toys
Playmakers illustrates that many toys of American childhood came into being because their Jewish creators were shut out of the American workplace.
Justin Townes Earle’s Unrealized Future
Rolling Stone editor Jonathan Bernstein’s biography of Justin Townes Earle, What Do You Do When You’re Lonesome, is rooted in the quiet devastation of Saint of Lost Causes.
Mothra Is Luminous as an Icon of Soft Power and Femininity
Whether defending her eggs, the Earth, or the people and kaiju she values, Mothra has consistently demonstrated caregiving instincts that finally have a lucid source in her feminine creator, Ajigo.
Joker’s Prophecy About American Neoliberalism
Joker provides a keen understanding of the deleterious effects of American neoliberalism, which the authors dismantle in Send in the Clowns with a mordant deadpan wit.
‘The Summer We Ate Off the China’ Is a Buffet of Varied Stories
Devin Jacobsen’s The Summer We Ate Off the China is a varied collection of emotional stories that will leave one feeling satisfied.
Mule Boy’s Paratactic Storytelling Method Carries Weight
Like Cormac McCarthy, Andrew Krivak breaks complex actions, narrated in strings of independent clauses, into their elemental parts in Mule Boy.
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Iconic 1960s ‘It Girl’ Jane Birkin Finally Gets Some Respect
Biographer Marisa Meltzer accentuates the inner depth of her talented subject in her book, It Girl: The Life and Legacy of Jane Birkin.
Translating Mothra Is Trickier Than Capturing Godzilla
Jeffrey Angles discusses the perils and pleasures of translating Mothra’s tri-authored origin tale, The Luminous Fairies and Mothra, into English.
The Best Books of 2025
Our Best Books of 2025 draws from inventive authors and scrappy publishers. Has there ever been a better time to be a reader than these tumultuous times?
The ‘Shōgun’ Series Is Like a Beautiful Car with No Engine
James Clavell’s Shōgun is about profound transformation through understanding, but FX’s Shōgun is just a spectacle of surfaces with no meaningful drive.