Media Archive

Thirteen Ways of Looking at the Novel

Jane Smiley

Two great writers celebrate the novel—from the 1,000 year-old Tale of Genji to Zadie Smith’s bestseller White Teeth; from classics…

The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana

Umberto Eco

While he can remember the plot of every book he’s ever read, the hero of Eco’s raucous new novel no…

An Evening with W.S. Merwin

W.S. Merwin

In a career spanning five decades, W.S. Merwin, lauded poet, translator, and environmental activist, is one of the most widely read…

Sorrows of Empire:
Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic

Chalmers Johnson

The author of the prophetic national bestseller Blowback offers a vivid look at the new caste of professional warriors who have…

The Voting Wars:
How Do We Move Beyond Partisanship and Polarization — Or Should We?

Rick Hasen, Connie Rice, Leslie Berestein Rojas

Since the year 2000, Democrats and Republicans have become more divided than ever, finding little common ground on important issues,…

The Secret History of Wonder Woman

Jill Lepore

In her years of research, Lepore—Harvard historian and New Yorker staff writer—has uncovered an astonishing trove of documents, including the…

BONK: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex

Mary Roach

Few things are as fundamental to human happiness as satisfying sex. America’s funniest science writer (Stiff) offers an ode to…

Dreams and Shadows:
The Future of the Middle East

Robin Wright

Drawing on 35 years of reporting—through wars, revolutions and uprisings—one of America’s most prescient journalists offers an insightful reckoning of…

The Attention Merchants

Tim Wu

In nearly every moment of our waking lives, we face a barrage of advertising enticements, branding efforts, sponsored social media,…

Joss Whedon on Shakespeare

Joss Whedon

In conjunction with the new exhibition at Central Library –  America’s Shakespeare: The Bard Goes West – writer, director and producer Joss Whedon stopped…