Noah Berlatsky

Aya de Leon discusses her latest book—and why heist and romance novels lend themselves to political content.

Arnade demonstrates the virtues of a journalism based on empathy. But he also shows that empathy alone is insufficient without a sharper historical and political analysis.

The Detroit rapper's willingness to listen to other people, and to see himself from their perspective, is one of the hallmarks of his music, his career, and his politics.

Progressives often debate whether universal or targeted policies are best suited to create a more equal society. Warren's college plan brilliantly combines them both.

Every right-wing authoritarian movement has one thing in common: a brutal clampdown on any persons or groups who promote equality.

In his latest book, French historian Dominique Kalifa investigates how mainstream representations of poverty have been used for centuries to harm the poor.

Far from helping us fight fascism, Nazis on film may do the opposite.

Negro Leo's music advocates a radical solidarity with his country's least fortunate.

The vote is one of the central ways democracies give people a voice in their government.

Direct action can persuade, it can inspire, and it can change circumstances on the ground.

Is it really wrong to have ties to a community based in a shared vision of God, justice, and hope, rather than in land and blood?

The shuttering of a prison debate club shows the precarious nature of free-speech rights among American inmates.

A new book repackages old complaints about college kids, while also discouraging protest.

Under the opioid panic, patients suffering from chronic pain can find themselves unable to speak openly with their doctors.

A slanted version of the events at Evergreen College keeps driving the conservative news cycle—all while students suffer.

The indie musician talks about his new song cycle about racism—and loving a country that doesn't love you back.

An anti-war movement that embraces authoritarianism and conspiracy theories is an anti-war movement that will lead us to more war.

Unlike myths, superhero sagas suggest that justice is actually attainable.

With SESTA, Congress gets it backwards: Speaking isn't dangerous for sex workers. Censorship is.

Jonathan Weisman's new book argues that American Jews need to focus less on Israel and more on social justice.

Why fighting voter suppression and expanding the rolls matter more than achieving progressive purity.

Where other horror shows tell you to fear technology, Butcher's Block tells you to fear the rich.

When academics start complaining about "cultural Marxism," they're entering—wittingly or no—a realm of deep anti-Semitism.

Accusing the left of fascism only helps the real fascists.

In the fictional universe of Altered Carbon, the wealthiest humans have transcended race. Oddly, most of them are still white.

On the myth of meritocracy.

On Man of the Woods, Timberlake's flirtation with woodsy iconography is an uncomfortable reminder that certain kinds of authenticity are reserved for white people.

By jailing medics, the government is stifling its citizens' basic right to protest.

Can any show with an extraordinary hero advance egalitarian politics?

The film believes imperialism is bad but can't quite bring itself to reach the logical conclusion.

They don't exist. Voter suppression, on the other hand, is very real.

When commentators hasten to blame students and protesters, they engage in a sort of chattering-class solidarity—while empowering the true threats to free speech.

A new book charts the rise of unattached women through history—and makes the case for how they can change public policy.

Two philosophical, complementary arguments that prove young Americans deserve the franchise.

How suffragettes, wartime paranoia, and 9/11 stripped Victorian entrepreneurs of rights and reputation.

Do A-list advocates like Kate Winslet and Lena Dunham really know anything about sex workers? One hundred years ago, both would have been considered fallen women.

Critics who champion TV's high-quality renaissance elevate the status of niche shows at the expense of those appreciated by "mass," lower-class audiences.

Political opposition to needle exchanges, reproductive health services, and other public health fixtures has helped create an outbreak in Scott County, Indiana.

Current and former sex workers are taking a stand against their portrayal as victims and conducting studies of their own.

In a new book, Allison J. Pugh explores how an ideology of independence can have negative effects outside the economic realm.

Public sector job creation might be lagging because of anti-black sentiment.

In a new essay collection, historian Richard J. Evans argues against the popular conception.

In order to write a book about the Wonder Woman comics, Noah Berlatsky had to resort to pirated reprints.

In Edward Struzik's new book Future Arctic: Field Notes From a World on the Edge, he avoids the apocalyptic and offers a vision of how pragmatists could tackle some of the region's many environmental problems.

In a new book, Amanda M. Czerniawski details how the fashion industry objectifies plus-sized models. But can sociologists avoid doing the same?

Fictional depictions of effective torture may be more persuasive than reasoned arguments.

Ultimately, they're meant to disseminate knowledge. But their narrow appeal makes them expensive to produce and harder to sell.

The people arguing that torture contradicts our country's historical virtues are dead wrong.

In The Altruistic Brain, neurobiologist Donald Pfaff makes the case that humans are hard-wired for good. But, Noah Berlatsky argues, that good is frequently defined and distorted by culture.

In her new book, Marsha Weissman gets insights on the school-to-prison pipeline from the students themselves.