A historian who studies wage gaps between races and a saxophonist whose live performances include a chef are among the latest recipients of the philanthropic group's annual, no-strings-attached $800,0...

On Tuesday, the MacArthur Foundation announced its 2026 class of MacArthur Fellows: 20 individuals who demonstrate “exceptional creativity” and excellence in their fields, and “wh…

The first novel in over a decade from the acclaimed Haitian-American author lacks the power of earlier works

Monitor reviewers recommend titles by Emily St. John Mandel, Min Jin Lee, and Paul Theroux.

October is here, and, with it, the thrills and chills of Spooky Season, a month of masks, madness, merriment, magic, and, of course, marvelous things to read (whether they be spooky or not). It has…

Another month of books, another month of book covers. In September, the month of Big Books, it was all about the art selection. Here are some of my favorites from the month. Dorfman does all of Ron…

After a decade of Donald Trump’s chaos and cruelty, we might ask how literary fiction is responding. Readers, for their part, flocked to journalistic and historical explainers in Trump 1.0, t…

Featuring Marlon James, Jon Ronson, Emily St. John Mandel, Emily Wilson, and more

As the temperature starts to drop and the leaves begin [...]

Companies have changed the way they price their products — and shoppers are getting deliberately overcharged. Here are steps you can take to ensure you are getting the best deal.

Alice Jolly, the award-winning author of The Matchbox Girl, recommends five historical novels about the women written out of history books.

"Godwits make the longest non-stop migration in the bird world. That might be the least of their marvels. Can they survive a changing planet?"

Today, the Booker Prize Foundation announced the six books on the 2026 Booker Prize shortlist, whittled down from the “Booker’s Dozen” announced in July. The Booker is the UK’s mo…

Friday, September 6 Honestly, the first thing I heard this morning as someone walked past the bookshop door I cannot even type because it includes the worst of all the swears, but I will tell you t…

Dillard kept much of her personal life carefully outside the scope of her nonfiction.

Happy Fall! (from my book Poetry Comics)

YouTube video by More Perfect Union

Today, it is officially fall: does it feel like it? The gradual transition from the beating heat to the falling leaves is all around us, and yet it can still feel surprising, too fast. To celebrate…

When I visited the Louvre Museum in Paris, I was struck by how small the Mona Lisa looked in person—a common reaction—and by how most of the people in the room were not looking at the painting itse…

John Green’s new book, Hollywood, Ending, is available now from Dutton, so we asked him a few questions about favorite books, writing advice, writer’s block, and more. * Who do you most wish would …

Over the weekend, Writers for Democratic Action (WDA) awarded historian Heather Cox Richardson with its inaugural Gitlin-Auster Defender of Democracy Award, “established to honor a writer who…

The former vice president rebukes Trump’s attack on Iran and condemns the administration’s dismantling of climate regulations.

Tom Tiffany's decision to skip all but one debate in the governor's race brings down the level of political discourse in Wisconsin

Which countries are best at reading? See the latest PISA scores and how the world's top education systems compare.

Zibby Owens has parlayed her wealth into a multipronged media company that publishes her work. No one doubts her enthusiasm, but many question her management.

Annie Dillard died this week. But her voice — wild and holy and hilarious — continues to live in my head, my soul, and somehow, my dog.

Good evening.

The president’s ban of three media outlets from the White House fits a pattern of using the apparatus of government to crack down on his perceived enemies.

Happy Friday, readers. Your friendly neighborhood Lit Hub staff are getting our kicks this week from simple things. Like good gags, surprise fruit, and easily navigated research databases. Molly Od…

The author of The Corrections talks about a new TV adaptation, the future of reading and why creating new work is ‘horrible’

Looking for a new reading recommendation? Here are some great new paperbacks, from an epic multigenerational saga by a Booker winner to a biography of an iconic Victorian poet

Friedman was in her early 20s when she landed her first position as an editorial assistant at NPR. She became an editor and reporter, and a co-creator of the annual Books We Love reading guide.

Good morning.

When sequels come along—especially when it’s almost 30 years after [...]

Featuring Emily St. John Mandel, Ben Macintyre, Kate Atkinson, Naomi Klein, and more

Her Thoreau-like account of journeys in the woods, published when she was 28, was the first of many ruminations on life and nature, good and evil.

It’s looking like a great year for indie cinema. Which is swell news for nerds. For those of us particularly loyal to print and celluloid, the late festival circuit—including the Venice Bienn…

Annie Dillard, the masterful stylist and brilliant thinker, has died at 81. Her death was confirmed by her literary executor, Maggie Nelson. Dillard, who wrote in many forms and experiments, was an…

Today, the National Book Foundation announced the longlist for the 2026 National Book Award for Nonfiction. These ten titles were selected from a pool of 727 books submitted for consideration by th…

We often experience breakups as private deaths. The severing of an intimate relationship means giving up a vision of life together. One mourns the beloved, the shared past, and the expected future,…