Does It Hold Up? | The New Republic

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An open book with magnifying glass.

Illustration by Aaron Lowell Denton

An open book with magnifying glass.

Does It Hold Up?

Classic works, reconsidered

Illustration by Aaron Lowell Denton

Does It Hold Up?

Classic works, reconsidered

Illustration of the book A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf with a magn

The Loneliness of A Room of One’s Own

Virginia Woolf put forward an enduring vision of women with the space and financial stability to write. But it’s also a sad vision—of isolated writers, cut off from peers or mentors.

Illustration of the book "Bird by Bird" by Anne Lamott

Anne Lamott’s Battle Against Writer’s Block

Bird by Bird encouraged would-be writers to blast past their hang-ups and embrace “shitty first drafts.” But there’s more to the creative process.

Briallen Hopper

An illustration of a The Denial of Death book

The One Percent’s Fear of Death Is Wreaking Havoc on the World

Ernest Becker’s The Denial of Death posited that we act out in antisocial ways—and even embrace authoritarians—because we cannot face our own unavoidable demise.

Illustration of the book The Cycles of American History

What If the Political Pendulum Doesn’t Swing Back?

The Cycles of American History foresaw American voter dealignment, and an electronic age that would see voters prioritize personality over party—but it didn’t anticipate Trump.