Montage

Black and white photo of a large mushroom cloud rising above the horizon.

Open Book: A New Nuclear Age

Harvard historian Serhii Plokhy’s latest book looks at the rising danger of a new arms race.

Composite illustration of African American poets Phillis Wheatley, Melvin B. Tolson, Dudley Randall, Gwendolyn Brooks, Yusef Komunyakaa, Paul Laurence Dunbar

Critique and Joy

Kevin Young’s anthology of African American poetry, from Phillis Wheatley to hip hop

by Elisa New

A photograph of Zoe Sarnak performing on stage

Putting the Music in Musical Theater

Composer Zoe Sarnak’s warm-hearted songs

by Lydialyle Gibson

<i>Puck<i> magazine cartoon from 1895 lampooning the income tax

Off the shelf: Recent books with Harvard connections

Tax follies, Thomas Sowell, Donald Hall, and more

Photo of Bonnie Tsui standing on a pier

A Surfing Author’s Children’s Book

In the swim with Bonnie Tsui

by S.I. Rosenbaum

Photograph of Mao Zedong during what is thought to be the Long March, 1934-1935

Under Review: Tony Saich on Chinese Communism at 100

The first century of the Chinese Communist Party—and what impends

Illustration of open doors, tied to concept of commitment instead of just seeking opportunities

Open Book: the case for commitment

Pete Davis expands on his Commencement address.

Photograph of earth scientist Andrew Knoll at work in the field

Andrew Knoll, “A Brief History of Earth,” reviewed by Jonathan Shaw

Andrew Knoll on the planet’s past—and fraught future

by Jonathan Shaw

Correspondence on not-so-famous lost words

Correspondence on not-so-famous lost words

Johnson plays his harmonica with the Boston Pops orchestra behind him.

Singer, songwriter, harmonica player Scott Albert Johnson

Scott Albert Johnson finds his path.

by Jacob Sweet

Photograph of someone wearing a Juneteenth T-shirt

The Racial Tensions That Roiled Texas

Annette Gordon-Reed on the real history of Texas, and Juneteenth