Emily Nussbaum

For Valentine’s Day 1986, Ted Kooser wrote “Pocket Poem” and sent the tender, thoughtful composition to fifty women friends, starting an annual tradition that would persist for the next twenty-one years. Printed on postcards, the poems were mailed to a list of recipients that eventually grew to more than 2,500 women all over the United States. Vale...

Experience a journey of grief, renewal, and self-discovery in this searing novel by bestselling and award-winning author Elizabeth McCracken. A writer reflects on her complicated mother's life and their relationship during a trip to London, questioning whether a chronicle of her mother's remarkable life is an act of love or betrayal. With humor and heartbreak, this book explores the nature of writing, memory, and art, reminding us that they are what remain when all else falls away.

A gripping and original tale about a man struggling to recreate his erased past after a severe accident. McCarthy's narrative delves into morality and reality, leading the reader down a disturbing path. Full of vivid imagery and chilling prose, this book is impossible to put down.

Explore the moral crisis of a Midwestern family on a pivotal winter day in Jonathan Franzen's captivating novel, Crossroads. Russ Hildebrandt, an associate pastor, contemplates leaving his joyless marriage while his wife Marion hides her own secrets. Their children, Clem and Becky, are undergoing drastic changes, while their younger brother, Perry, resolves to better himself. Franzen's celebrated character depth and contemporary commentary deliver a tour de force of interwoven perspectives and sustained suspense. Discover the resonance of the Hildebrandt family's story with our own in Crossroads.

This graphic memoir, by a renowned author, explores the lifelong relationship between exercise and the author. It covers the history of fitness culture from the 60s to present day and details the author's personal journey towards health and self-improvement. Along the way, she discovers the true secret to superhuman strength: not six-pack abs, but the recognition of our interdependence with others. A heartrending and hilarious read for anyone who has ever embarked on their own fitness journey.

Audience of One by James Poniewozik delves into the history of television and its role in shaping American society and politics, ultimately leading to the election of Donald J. Trump. Poniewozik interweaves two crucial stories, tracing the evolution of television from the shared monoculture era to today's atomized universe, and a cultural critique of the president. He reveals how Trump became a character that wrote itself and rode the media beast to ultimate power. A penetrating and often hilarious review of the farcical reality show we have all come to live in, Audience of One is a sobering reflection on the intersection of politics and pop culture.

Discover the powerful tribe shaping our everyday behavior - coders. Tech writer Clive Thompson delves deep into the minds of computer programmers, exploring the distinctive psychology of this vocation that combines logic, efficiency, puzzle-solving, and superhuman tolerance for frustration. Unpacking the surprising history of the field, Coders also ponders the morality and politics of code and its implications for our civic life and economy. With personal anecdotes and masterful storytelling, Thompson takes readers on a thought-provoking journey into the heart of the machine.

This modern masterpiece follows two friends, Elena and Lila, as they grow up in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples in the 1950s. Through their intertwined paths, Ferrante tells the story of a changing nation and the nature of friendship. This rich, intense, and generous-hearted book is a must-read for fans of character-driven stories.

Sharp is a captivating exploration of some of the most influential and formidable female literary figures of the twentieth century. From Dorothy Parker to Joan Didion, Michelle Dean delves into the lives and writings of these brilliant women, examining how they cut through the cultural and intellectual history of America with their precision of thought and wit. Dean expertly intertwines biography, literary criticism, and cultural history to provide a rich depiction of the intellectual milieu of twentieth-century New York. This book celebrates these women's accomplishments in a time where sexism prevailed in the critical establishment, proving that anyone can claim the mantle of writer and perhaps change the world.