''Public Books'' is an American

book review __NOTOC__ A book review is a form of literary criticism in which a book is merely described (summary review) or analyzed based on content, style, and merit. A book review may be a primary source, opinion piece, summary review or scholarly revie ...

website that publishes accessible reviews written by academics and public intellectuals.

Overview

Founding editors Caitlin Zaloom, and

Sharon Marcus Sharon Marcus (born May 19, 1966) is an American academic. She is currently the Orlando Harriman Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. She specializes in nineteenth-century British and French literature and cultu ...

launched ''Public Books'' in mid-2012 to "give scholars a chance to weigh in on contemporary culture at a faster pace than scholarly publishing allows, but with more rigor and more time for reflection than journalism usually permits." The site publishes one essay or interview a day, five times a week. The first ''Public Books'' article was a review of

Jeffrey Eugenides Jeffrey Kent Eugenides (born March 8, 1960) is an American novelist and short story writer. He has written numerous short stories and essays, as well as three novels: ''The Virgin Suicides'' (1993), ''Middlesex'' (2002), and'' The Marriage Plot'' ...

's novel '' The Marriage Plot'' by founding editor Sharon Marcus. This article and several others were published before the site's first official issue, which went live in June 2012. Since its founding, ''Public Books'' has shown interest in American politics,

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

, finance,

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

and pop culture (especially television shows and comics). Contributors frequently review books critical of

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonis ...

capitalism Capitalism is an economic system based on the private ownership of the means of production and their operation for profit. Central characteristics of capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets, price system, priva ...

. ''

Bustle A bustle is a padded undergarment used to add fullness, or support the drapery, at the back of women's dresses in the mid-to-late 19th century. Bustles are worn under the skirt in the back, just below the waist, to keep the skirt from dragging. ...

'' described ''Public Books'' as a place to find articles that blend "reading, writing, and art with activism—making space for the diverse voices we need to keep hearing more of." ''Public Books'' is one of several new online and print magazines—including '' Jacobin'' and '' n+1''—that the ''

Chronicle of Higher Education ''The Chronicle of Higher Education'' is a newspaper and website that presents news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty and student affairs professionals (staff members and administrators). A subscription is required to r ...

'' credits with catalyzing an "intellectual renaissance" in the United States. ''Public Books'' is known for publishing scholarly responses to current events. In June 2016, historians N. D. B. Connolly and

Keisha N. Blain Keisha N. Blain (born 1985) is an American writer and scholar of American and African-American history. She is Professor of Africana Studies and History at Brown University. Blain served as president of the African American Intellectual History So ...

published a syllabus at ''Public Books'' for a potential course on the political success of

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

in the

2016 American presidential election The 2016 United States presidential election was the 58th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. The Republican ticket of businessman Donald Trump and Indiana governor Mike Pence defeated the Democratic ticket ...

. The syllabus was so popular in the days after the election that it briefly downed the ''Public Books'' website.

Awards

In 2013, ''

The Daily Beast ''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008. It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...

'' gave ''Public Books'' a #BeastBest award for its "meaty book writing."

Notable Contributors

Well-known contributors to ''Public Books'' include: * Judith Butler *

Masha Gessen Masha Gessen (born 13 January 1967) is a Russian-American journalist, author, translator and activist who has been an outspoken critic of the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the former president of the United States, Donald Trump. Gess ...

Fredric Jameson Fredric Jameson (born April 14, 1934) is an American literary critic, philosopher and Marxist political theorist. He is best known for his analysis of contemporary cultural trends, particularly his analysis of postmodernity and capitalism. Jam ...

* Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak

References

{{Reflist Book review magazines