The New York Review of Books; November 17, 2025

The New York Review of Books is a semi-monthly magazine with articles on literature, culture, economics, science and current affairs. Published in New York City, it is inspired by the idea that the discussion of important books is an indispensable literary activity.

In this issue: 

• Jed Pearl, Matthew Aucoin: In Defense of Criticism
• Ben Lerner: My Open-Heart Surgery
• Clare Bucknell: Petticoats and Hatchet Jobs
• Darryl Pinckney: The Self-Made James Baldwin
• Hilary Kelly: Tessa Hadley's Women on the Verge
• Josephine Quinn: Augustine at Home in Africa
• Mark Lilla: Don't Call it Conservatism