Norman Lear, influential TV producer and liberal activist, dies at 101
The writer, director and producer revolutionized prime time television with such topical hits as "All in the Family" and "Maude"…
'Trick Mirror' is our January book club pick
Become a member of the Now Read This book club by joining our Facebook group, or by signing up to our newsletter. Learn more about the book club here.
Our January pick for Now Read This, the PBS NewsHour's book club with The New York Times, is Jia Tolentino's "Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion," a collection of nine essays examining American life under late capitalism.
Tolentino, who is a staff writer at The New Yorker, has been called a "millennial Susan Sontag." Her cultural criticism draws heavily on the internet and the myriad ways it shapes our lives; in "Trick Mirror," she considers not only how the rise of social media has affected our identities, but also how it has ramped up the pressure women feel to present "ideal" versions of themselves on these platforms. She also writes about religion, scammer culture and feminism in the post-#MeToo era.
Woven through many of Tolentino's essays is a recognition of just how hard it is to opt out of capitalism now that it is easier than ever to participate in it. "I have felt so many times that the choice of this era is to be destroyed or to morally compromise ourselves in order to be functional — to be wrecked, or to be functional for reasons that contribute to the wreck," Tolentino writes in one essay.
The New York Times Book Review called "Trick Mirror" a "a cri de coeur from a writer who has been forced to revise her youthful belief in American institutions." Tolentino "writes with an inimitable mix of force, lyricism and internet-honed humor," reviewer Maggie Doherty wrote. "She is the only writer I've read who can incorporate meme-speak into her prose without losing face."
"Trick Mirror" was a 2020 finalist for the PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay and was named a notable book by The New York Times in 2018. Tolentino will answer reader questions about her essays at the end of the month. We hope you'll read along.
Support Canvas
Sustain our coverage of culture, arts and literature.
More Stories
Watch
Tariq 'Black Thought' Trotter on his impact on hip-hop and new memoir, 'The Upcycled Self'
The Roots are one of hip-hop's most important and influential groups and lead lyricist and emcee Tariq Trotter, better known…
Jonathan Majors assault trial starts with competing versions of a backseat confrontation
A Manhattan prosecutor and a defense attorney offered competing versions of a violent confrontation in the backseat of a car…
Queen Latifah, Billy Crystal and Dionne Warwick lauded at Kennedy Center Honors gala
The newest group of Kennedy Center honorees, including comedian Billy Crystal, actor Queen Latifah, prolific hitmaker Dionne Warwick, opera singer…
Watch
'Class' author Stephanie Land on the realities of college when living in poverty
Stephanie Land's 2019 memoir, "Maid," recounted her struggles as a single mother, cleaning houses to earn money and wrestling with…
Illinois appeals court affirms actor Jussie Smollett's convictions and sentencing
An appeals court has upheld the disorderly conduct convictions of actor Jussie Smollett, who was accused of staging a racist,…
Biden is heading to Hollywood for a major fundraiser featuring Steven Spielberg and Shonda Rhimes
President Joe Biden will head to Los Angeles next week for a big-dollar event that will be his first since…
Watch
Simone Leigh's work explores how Black women have been misrepresented in art and culture
Last year, artist Simone Leigh represented the U.S. at what is widely considered the world's most important exhibition of contemporary…
Watch
Boston exhibit reveals John Singer Sargent's methods and why his work remains relevant
The great painter John Singer Sargent, an American expat, is the subject of a new show at Boston's Museum of…
Watch
Kentucky writing program amplifies unheard voices through the power of publishing
Ordinary people with extraordinary stories. That's the ethos behind the Louisville Story Program which is celebrating ten years of amplifying…
2023's word of the year is the real deal
Authentic cuisine. Authentic voice. Authentic self. Authenticity as artifice. Lookups for the word are routinely heavy on the dictionary company's…
Paul Lynch wins Booker Prize with 'Prophet Song,' novel set in dystopian version of Ireland
Irish writer Paul Lynch won the Booker Prize for fiction on Sunday with what judges called a "soul-shattering" novel about…
Daryl Hall is suing John Oates over plan to sell stake in joint venture. A judge has paused the sale
Daryl Hall has sued his longtime music partner John Oates, arguing that his plan to sell off his share of…
Watch
A look inside the National Museum of Women in the Arts after its major renovation
In leading museums these days, women artists are gaining more prominence. But studies of acquisitions and overall exhibitions show just…
Watch
A Brief But Spectacular take on love, joy and the pursuit of happiness
Jonathan McCrory has served as the artistic director at the National Black Theatre for over ten years. Along the way,…