The Essay Episodes Available now
Tupac—Poetic Provocations
Inua Ellams explores the impact of rapper 2Pac on his political and racial awareness.
I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face—Dietrich in Five Songs
Le Gateau Chocolat revels in how Dietrich and Burt Bacharach reforged a classic show tune.
Where Have All the Flowers Gone—Dietrich in Five Songs
Paul Morley marks Dietrich's dive into a Pete Seeger anti-war folk song she transformed.
In the Ruins of Berlin—Dietrich in Five Songs
Karin Wieland analyses a song that charted Dietrich's bitter relationship with home.
When Love Dies—Dietrich in Five Songs
David Thomson charts the collaboration between Dietrich and director Joseph von Sternberg.
Falling in Love Again—Dietrich in Five Songs
Marybeth Hamilton charts a song Dietrich initially loathed yet never stopped singing.
Pause for Thought—New Generation Thinkers 2021
Florence Hazrat looks at the history of punctuation marks (such as brackets) and emojis.
Opium Tales—New Generation Thinkers 2021
Fariha Shaikh reads accounts from Thomas de Quincey (1821) to Timothy Mo and Amitav Ghosh.
Alexander and the Persians—New Generation Thinkers 2021
Julia Hartley asks why we call Alexander the Great.
The Paradox of Ecological Art—New Generation Thinkers 2021
Vid Simoniti considers eco-art from Olafur Eliasson to videos by Bo Zheng.
