Best Arts & Culture Books of 2023

by Robert Boyers

A nimble, eminently readable tribute to a pair of literary giants who weren’t shy of calling themselves such. Full review >

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by Leah Broad

A stellar work of social and music history sprinkled with emotional dashes of love, sex, and politics. Full review >

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by Chuck D ; illustrated by Chuck D

In an engaging, distinctly hip-hop style, Chuck D reveals important lessons from the early pandemic years. Full review >

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by Claire Dederer

Bringing erudition, emotion, and a down-to-earth style to this pressing problem, Dederer presents her finest work to date. Full review >

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by Katy Hessel

An overdue upending of art historical discourse. Full review >

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by Farah Karim-Cooper

Illuminating both words and performance—an essential addition to Shakespeare studies. Full review >

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by Sowmya Krishnamurthy

Exciting and exhaustive, this fun hip-hop history explains what your favorite rappers are wearing and why. Full review >

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by Thurston Moore

A self-aware, charmingly rough-and-tumble tale of the rock ’n’ roll life. Full review >

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by Benjamin Moser

A graceful meditation on art. Full review >

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by Adam Nagourney

An exemplary work of journalism about journalism, of surpassing interest to any serious consumer of the news. Full review >

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