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Likely prompted by the runaway success of a certain classically oriented movie in theaters this summer, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has returned the oldest preserved fragment of The Odyssey to one of its galleries, where it can be seen and appreciated after a long time out of view. The relic is now on display in Gallery 162 in the museum’s section devoted to Greek and Roman Art. In a round-up of Odyssey-related collection treasures on its website, the Met describes the relic as the first early Ptolemaic fragment of the text ever discovered and notes: “Dating from around 285–250...

A provocative new book by journalist and former political aide Gil Durán argues that a tightly networked circle of Silicon Valley billionaires and venture capitalists have spent three decades methodically constructing an ideological and political apparatus aimed at replacing democratic governance with corporate rule. The book, The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy, published by Simon & Schuster, is scheduled for release on August 18, 2026 — and its claims are already igniting debate across the political spectrum. Key Facts ►Gil Durán’s book, The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy, is published...

Here’s an interesting question: how many white American men born after 1984 have had a literary piece published in The New Yorker? The answer is zero. How did we get here, and who let this happen? Every literary generation used to produce its Roth, Updike, Bellow, Wolfe, McCarthy, or Franzen. Today’s literary establishment shows no interest in producing young men of comparable prominence—especially if they’re straight and white. This is not a new or underdiagnosed problem; in fact, it appears to be a point of pride for the new generation of literary critics and publishers alike. Penguin Random House has...

An Arabic bookshop in London has been accused of anti-Semitism after it was found selling copies of Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf and displaying them "front and centre" of the store. The newly opened shop, Aafaq Bookstore on Edgware Road, had multiple copies of the extremist text on a display table this week, just a five-minute walk away from the West London Synagogue. Featuring a photograph of the Nazi Party leader saluting on its cover, the edition was translated into Arabic and appeared to be published by Aafaq. In addition to owning the London bookshop, the firm is a publishing and...

Those of us in the majority of Americans who have been deprived of an excellent education have never had more opportunities to remediate ourselves.Many Americans have assumed that if you want a serious education in history, philosophy, or literature, you must go to college, preferably a highly rated one. The Harvards, Yales, and Princetons of the world have theoretically been where the classics were taught, great ideas debated, and intellectual life was supposed to flourish.That assumption is beginning to change, and not just because of headlines like “The Elite College Students Who Can’t Read Books.” The “academy” no longer has...

Nearly one-quarter of U.S. adults—21%—are illiterate, and 130 million people can’t read a simple story to their children or sound out more than a few basic words. The problem isn’t confined to high school dropouts, those with disabilities, and non-¬English speakers. It affects university students, working professionals, and those who grew up speaking English at home. It goes beyond the inability to enjoy books, skim websites, and write emails. Medication instructions, ingredient labels, and posted warnings can conceal deadly risks from nonreaders.The problem starts in elementary school, where a battle over how to teach reading continues to rage and fewer...

The full, updated American History and Civics Curriculum, which includes lesson planning prompts, assignments, and assessments Primary sources, images, and maps to support instruction Interactive, searchable flip books that make the material easy to navigate and share An online course that gives practical strategies for teaching American History with excellence

Homer’s epic poem, “Odyssey,” is in the news lately, primarily because Christopher Nolan has produced a three-hour, and I can use the word impressionistic, retelling of the “Odyssey.” And a lot of people have criticized it; a lot of people like it. I’m gonna talk about the film later in one of our episodes, because I have now seen the new film, and Jack Fowler and Sami Wink and I have talked variously about it. But I wanted to today just talk about the “Odyssey” as a work of literature and history. A lot of people, I think, have the...

From politics to 'a very exciting event' As March Madness heats up we are more than likely going to encounter a peculiar word that is much beloved by sports writers and political pundits alike: barn burner. barn burner The 'Barnburners' were one of two competing factions in the New York State Democratic Party in the middle of the 19th century. The name was “in allusion to the story of an old Dutchman who relieved himself of rats by burning his barns which they infested.” In the modern parlance a barn burner is defined as "a very exciting game, event, etc."...

One of the most worrying trends in Western societies is the failing institution of marriage. Not only are divorce rates high, but increasingly young people are opting out altogether. A generation ago, 80 to 90 percent of the population in the United States would have been married by the age of 35; the number is now closer to 60 percent and has been falling over the past 10 years. That number matters because marriages are less likely to produce children after 35. In virtually all Western countries, the birth rate is now below replacement, which is almost certainly linked to...

Hundreds of incoming Howard University students from across the country were blindsided just weeks before the start of school after learning they had been unenrolled over unpaid bills. Freshmen were informed this week that they had missed a July 10 payment deadline and would not be allowed to attend the upcoming fall semester at the private HBCU school in Washington, DC. ABC 7 reported. Students were set to start moving into their on-campus housing on August 3 while the Fall semester begins on August 17. Isabella Williams had her truck packed and was gearing up to take the long trip...

Former First Lady Jill Biden has found herself in a pickle after her recent book, View from the East Wing, was #1 on The New York Times bestseller list upon release. But weeks after its release, the book didn't simply fall in the rankings, but completely disappeared from the list itself. The sudden drop caught the eyes of the critics, which fueled speculation that bulk purchases may have boosted its debut. The theory motivated the netizens to mock her, calling the book a scam. Last month, Jill Biden’s book View from the East Wing debuted on The New York Times...

Painting depicting Odysseus and his crew at their ship (Odysseus tied to the mast), while Sirens are around them. John William Waterhouse, Ulysses and the Sirens (1891). Did this voyage take Odysseus to America? Credit: Public Domain For centuries, scholars and enthusiasts have debated where Odysseus truly traveled during his legendary journey back to Ithaca. Among the most intriguing theories is the notion that the hero ventured beyond the Mediterranean, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, and reached the shores of what is now known as America. But what evidence supports this extraordinary claim, and does it truly align with Homer’s descriptions...

Oli London @OliLondonTV King Charles visits new ‘eco friendly’ mosque in Cambridge, England. “The fact that you have a purpose built mosque here with a community center attached, makes a huge contribution, not only to the Muslim community here- but to Cambridge itself.”

Amnesty International picked a fight it's going to lose. The other day, the human rights organization made the very bad choice to list Beria's Place, a women's rape crisis shelter, as well as For Women Scotland and the Gay Men's Network, as hate groups. Why? Because they believe in the gender binary, Beria's Place only allows biological women to use its services. Gone are the days when Amnesty lobbied to protect political prisoners. Instead, they're now pushing to abuse women and punish gays and lesbians who don't bend the knee to the radical trans agenda. The problem is this: Beria's...

Prepare to see Han shoot Greedo on the big screen again. For years, we thought it could never happen. But now we know for certain — the 50th anniversary theatrical release of the original Star Wars will indeed be George Lucas' original cut from 1977, not available commercially since 2006. The original Star Wars movie hasn't had a wide theatrical release in over forty years. But, according to the Star Wars official site, the original version of Star Wars blasts its way back into movie theaters for a limited release on February 19, 2027. This happens almost thirty years to...

A few weeks ago, I reviewed Eric Metaxas’s bestselling book Revolution: The Birth of the Greatest Nation in the History of the World. Since then, it has remained on the New York Times bestselling list and is currently ranked number two in nonfiction behind Maggie Haberman’s TDS offering, Regime Change.One would have thought a book published during the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence would be stocked and displayed prominently at Barnes & Noble. Instead, during his frequent appearances on Steve Bannon’s War Room program, the author testifies that the nation’s leading storefront bookseller doesn’t typically have copies on...

Disgraced ex-Rep. Eric Swalwell’s zombie congressional campaign has dwindled to just over $11,000 after he coughed up another $50,000 to celebrity defense attorney Sara Azari and refunded nearly $190,000 to donors following his epic career collapse following sexual assault allegations. The details were documented this week in new federal campaign filings and come as California ethics investigators continue probing more than $300,000 in payments made to Azari from Swalwell’s failed gubernatorial campaign — raising fresh questions about the disgraced Democrat’s mounting legal bills as his political career continues to unravel. Swalwell’s federal campaign filings, which list him as treasurer, paint...

On July 16, “The Catcher in the Rye,” by J.D. Salinger, will turn 75. Commemorating such a nice big number would surely strike its adolescent hero, Holden Caulfield, as the absolute nadir of “corny,” but maybe we could use a little corn, as the data centers invade our farmland. Pour out a Scotch and soda — make that a malted milk — for this spry codger of a novel that’s stayed on the dance floor long past when might be expected, leaping over book bans from the right and dodging cancellation from the left. “Catcher” has somehow inspired artists as...

A black feminist historian whose work is being labeled as misleading — and who may have lost her cushy academic job — says it all comes down to an attack on black women. The New York Times tells the tale of Kerri Greenidge, whose 2022 book “The Grimkes” was hailed for its narrative about a slaveholding family and its work in the abolitionist movement. Publishers Weekly put the book on its list of that year’s top books, while the American Historical Association handed Greenidge the Joan Kelly Memorial Prize, which honors scholars in women’s history and feminist theory. But the...