The Common Reader

The Common Reader “The Common Reader” is Washington University in St. Louis's Journal of the Essay. Louis as an international thought leader.

"The Common Reader" is published online to further the intellectual reputation of Washington University in St. Through freshly conceived, smartly written, and rigorously argued articles, reviews, and essays drawn from diverse perspectives "The Common Reader" engages the scientific and artistic ideas, social issues, and current controversies of our time. We publish new content weekly, with a monthl

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Anybody else facing Swedish death cleaning? (AUDIO 6m)
06/17/2026

Anybody else facing Swedish death cleaning? (AUDIO 6m)

Not only can you not take it with you, you cannot keep it till you go.

Share this:David Hockney’s works never had the reputation in contemporary art of conveying intellectual dilemmas, much l...
06/17/2026

Share this:
David Hockney’s works never had the reputation in contemporary art of conveying intellectual dilemmas, much less casual profundity. They were much too fun for that.

Stumbling upon “Mr. and Mrs. Clark and Percy” by surprise was like waking up to Christmas morning, but reborn as an adult. The size, vibrancy, and overwhelming stillness of this painting are so impressive that it works almost as a trance, or incantation, of natural light.

Politics often has me raging. But a fifth-century monk has some ideas for me. (AUDIO 11m)
06/11/2026

Politics often has me raging. But a fifth-century monk has some ideas for me. (AUDIO 11m)

A very old monk tells us how to stay alert (to a crazy world) without anger or sorrow.

In a classroom some years ago, during an introductory course in comparative literature, I encountered a conversation tha...
06/10/2026

In a classroom some years ago, during an introductory course in comparative literature, I encountered a conversation that has since refused to leave me. The discussion was framed as an effort to map the contours of what is often called world literature, to understand how texts move across languages, borders, and traditions. When the question of Africa emerged, it did so in a manner that was at once generous and quietly constraining.....

Contemporary writers do not inherit Chinua Achebe’s legacy as a neutral resource. They inherit it as a canon that has already been institutionalized, already been absorbed into systems of evaluation and circulation that reward familiarity. To write within this tradition is to encounter a set of fo...

As I was being vetted, administrators asked what I would do if my Ukrainian partner wanted to talk about hardships and l...
06/10/2026

As I was being vetted, administrators asked what I would do if my Ukrainian partner wanted to talk about hardships and loss. I said I could listen. What else could I do?

As I was being vetted, administrators asked what I would do if my Ukrainian partner wanted to talk about hardships and loss. I said I could listen. What else could I do?

Friends of Vintage Flight must make strategic decisions when they choose a project, based on the group’s capabilities, t...
06/10/2026

Friends of Vintage Flight must make strategic decisions when they choose a project, based on the group’s capabilities, the condition of available aircraft, and their historical significance. The Curtiss Robin has a fascinating history as one of the most commercially successful aircraft of the period between the world wars, and began production the year after Lindbergh made the first solo trans-Atlantic flight in 1927.

Friends of Vintage Flight must make strategic decisions when they choose a project, based on the group’s capabilities, the condition of available aircraft, and their historical significance. The Curtiss Robin has a fascinating history as one of the most commercially successful aircraft of the peri...

The old ways are best
06/10/2026

The old ways are best

Friends of Vintage Flight must make strategic decisions when they choose a project, based on the group’s capabilities, the condition of available aircraft, and their historical significance. The Curtiss Robin has a fascinating history as one of the most commercially successful aircraft of the peri...

Whatever your field, have you seen AI scams similar to this?
06/08/2026

Whatever your field, have you seen AI scams similar to this?

A few days ago, a man in Memphis messaged me by LinkedIn to ask if I was the person who had offered to help him market his book. When I said no, he showed me the email that offered to make his novel a smash hit.

Tell us what you think about the movie
06/08/2026

Tell us what you think about the movie

In the end, the only thing to be done with a movie like this is to throw it to the wolves of Reddit.

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