Allies (Fall 2019) | Boston Review

A Political and Literary Forum

Menu Search
Donate Shop Join

Music

Arts in Society

Rap on Trial

Prosecutors use defendants’ rap lyrics to win cases despite the flimsiest evidence. Behind this rests a unique paranoia around hip hop and a long history of criminalizing black art. 

Erik Nielson, Andrea L. Dennis

Arts in Society, Class & Inequality

Zero Hour: The First Days of New Berlin

30 years after the Wall, the story of Berlin's anarchist utopia.

Paul Hockenos

Arts in Society

The Origins of Sexual Healing

Grammy winner David Ritz, who cowrote Marvin Gaye’s legendary “Sexual Healing,” recalls how the song emerged from Gaye’s struggles with faith, drug addiction, and childhood abuse.

David Ritz

Arts in Society, Race

Aretha Franklin’s Soul

‘Amazing Grace,’ the long-lost film of Franklin’s gospel album, offers a lesson in the deep connections between gospel and soul music.

Ed Pavlić

Race

What Happened to Kanye West?

Kanye represents what happens when the liberties of artistic genius are confused for political insight.

Christopher Lebron

Arts in Society

Lenny Boy

A personal essay on family, death, and the healing power of music.

Peter E. Gordon

Arts in Society, Race

Janelle Monáe for President

What Afrofuturism can teach us about surviving Trump.

Christopher Lebron

Class & Inequality

Leaving Behind the Yellow Submarine

Mentorship is how the humanities justify themselves.

Jo Guldi

Arts in Society

Hashpipe of the Vanities

Overestimating the counterculture of the 1960s

Hal Stucker

Arts in Society

A Good, Bad, Hard, Easy Life

A new collection of Lead Belly's recordings.

Dave Byrne

Arts in Society

Dedicated to the Kings of Rhythm and Blues

After years of obscurity, the “5” Royales are finally getting their due.

Colin Fleming

Arts in Society

I Am Nick Drake Now

Drake was an artist so out of step with his own time that he came to be in lockstep with things not bound by time.

Colin Fleming

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Vital reading on politics, literature, and more in your inbox

Love Boston Review?

Then you’ll love our new membership program! Join us to support engaged discussion on critical issues. You’ll also enjoy exclusive membership benefits.
Get Started

Copyright © 1993-2019 Boston Review and its authors.

Support Boston Review

Become a Member

Make a tax-deductible donation today

Boston Review Printing Note: For best printing results try turning on any options your web browser's print dialog makes available for printing backgrounds and background graphics.