Political Currents by Ross Barkan

Let Me Hear Your Heart Beat

"Pet Sounds" at 60

May 11 • Ross Barkan

97

22

19

The Danger of the Literary Lament

On Dwight Garner, the NY Times, and the state of the book review

May 1 • Ross Barkan

74

8

21

April 2026

Pub Day!

Colossus, in the world

Apr 28 • Ross Barkan

31

11

6

Zohran Mamdani's City Council Problem

What the socialist mayor will need to do

Apr 23 • Ross Barkan

21

3

1

My Struggle (to Publication)

Reflections on a strange literary road

Apr 17 • Ross Barkan

84

41

13

Life in a Literary Democracy

Reflections on the current culture

Apr 10 • Ross Barkan

73

10

16

The Most Interesting Race in New York City

DSA's newest test

Apr 1 • Ross Barkan

18

1

2

March 2026

The New Cultural Criticism

A movement for the 2020s

Mar 15 • Ross Barkan

133

13

36

Here are the Substacks You Should Read

Reviving a series

Mar 6 • Ross Barkan

36

5

2

February 2026

Why Fiction?

The struggle against anti-humanism in our new age

Feb 27 • Ross Barkan

152

20

41

AI Agonistes

Time for the industry to put up or shut up

Feb 16 • Ross Barkan

89

14

15

Can Zohran Mamdani Beat the New York Post?

The media dynamics working in his favor

Feb 5 • Ross Barkan

36

2

6