The Week's Best Articles From the Washington Monthly
"The Meager Agenda of Abundance Liberals" ... J.D. Vance's historic unpopularity ... Donald Trump's insane case for voiding pardons ... and more
The 2025 Kukula Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Book Reviewing
The Washington Monthly is pleased to welcome submissions for the 2025 Kukula Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Book Reviewing.
The award, now in its sixth year, honors the memory of Kukula Kapoor Glastris, the longtime and beloved books editor at the Washington Monthly. It celebrates the kind of serious, public-affairs focused book reviews that Kuku loved best—and the talented people who practice this noble craft.
Nonfiction book reviewing is vital journalism that transmits hard-won reporting, research, and ideas to policymakers and citizens who can’t possibly read more than a fraction of the important books published each year. It also contributes to a healthy intellectual life. At a moment when our democratic institutions, our free speech, and the truth itself are all under assault, these goals could hardly be more urgent.
This summer, we will honor two outstanding reviewers, chosen from among ten finalists, for exceptional book reviewing. Our judges give priority to reviews of biographies and works about politics, public affairs, and history—themes central to this magazine’s brand of journalism.
Are you a book reviewer or reader who appreciates great reviews? Please help us spread the word or enter yourself for a chance to win a $1,000 prize and the admiration of your book-loving friends! Submission deadline is Friday, April 11. You’ll find all the eligibility details and our easy entry form here.
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The Week's Best Articles From the Washington Monthly
The Meager Agenda of Abundance Liberals: Editor in Chief Paul Glastris and Editor Nate Weisberg explore what the buzzy policy movement gets right and wrong. Click here for the full story.
And hear Glastris and Weisberg discuss their article on the Washington Monthly podcast with host Anne Kim. Listen on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.
An Abundance of Ambiguity: Zephyr Teachout, Fordham Law School professor, reviews Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. Click here for the full story.
The Long Shadow of Robert Moses: Alan Ehrenhalt, contributing editor at Governing, reviews Why Nothing Works by Mark J. Dunkelman. Click here for the full story.
Why We Need a New Tennessee Valley Authority: Shelley Welton, law and energy professor at the University of Pennsylvania, reviews Democracy in Power by Sandeep Vaheesan. Click here for the full story.
J.D. Vance Is the Most Disliked New Vice President in History: Politics Editor Bill Scher takes a close look at the Vice President's sagging poll numbers. Click here for the full story.
Trump’s Latest Word Salad Isn’t Just Wrong. It’s Insane: Legal Affairs Editor Garrett Epps dissects the President's claim that he can void his predecessor's pardons. Click here for the full story.
Michael Lewis’s Case for Government: Janet Hook, former Los Angeles Times reporter, reviews Who Is Government? by Michael Lewis. Click here for the full story.
Education Reforms that Can Strengthen the Nation’s Schools: Thomas Toch, director of the FutureEd think tank, offers six policy reforms with bipartisan potential. Click here for the full story.
Critics of VA Cuts Say, “This is Life and Death Stuff”: Suzanne Gordon, of the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute and Steve Early, detail the real-world impacts of the Trump administration's attempted slashing of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Click here for the full story.
The Filibuster Is Working. You Just Can’t See It: Politics Editor Bill Scher shows how Senate Democrats are successfully constraining the GOP's legislative agenda. Click here for the full story.
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