The Week's Best Articles From the Washington Monthly
Analysis of Trump's address to Congress, what's next for Ukraine, and how Democrats should fight back
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
How Ukraine Can Survive Without America: Mike Lofgren, historian and former congressional staff member, maps out how the European Union can defend Ukraine. Click here for the full story.
Trump’s Moral Blindness Should Disqualify Him as a Peacemaker: Tamar Jacoby, director of the Progressive Policy Institute’s New Ukraine Project, dissects the infamous Oval Office between the American and Ukrainian presidents. Click here for the full story.
Elon Musk and the Rise of the Dictator CEO: June Carbone, Nancy Levit, and Naomi Cahn, co-authors of Fair Shake: Women and the Fight to Build a Just Economy, warn of the dangers posed by narcissistic and charismatic corporate executives. Click here for the full story.
Elon Musk Misunderstood the Film “Office Space.” Now He’s Decimating the Federal Workforce: Politics Editor Bill Scher explores the real meaning of one of Musk's favorite movies. Click here for the full story.
Trump Escalates His War on Independent Regulatory Agencies: Contributing Writer Peter M. Shane explains the import of the attack on a key component of the federal bureaucracy. Click here for the full story.
Trump Fired the Archivist of the United States: Jason R. Baron, former director of litigation at the National Archives and Records Administration, highlights the risk to presidential record-keeping. Click here for the full story.
I Learned So Much From President Trump’s Address to Congress: Executive Editor Digital Matthew Cooper suffers through Tuesday's speech so you don't have to. Click here for the full story.
Trump’s Night at the Opera: James D. Zirin, author and legal analyst, sees parallels between the president and the opera Moby-Dick. Click here for the full story.
Let’s Create “Town Hall Night in America”: Contributing Editor Jonathan Alter urges Democrats to host monthly town halls in every congressional district. Click here for the full story.
Democrats Should “Do Something.” And They Are.: Politics Editor Bill Scher defends the opposition party from charges of fecklessness and impotence. Click here for the full story.
New Washington Monthly Podcast Episode
Podcast host Anne Kim is joined by guest co-host and Editor in Chief Paul Glastris as well as Politics Editor Bill Scher to discuss Trump's address to Congress and the state of his presidency. Listen on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube.
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