Information is power. Our mission at Portside is to seek out and to provide information that empowers you -- that empowers the left. Every day we search hundreds of sources to connect you with the most interesting, striking and useful material. Just once a year we appeal to you to contribute to make it possible to continue this work. Please help.

Archives

For posts before June 2012, please follow these links to our archives.

Message for Portside Culture Readers: There's a Storm Ahead

Portside moderators Portside
We'd like to say that everyone can breathe easier after the midterm elections, which delivered an emphatic judgment on Trump and Trumpism. Congratulations to everyone who contributed to this achievement in any way.

The Ten Best Books About Food of 2018

Rachel Tepper Paley Smithsonian Magazine
Ten titles from 2018 should satisfy readers hungry to learn more about the history and science of food, including why people around the world eat certain things, how to define “American” food, why some ingredients taste good with other ingredients.

The Missing Malcolm X

Garrett Felber Boston Review
Our understanding of Malcolm X is inextricably linked to his autobiography, but newly discovered materials force us to reexamine his legacy.

The War Before the War

David Holahan The Christian Science Monitor
The role of the enslaved in the political crisis that led to the Civil War is not as well known as it should be, but this volume adds to our knowledge on this topic.

‘Roma’ Review: Alfonso Cuaron Makes His Masterpiece

Peter Travers The Rolling Stone
Oscar-winner, Alfonso Cuaron, goes into the past and pays tribute to the women who helped raise him. Cuarón has done more than break through walls of language, culture and class to craft the best movie of the year.

In U.S. Media, Israel Is Untouchable

Gideon Levy Haaretz
You can attack the Palestinians in America uninterrupted, call to expel them and deny their existence. Just don’t dare say a bad word about Israel, the holy of holies.