Nation & Nationalism

These texts explore the concept of the nation, an idea of community that inspires patriotism and nostalgia. What makes a nation? And why are people willing to die—or to kill—to protect it? These are just a couple of the questions examined in the texts in this collection.

Angel Down

by Daniel Kraus

Publication year 2025

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Emotions/Behavior: Courage, Guilt, Death, The Past, Fathers, Nation, War, Good & Evil, Power & Greed, Religion & Spirituality, Wins & Losses

Tags Horror & Suspense

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An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States

by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Publication year 2014

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Conflict, Perseverance, Nation, Politics & Government, Power & Greed, War, Equality, Education, Race, The Past, Future, Community, Place, Colonialism

Tags US History, Race & Racism, Social Justice, Politics & Government, Education, Military & War, Anthropology, Colonial America, Social Class, Colonialism & Postcolonialism, World History

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Antifragile

by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Publication year 2012

Genre Book, Nonfiction

Themes Economics, Science & Technology, Nation

Tags Philosophy, Business & Economics, Psychology, Science & Nature, Finance, Leadership, Psychology, Philosophy, Self-Improvement

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Ask Me No Questions

by Marina Budhos

Publication year 2006

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Immigration, Family, Perseverance, Nation

Tags Historical Fiction, Education, Education, Realistic Fiction, Modern Classic Fiction, Arts & Culture

Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos, published in 2006, is a young adult novel that delves into the complex realities of immigrant life in post-9/11 New York City. The story centers on two teenage sisters from Bangladesh living illegally in the United States during a time of significant immigration policy changes that particularly affect Muslim communities. Author Marina Budhos draws from her personal experiences growing up in a diverse community in Queens, New York... Read Ask Me No Questions Summary

Ask Not

by Maureen Callahan

Publication year 2024

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Shame & Pride, Femininity, Masculinity, Sexual Identity, Family, Marriage, Social Class, Nation, Politics & Government, Good & Evil, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed, Safety & Danger, Trust & Doubt, Truth & Lies, Wins & Losses

Tags World History, Biography, Politics & Government, Gender & Feminism

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Astor

by Anderson Cooper, Katherine Howe

Publication year 2023

Genre Biography, Nonfiction

Themes Mental Health, The Past, Social Class, Community, Economics, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, Equality, Fame, Justice, Loyalty & Betrayal, Power & Greed

Tags US History, Politics & Government, Business & Economics

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A Supermarket in California

by Allen Ginsberg

Publication year 1956

Genre Poem, Fiction

Themes Nation, Sexual Identity, Globalization, Politics & Government, Literature, Nostalgia

Tags Lyric Poem, Love & Sexuality, Arts & Culture, The Beat Generation, LGBTQ+, Classic Fiction

“A Supermarket in California” is a prose poem by the American poet Allen Ginsberg. Written in 1955, it appears alongside Ginsberg’s most well-known work, “Howl,” in his book Howl and Other Poems. Published November 1, 1956 by Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s City Lights Books as part of their Pocket Poets Series, Howl and Other Poems was subject to an obscenity trial in 1957 due to its use of sexually explicit language. The trial eventually ruled in the... Read A Supermarket in California Summary

A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again

by David Foster Wallace

Publication year 1997

Genre Essay Collection, Nonfiction

Themes Apathy, Loneliness, Self Discovery, Community, Education, Nation, Art, Fate, Literature, Power & Greed, Truth & Lies

Tags Humor, Philosophy, Postmodernism, American Literature

A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again is a 1997 essay collection by David Foster Wallace. The seven essays explore 1990s US social issues through subjects such as television, tennis, and (in the most famous essay) a Caribbean cruise. The essays have been referenced many times in popular culture, particularly the title essay, which recounts Wallace’s experiences on a cruise.This guide references the 1998 Abacus edition of the collection.SummaryIn the first essay, “Derivative Sport... Read A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again Summary

Autumn

by Ali Smith

Publication year 2016

Genre Novel, Fiction

Themes Art, Aging, Love, Friendship, Apathy, Perseverance, Fear, Hate & Anger, Hope, Memory, Femininity, Death, The Past, Environment, Place, Community, Immigration, Nation, Politics & Government, Justice, Order & Chaos, Power & Greed

Tags British Literature

Ali Smith’s 2016 novel Autumn is a work of literary fiction and the first installment in her celebrated Seasonal Quartet. It was shortlisted for the 2017 Man Booker Prize. The story centers on the tender, unconventional friendship between Elisabeth Demand, a young lecturer, and Daniel Gluck, her 101-year-old former neighbor, who lies near death in a care facility. As Elisabeth keeps vigil by his bedside, the narrative drifts between the fractured political landscape of the... Read Autumn Summary