Public Books unites the best of the university with the openness of the internet. The digital magazine was founded in 2012 by Sharon Marcus, a literature professor, and Caitlin Zaloom, an anthropologist. Their mission was simple: to publish writing that is erudite without being esoteric and brings scholarly depth to discussions of contemporary art, ideas, and politics. We publish one essay or interview a day, five times a week.

Public Books began with these precepts: that experts who devote their lives to mastering their subjects need to be heard. That it is desirable for academics to speak to a broader audience, and exciting for readers outside of the academy to debate what scholars have to say. Most importantly, that boundaries between disciplines and ways of knowing deserve to be bridged—and that barriers between the academy and the public deserve to be broken.

At Public Books, academics join with other public scholars, critics, and activists to make the life of the mind a public good.
 

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