With the new administration, there’s a lot we’re hoping will change. The state of labor sits near the top of that list for many. Sam Lefebvre writes about Unions Renewed, a new book about organized labor under capitalism, which offers some meaningful takeaways for the arts — especially amid the recent rise of art worker unions across the US.

Also worth checking out: a review of Ishmael Reed’s recent play (and Hamilton takedown); a colorful dive into Pixar’s archives; and a sumptuous excerpt of a new queer photography book. Plus, we’ve got plenty of poetry, courtesy of our Weekend team.

Happy reading.

What’s the role of organized labor when employers need workers less and less in order to create profit? That’s the question at the heart of Unions Renewed: Building Power in an Age of Finance.

Authors Alice Martin and Annie Quick describe the pervasive influence of financial actors across Western economies, turning firms of all kinds into unproductive rent seekers and speculators, and the consequences for workers and communities.