Culture
Michael Ledeen Was the Forrest Gump of American Fascism Michael Ledeen Was the Forrest Gump of American Fascism
From Iran-contra to Iraq war WMD lies to Trumpism, this right-wing pundit kept subverting democracy.
Peter Kuper’s Graphic Novel, Where the Insects Draw Us Peter Kuper’s Graphic Novel, Where the Insects Draw Us
Insectopolis explores the often-unseen—and rapidly disappearing—world we share.
Listening Closely to John Adams Listening Closely to John Adams
The composer is an undeniable part of the classical music canon. Does that change the meaning of his radical early work?
McCarthyism 2.0: Reflections on Testifying in the House Antisemitism Hearings McCarthyism 2.0: Reflections on Testifying in the House Antisemitism Hearings
I soon realized that neither the law nor the facts matter to the Committee on Education’s Republican inquisitors.
Books
Katie Kitamura’s Divided Selves Katie Kitamura’s Divided Selves
Her fiction are studies of fragmentation and ambivalence.
The Invention of Close Reading The Invention of Close Reading
By transforming quotations into evidence, close reading served as way to turn postwar criticism into a specialized knowledge. But what if we treated it more as an art form?
Sigrid Nunez On and Off the Big Screen Sigrid Nunez On and Off the Big Screen
Two new films—Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door and Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s The Friend—attempt to adapt her work. Do they succeed?
Film
Can Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza Remake the War Movie? Can Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza Remake the War Movie?
Warfare attempts to rewrite the rules of depicting violent conflict on screen, making for a close-up, visceral experience.
How Should Los Angeles Rebuild After the Fires? How Should Los Angeles Rebuild After the Fires?
In the aftermath of this year’s catastrophic fires, architects and urban planners begin to consider how to rebuild.
The Culture-War Furies Behind Trump’s Film-Tariff Plan The Culture-War Furies Behind Trump’s Film-Tariff Plan
The president doesn’t have the authority to impose tariffs on movies produced abroad, but he still wants to be the right’s designated culture commissar.
The Bloody Blues of “Sinners” The Bloody Blues of “Sinners”
Ryan Coogler’s blockbuster horror period piece sets out to reinvent the creature feature—for better and for worse.
Television
Culture Therapy Culture Therapy
Films to remember for pre-Trumpian times and inspiration.
The Creator of “Adolescence” Backs a Social Media Ban for Kids—but It’s the Wrong Move The Creator of “Adolescence” Backs a Social Media Ban for Kids—but It’s the Wrong Move
Although the dangers young people face online are all too clear, the solution is pragmatism, not prohibition.
We Must Save Public Media to Change It We Must Save Public Media to Change It
We need public media more than ever—it’s too precious to let Trump defund it. But to live up to its democratic promise, we must support public media to serve our needs.
Architecture
How Should Los Angeles Rebuild After the Fires? How Should Los Angeles Rebuild After the Fires?
In the aftermath of this year’s catastrophic fires, architects and urban planners begin to consider how to rebuild.
Real Estate Is the Key to Trump’s Worldview Real Estate Is the Key to Trump’s Worldview
His policies and behavior may often baffle, but he is a developer at heart.
How Atlanta Became a Walkable City How Atlanta Became a Walkable City
The Beltline and Georgia’s experiment in pedestrian spaces.
Music
Listening Closely to John Adams Listening Closely to John Adams
The composer is an undeniable part of the classical music canon. Does that change the meaning of his radical early work?
Springsteen Gets America in Ways Trump Never Will Springsteen Gets America in Ways Trump Never Will
And that reality has caused the president of the United States to lose it.
This Is the Bruce We’ve Been Waiting For This Is the Bruce We’ve Been Waiting For
Springsteen’s fans knew his politics, but he didn’t always show them off. Now he’s jumped out of the gate to stand against “dangerous times in my home.” Let freedom ring.
The Retro Pop of Lady Gaga and Baths The Retro Pop of Lady Gaga and Baths
In their new albums, the musicians look backward as much as forward.
Can Spotify Be Stopped? Can Spotify Be Stopped?
The streaming service has completely changed what it means to make and listen to music. What can be done to reverse its enormous influence?
Publishing
We Can’t Afford to Let the Fourth Estate Topple We Can’t Afford to Let the Fourth Estate Topple
For all the deserved criticism of the American media, it remains one of the strongest pillars propping up what’s left of democracy in a time that’s been anything but good for the …
Trump Took Over the Kennedy Center, but Silencing the Arts Will Not Be So Easy Trump Took Over the Kennedy Center, but Silencing the Arts Will Not Be So Easy
Our last best hope for sharing, shaping, and wrangling over independent ideas may turn out to be America’s scrappy and disparate arts spaces—if they can hang on financially.
Novelist on a Deadline: Barry Malzberg, 1939–2024 Novelist on a Deadline: Barry Malzberg, 1939–2024
A speed demon at the typewriter, Malzberg wrote quickly and brilliantly in a variety of genres including mystery, thrillers, and erotica, but his core work was in science fiction….
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