Culture

Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer writes on a blackboard at Princeton, 1957

The Jewishness of “Oppenheimer” The Jewishness of “Oppenheimer”

Jewish Currents writers and editors Mari Cohen, David Klion, and Raphael Magarik on a surprising movie about the American left.

Aug 18, 2023 / Podcast / Jeet Heer

The Return of Noname

The Return of Noname The Return of Noname

In her new album, Sundial, the rapper melds her activism and artistry seamlessly.

Aug 17, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse

Pupil Slicer lead vocalist Katie Davies during a performance at the Bloodstock Open Air Festival in 2022.

How the UK’s Metal Scene Became a Haven for Trans People How the UK’s Metal Scene Became a Haven for Trans People

Amid Britain’s relentless transphobia, the metal community is creating an ever-growing number of trans icons.

Aug 17, 2023 / William Elisabeth Cuthbert

Right-Wing Attacks on Small-Town Libraries—Plus, “The Snow Leopard”

Right-Wing Attacks on Small-Town Libraries—Plus, “The Snow Leopard” Right-Wing Attacks on Small-Town Libraries—Plus, “The Snow Leopard”

On this episode of Start Making Sense, Sasha Abramsky on the culture war, and Pico Iyer on Peter Matthieson’s spiritual journey through the Himalayas.

Aug 17, 2023 / Podcast / Jon Wiener

The “Voyager” stroboscopic headsets, an early VR device, 1991.

The First Great Novel About Virtual Reality? The First Great Novel About Virtual Reality?

Colin Winnette’s disorienting Users examines the limits of morality and imagination as they exist online and in video games.

Aug 16, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Lily Meyer

What It Takes to Be a Public Intellectual

What It Takes to Be a Public Intellectual What It Takes to Be a Public Intellectual

In 2014, Adam Shatz’s “Writers or Missionaries” appeared in The Nation, a piece about his relationship, as a Jewish American journalist, to the political conflicts in the Arab-spea…

Aug 15, 2023 / Books & the Arts / J. Howard Rosier

Robbie Robertson circa November 1994 at The National Museum of the American Indian in New York City.

The Indigenous Roots of Robbie Robertson’s Rock and Roll Revolution The Indigenous Roots of Robbie Robertson’s Rock and Roll Revolution

The music called Americana was created by a Jewish-Canadian-Cayuga-Mohawk.

Aug 14, 2023 / Jeet Heer

Agota Kristof, 1991.

Ágota Kristóf and the Agony of the “Enemy” Language Ágota Kristóf and the Agony of the “Enemy” Language

In her memoir, The Illiterate, the formidable Hungarian writer details her lifelong battle with language as a tool of misunderstanding.

Aug 14, 2023 / Books & the Arts / Missouri Williams

It’s a Barbie World—but Is That a Good Thing?

It’s a Barbie World—but Is That a Good Thing? It’s a Barbie World—but Is That a Good Thing?

On this episode of The Time of Monsters, Tarpley Hitt on the mixed messages of Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster.

Aug 13, 2023 / Podcast / Jeet Heer

Screenshot of Richard Hanania talking to Bryan Caplan

Why Does This Racist Keep Getting Silicon Valley Money? Why Does This Racist Keep Getting Silicon Valley Money?

The charmed life of Richard Hanania.

Aug 11, 2023 / Jeet Heer

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