Stephen Kearse

Contributing Writer

Stephen Kearse is a contributing writer for The Nation. He has contributed to The BafflerPitchfork, and The New York Times Magazine.

Quelle Chris Upends How We Talk About Guns

Quelle Chris Upends How We Talk About Guns Quelle Chris Upends How We Talk About Guns

The Detroit rapper’s new album offers a panorama of gun culture that brims with disarming nuance and clarity.

Apr 25, 2019 / Stephen Kearse

Maurice Carlos Ruffin Confronts the Horror and Spectacle of Racism

Maurice Carlos Ruffin Confronts the Horror and Spectacle of Racism Maurice Carlos Ruffin Confronts the Horror and Spectacle of Racism

His debut novel, We Cast a Shadow, is among a series of recent works that pair analysis of race with grim, fantastical tales of metamorphosis.

Apr 23, 2019 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse

What’s the Value of an Athlete’s Labor?

What’s the Value of an Athlete’s Labor? What’s the Value of an Athlete’s Labor?

Steven Soderbergh’s imaginative new film, High Flying Bird, teases out alternative ideas of work, ownership, and agency, in sports and beyond.

Mar 11, 2019 / Stephen Kearse

The Fyre Festival Documentary Is a Lurid Look Into Start-Up-Culture Grift

The Fyre Festival Documentary Is a Lurid Look Into Start-Up-Culture Grift The Fyre Festival Documentary Is a Lurid Look Into Start-Up-Culture Grift

Chronicling the infamous music festival, the documentary looks at how tech bros turned a luxury getaway into a blockbuster scam.

Jan 14, 2019 / Stephen Kearse

Earl Sweatshirt’s Relentless Introspection

Earl Sweatshirt’s Relentless Introspection Earl Sweatshirt’s Relentless Introspection

On Some Rap Songs, Earl excavates hard truths about himself and his heritage, and the results are dazzling and gut-wrenching. 

Nov 30, 2018 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse

The Anarchic Fun of Vince Staples

The Anarchic Fun of Vince Staples The Anarchic Fun of Vince Staples

On the rapper’s new album, FM!, he relishes any opportunity to inject gravity and grim contradiction into pure party jams.   

Nov 9, 2018 / Books & the Arts / Stephen Kearse

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