Culture
How Has the Idea of Revolution Changed? How Has the Idea of Revolution Changed?
A new history examines the long history of a radical and sometimes conservative concept.
The “Donroe” Doctrine Is Dangerous The “Donroe” Doctrine Is Dangerous
Trump’s brazen violation of international law destabilizes global security.
John Updike, Letter Writer John Updike, Letter Writer
A brilliant prose stylist, confident, amiable, and wonderfully lucid when talking about other people’s problems, Updike rarely confessed or confronted his own.
The Grand Delusions of “Marty Supreme” The Grand Delusions of “Marty Supreme”
Josh Safdie’s first solo effort, an antic sports movie, revels in a darker side of the American dream.
Books
Blood Orange’s Sonic Experiments Blood Orange’s Sonic Experiments
Dev Hynes moves between grief and joy in Essex Honey, his most personal album yet.
Organized Labor at a Crossroads Organized Labor at a Crossroads
How can unions adapt to a new landscape of work?
Mahmood Mamdani’s Uganda Mahmood Mamdani’s Uganda
In his new book Slow Poison, the accomplished anthropologist revisits the Idi Amin and Yoweri Museveni years.
Film
The Grand Delusions of “Marty Supreme” The Grand Delusions of “Marty Supreme”
Josh Safdie’s first solo effort, an antic sports movie, revels in a darker side of the American dream.
The Banal Spectacle of “Avatar: Fire and Ash” The Banal Spectacle of “Avatar: Fire and Ash”
Has James Cameron’s epic sci-fi series run aground?
Why “The Voice of Hind Rajab” Will Break Your Heart Why “The Voice of Hind Rajab” Will Break Your Heart
A film dramatizing a rescue crew’s attempts to save the 5-year-old Gazan girl might be one of the most affecting movies of the year.
How Laura Poitras Finds the Truth How Laura Poitras Finds the Truth
The director has a knack for getting people to tell her things they’ve never told anyone else—including her latest subject, Seymour Hersh.
Rob Reiner’s Legacy Can’t Be Sullied by Trump’s Shameful Attacks Rob Reiner’s Legacy Can’t Be Sullied by Trump’s Shameful Attacks
The late actor and director leaves behind a roster of classic films—and a much safer and juster California.
Television
Bari Weiss’s Counter-Journalistic Crusade Targets “60 Minutes” Bari Weiss’s Counter-Journalistic Crusade Targets “60 Minutes”
The new editor in chief at CBS News has shown she’s not merely stupendously unqualified—she’s ideologically opposed to the practice of good journalism.
Rob Reiner’s Legacy Can’t Be Sullied by Trump’s Shameful Attacks Rob Reiner’s Legacy Can’t Be Sullied by Trump’s Shameful Attacks
The late actor and director leaves behind a roster of classic films—and a much safer and juster California.
The Slop of Things to Come The Slop of Things to Come
This past week boasted many overhyped AI breakthroughs, but the healthiest one was the fierce repudiation of a contemptuous McDonald’s ad.
Architecture
The Remaking of Trump’s Washington, DC The Remaking of Trump’s Washington, DC
The ballroom and his other proposed building projects are many things, but they are not exactly works of architecture.
The Messy Campus Thriller of “After the Hunt” The Messy Campus Thriller of “After the Hunt”
Luca Guadagnino’s films have always asked viewers to turn off their brains when it comes to love and sex. In his new film, he asks the opposite.
The Transformation of the New York Waterfront The Transformation of the New York Waterfront
From the Navy Yard and Industry City to the recent remaking of Bush Terminal, developers are attempting to remake Brooklyn’s coastline.
Music
Blood Orange’s Sonic Experiments Blood Orange’s Sonic Experiments
Dev Hynes moves between grief and joy in Essex Honey, his most personal album yet.
Who’s the Boss? Who’s the Boss?
A bowdlerized biopic of Bruce Springsteen, starring Jeremy Allen White, flattens a musician whose politics and identity are much more complicated.
The Sonic Risks of PUP and Rico Nasty The Sonic Risks of PUP and Rico Nasty
On their new albums, the punk rockers and rapper break all the rules.
“It’s a Warning, Set to a Dance Beat”: Jon Batiste on His New Song 20 Years After Katrina “It’s a Warning, Set to a Dance Beat”: Jon Batiste on His New Song 20 Years After Katrina
The New Orleans jazz great tells Covering Climate Now, “When you make a song, you want to inspire people, but you also want to let them know what they can do.”
Ozzy Osbourne, Rock God Despite Himself (1948–2025) Ozzy Osbourne, Rock God Despite Himself (1948–2025)
The Prince of Darkness, who gave us heavy metal as we know it, has been laid to rest.
Publishing
Chester Himes’s Harlem Noirs Chester Himes’s Harlem Noirs
Himes helped reinvent the idea of the detective novel. He also transformed it into a powerful vehicle for social criticism.
James Baldwin’s Radical Politics of Love James Baldwin’s Radical Politics of Love
While Baldwin was persecuted in part because of whom he loved, it was love that impelled him to bring about a more utopian future in which such persecution was not possible.
Militarism Has Long Worked to Shield Antisemitism Militarism Has Long Worked to Shield Antisemitism
From the Cold War till Donald Trump, there’s always been a special dispensation for hawkish bigots.
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Did We Get the History of Modern American Art Wrong? Did We Get the History of Modern American Art Wrong?
The standard story of 1960s arts is one of Abstract Expressionism leading into Pop Art and minimalism. A Whitney show proposes an altogether different one centered on surrealism.
Jan 7, 2026 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky
John Wilson at the Met John Wilson at the Met
Drawing from the depths.
Dec 23, 2025 / Margaret Spillane
Helen DeWitt and Ilya Gridneff’s Sweeping Anti-War Novel Helen DeWitt and Ilya Gridneff’s Sweeping Anti-War Novel
Your Name Here dramatizes the tensions and possibilities of political art.
Dec 16, 2025 / Books & the Arts / Jess Bergman
One Buyout After Another One Buyout After Another
The multibillion-dollar takeover bids targeting Warner Bros. Discovery show how Trump’s corrupt model of governance-by-payback could destroy Hollywood.
Dec 10, 2025 / Ben Schwartz
Republicans and Obamacare, Again—Plus, Early, Early Bob Dylan Republicans and Obamacare, Again—Plus, Early, Early Bob Dylan
On this episode of Start Making Sense, John Nichols has our political update, and Sean Wilentz talks about the latest release in the Dylan Bootleg series.
Dec 10, 2025 / Jon Wiener