Culture
America Needs a New Free Speech Movement America Needs a New Free Speech Movement
Donald Trump is showing us what an unaccountable class of corporate decision-makers looks like—and it looks like a lot of fear, and a terrible loss of freedom.
How the American Left Became Conservative How the American Left Became Conservative
Against the radical, if reactionary, experiment run from the White House, everyone from Democratic leaders in Congress to MSNBC hosts have turned to the defense of institutions.
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.
The Workplace Nightmares of “Severance” The Workplace Nightmares of “Severance”
The appeal of the Apple TV+ series is how it dramatizes our alienation from labor.
Books
The Making of a Cold War Spy The Making of a Cold War Spy
The life and work of Frank Wisner, one of the CIA’s founding officers, offers us a portrait of American intelligence’s excesses.
The Cruel World According to Stephen Miller The Cruel World According to Stephen Miller
How did he become the Trump era’s architect of hate?
Henri Bergson’s States of Change Henri Bergson’s States of Change
Why did one of the early 20th century’s most famous philosophers go out of fashion?
Film
Art Spiegelman and the Inescapable Shadow of Fascism Art Spiegelman and the Inescapable Shadow of Fascism
The creator of Maus has learned that the past is always present.
The Berlin International Film Festival in a Time of Crisis The Berlin International Film Festival in a Time of Crisis
During the Berlinale’s 75th anniversary, it felt like the world was coming apart—but at least we had the “borderless realm” of film.
Backlash or Blacklist? Hollywood’s Pro-Gaza Protesters Feel the Heat Backlash or Blacklist? Hollywood’s Pro-Gaza Protesters Feel the Heat
In whisper campaigns and puzzling career reversals, pro-Palestinian actors say that they’re being punished for speaking out.
What the Paiva Family Means to Brazil What the Paiva Family Means to Brazil
In I’m Still Here, one Brazilian clan’s confrontation with the military dictatorship dramatizes the last half-century of Brazil’s democratic travails.
Trump’s Mafia Shakedown Might Destroy NATO—if We’re Lucky Trump’s Mafia Shakedown Might Destroy NATO—if We’re Lucky
America’s greedy gangster president is forcing European elites to finally reckon with the high price of protection.
Television
How the American Left Became Conservative How the American Left Became Conservative
Against the radical, if reactionary, experiment run from the White House, everyone from Democratic leaders in Congress to MSNBC hosts have turned to the defense of institutions.
The Workplace Nightmares of “Severance” The Workplace Nightmares of “Severance”
The appeal of the Apple TV+ series is how it dramatizes our alienation from labor.
Backlash or Blacklist? Hollywood’s Pro-Gaza Protesters Feel the Heat Backlash or Blacklist? Hollywood’s Pro-Gaza Protesters Feel the Heat
In whisper campaigns and puzzling career reversals, pro-Palestinian actors say that they’re being punished for speaking out.
Architecture
How Atlanta Became a Walkable City How Atlanta Became a Walkable City
The Beltline and Georgia’s experiment in pedestrian spaces.
Parts of LA Are Not Going to Be Habitable Parts of LA Are Not Going to Be Habitable
Insurers have figured out that risk is too high in parts of California. We need to re-conceive how people are housed, and fast.
Yto Barrada’s Rules of the Game Yto Barrada’s Rules of the Game
The artist’s installation at MOMA PS1 is not just a public work of art in the form of a playground but also a comment on postcolonial architecture and experimental pedagogy.
Music
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.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Voice From the Past Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s Voice From the Past
The Pakistani qawwali icon sang words written centuries ago and died decades ago. He’s got a new album out.
How the “Subversive Genius” of Kendrick Lamar Sent Trump Home a Loser How the “Subversive Genius” of Kendrick Lamar Sent Trump Home a Loser
The Philadelphia Eagles and Kendrick Lamar’s collective of geniuses made this the Super Bowl we needed.
How Spotify Remade the Music Industry How Spotify Remade the Music Industry
On this episode of Tech Won’t Save Us, Liz Pelly on the music streaming service.
The Introspective Club Hits of Jamie xx The Introspective Club Hits of Jamie xx
With In Waves, Jamie xx—whose real name is James Smith—has perfected what he explored in In Colour: an album full of searching tunes that can double as dance songs.
Publishing
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….
The Impossible Story of Communism The Impossible Story of Communism
How do you tell the history of a global movement in all its hope and contradiction?
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