Culture
Clarice Lispector’s Cosmology Clarice Lispector’s Cosmology
To understand the philosophical dimensions of her fiction you must read her 1961 novel The Apple in the Dark.
The Trans History Embedded in Hitler’s 1936 Olympics The Trans History Embedded in Hitler’s 1936 Olympics
On this episode of Edge of Sports, author Michael Waters joins the show to talk about his new book, The Other Olympians.
The Cruel Genius of Robert Plunket’s Gay Satires The Cruel Genius of Robert Plunket’s Gay Satires
His 1992 novel Love Junkie might be one of the tragicomic classics of the AIDS era.
Why Are Presidential Assassins Such Sad Sacks? Why Are Presidential Assassins Such Sad Sacks?
What would-be killers of the US commander in chief have in common is that they aren’t fervent ideologues; they’re outcasts.
Books
The Many Lives of Harriet Tubman The Many Lives of Harriet Tubman
Tiya Miles’s Night Flyer is a landmark biography of one of 19th-century America’s most important figures.
Can the Constitution Save Us? Can the Constitution Save Us?
The Constitution is often invoked as a safeguard for American democracy, but does it more often get in democracy’s way?
The Myths of Anne Carson The Myths of Anne Carson
Throughout her long and prolific career, Carson has specialized in unexpected juxtapositions between modern life and ancient times, contemporary art and the literature of the…
Film
Why Did “Furiosa” Flop? Why Did “Furiosa” Flop?
A web of interconnected reasons might explain why George Miller’s long-awaited new entry to his Mad Max series failed in the box office.
In Poetry’s Church In Poetry’s Church
More than a half century of the Poetry Project
Time, Space, and Annie Baker Time, Space, and Annie Baker
The playwright’s remarkable debut film, Janet Planet, immerses the viewer in the sounds and sorrow of a middle-schooler’s endless summer.
How the Academy Flubbed Its Moguls Memorial How the Academy Flubbed Its Moguls Memorial
The Academy’s film museum, seeking to placate critics who decried its earlier omission of Jewish moguls, rushes to fix its clumsy handling of a sensitive subject.
The Inhuman Gaze of “Evil Does Not Exist” The Inhuman Gaze of “Evil Does Not Exist”
Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s new film, an eco-thriller set in a sylvan Japanese town, explores the messy entanglements of human, machine, and nature that make up planetary existence.
Television
How Comedy Central Fell Into Paramount’s Corporate Memory Hole How Comedy Central Fell Into Paramount’s Corporate Memory Hole
The entertainment behemoth deleted 25 years of the groundbreaking network’s content prior to its new merger with Skydance—and things are likely to get much worse.
Dear Ron Klain: We Need To Talk About Joe Dear Ron Klain: We Need To Talk About Joe
To preserve President Biden’s legacy, the party has to find another candidate
Trump Was Terrible. But Biden Was Worse. Trump Was Terrible. But Biden Was Worse.
Trump’s lies and unhinged ranting went unchallenged because Biden was incoherent and lost.
Architecture
The Awful Plan to Turn Gaza Into the Next Dubai The Awful Plan to Turn Gaza Into the Next Dubai
The Netanyahu administration seems to have learned from neighboring petrostates that spectacle can distract from ethnic cleansing.
In Poetry’s Church In Poetry’s Church
More than a half century of the Poetry Project
What’s the Deal With Manhattan’s Pencil-Thin High Rises? What’s the Deal With Manhattan’s Pencil-Thin High Rises?
A walk along 57th Street.
Music
Taylor Swift, Poet Taylor Swift, Poet
Country singer, globetrotting pop star, and now melancholic poet—Taylor Swift has offered her listeners almost everything.
Seeing Ourselves in Joni Mitchell Seeing Ourselves in Joni Mitchell
Ann Powers’s deeply personal biography of Joni Mitchell looks at how a generation of listeners came to identify with the folk singer’s intimate songs.
Philip Glass, Solo Artist Philip Glass, Solo Artist
In his most recent album, the composer marks a new turn in his style.
The State of the Gay Bar The State of the Gay Bar
A new book explores the phenomenon of gay bar closures and the forms of nightlife that have emerged to replace them.
The Genius of Ella Fitzgerald The Genius of Ella Fitzgerald
She remade the American songbook in her image, uprooting the very meaning of musical performance.
Publishing
Lauren Oyler and the Critic in the Internet Age Lauren Oyler and the Critic in the Internet Age
In No Judgment, the novelist and critic explores the perilous activity of literary criticism in the era of social media.
Javier Milei’s Amputation Regime for Argentina Javier Milei’s Amputation Regime for Argentina
The country’s new president has imposed a set of brutal austerity measures as part of a so-called “chainsaw plan.” The carnage is already mounting.
The Death and Life of Great American Media The Death and Life of Great American Media
The crisis of the news business is far from over, but we’re still doing what we’ve been doing for over 159 years.
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LaToya Ruby Frazier Rewrites the Rules of Documentary Photography LaToya Ruby Frazier Rewrites the Rules of Documentary Photography
A new career survey at the MoMA is a perfect illustration of the photographer’s mission: to reframe how viewers see the working-class and low-income people whom she counts as kin….
Jul 3, 2024 / Books & the Arts / Jillian Steinhauer
The Roberts Supreme Court’s Decision on Netchoice Was Righteous The Roberts Supreme Court’s Decision on Netchoice Was Righteous
No, that is not a typo. Amid the deluge this week, Big Tech didn’t get what it wanted. And the court left open the possibility that we might get social media regulation right.
Jul 2, 2024 / Zephyr Teachout
Donald Trump and “Doc” Ronny Jackson Are Hypocrites About Drugs and Dementia Donald Trump and “Doc” Ronny Jackson Are Hypocrites About Drugs and Dementia
The incoherent former president and his allegedly pill-pushing White House physician need to look in a mirror.
Jun 24, 2024 / Jeet Heer
I’ve Just Been Canceled For Talking about America’s Israel/Palestine Policy! I’ve Just Been Canceled For Talking about America’s Israel/Palestine Policy!
This kind of penny-ante bullying reveals the intellectual bankruptcy of the pro-Israel cause.
Jun 21, 2024 / Jeet Heer
Has Jeff Bezos Embraced the Rupert Murdoch Model of Leveraging Sleaze for Power? Has Jeff Bezos Embraced the Rupert Murdoch Model of Leveraging Sleaze for Power?
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Jun 17, 2024 / Jeet Heer
Hollywood’s Blockbuster Crisis Hollywood’s Blockbuster Crisis
On this episode of The Time of Monsters, Daniel Bessner discusses what corporate monopolies are doing to the dream factory.
Jun 9, 2024 / Jeet Heer