Culture

The One Social-Media Feature That People Still Love

Instagram’s Close Friends toes the privacy line by offering users a safe, semipublic space of their own creation.

An Ode to Being in a Band

I can’t believe how good we sound.

‘The Greatest Talker of His Time’

Felix Frankfurter was an eloquent liberal champion of judicial restraint. Is it time for a reappraisal?

Bullet Train Isn’t a Good Movie. But It’s a Great Study of Brad Pitt.

The mediocre movie happens to be a fascinating vehicle for the star’s latest rebrand.

‘History Is Human’: Remembering David McCullough

With the death this week of David McCullough, we lost an author who understood how to find the stories that made history feel relevant and real.

Have a Difficult Childhood? These Writers Did Too.

Humans have been telling stories about neglected or endangered children for millennia. Here are eight compelling ones.

The Powerful, Unlikely Force Shaping Modern TV

In a Hollywood-worthy plot twist, television writers are embracing fan theorists who try to “solve” their shows.

The Dark Absurdity of American Violence

Jamil Jan Kochai’s story collection reveals the surreal farce of the War on Terror.

Netflix’s The Sandman Is a Fan’s Dream. Is That Good Enough?

The TV adaptation is extremely loyal to Neil Gaiman’s original comic books—and that’s as enticing as it is frustrating.

12 Books to Help You Love Reading Again

Focusing on anything, let alone a book, has been hard lately. These are the titles that reignited our love for literature.

Modern Men Are Still Figuring Out Fatherhood

What will it take to separate fatherhood from anger and violence? Your weekly guide to the best in books.

George Clooney’s Tequila Is Taking Over Rap

All of a sudden, it seems like Casamigos is name-checked in every song.

Whither Batgirl?

HBO Max’s drastic decision to not release a completed movie is a reminder of the murky—and merciless—economics of streaming.

The Horrors of Being Extremely Online

Hollywood’s critiques of the internet era are getting funnier and more sophisticated.

How Hitler’s Favorite Passion Play Lost Its Anti-Semitism

A religious spectacle performed once a decade since 1634 in a Bavarian village finally erases its history of hatred.

Don’t Call Them Trash

Romance novels celebrate female pleasure and aspiration.

The 10 Must-Watch Indie Films of the Summer

Small-budget, art-house, and international movies that are worthy of as much fanfare as the season’s blockbusters

The Bill Russell I Knew for 60 Years

I first met the legendary basketball player when I was 14, and he showed me how to be a better player—and a better man.

The Wedding Present

As a young woman, I had a friendly correspondence with a German soldier right after World War II. I’ve been thinking about the silence at the core of our exchange ever since.