Andor Is Star Wars at Its Most Mature
The new series leans less on lightsaber showdowns and more on the messier interactions between good and evil.
Björk Is Building a Matriarchy
On her fascinating 10th album, the artist takes stock of the world she helped create—and, once again, conjures a new one.
Watching Spirited Away Again, and Again
Each viewing of Hayao Miyazaki’s animated masterpiece is a gift.
Understanding Your Past Won’t Liberate You
Gwendoline Riley’s novels raise a skeptical eyebrow at the promise of redemption through unlearning past trauma.
Separating Sports by Sex Doesn’t Make Sense
Though school sports are typically sex-segregated, a new generation of kids isn’t content to compete within traditional structures.
Why Democracies Are So Slow to Respond to Evil
Ken Burns’s docuseries The U.S. and the Holocaust confronts a topic that many Americans of every political stripe prefer to avoid: responsibility.
A New Generation of Pop Stars Are Dancing With the Devil
Rina Sawayama’s new album, Hold the Girl, is full of righteous anger, grace, and a spirit of searching.
Historical Fiction Turns a Life Into a Story
Our day-to-day doesn’t follow an obvious plot. The arc of the past is visible only in hindsight.
An Ode to Being Read To
Bedtime stories aren’t just for children.
Gen Z Never Learned to Read Cursive
How will they interpret the past?
Roger Federer’s Other Legacy
Even though rivals ultimately broke his sporting records, the retiring athlete remains unmatched in fan devotion.
An Epic War Film That Complicates ‘Good Versus Evil’
The Woman King is designed to get audiences cheering—but it does so without ignoring the brutal realities of combat.
The Best Books for a Broken Heart
These titles are genuinely insightful about the pain of heartbreak, but affirm that love remains worth pursuing.
A More Complete Archive of the American South
Baldwin Lee’s rediscovered photographs are marked by moral clarity and rare intimacy.
Who Benefits When Western Museums Return Looted Art?
The repatriation of stolen objects has become a ritual of self-purification through purgation—but who it really serves is less clear than it might seem.
How to Keep Your Book Club From Becoming a Wine Club
Librarians, professors, and literary professionals offer their best advice on how to run a successful group.
How Memes Led to an Insurrection
A president who understood the power of memes was able to send thousands of people into battle against democracy itself.
The Diagnosis Trap
Doctors have their stories to tell about mental illness. But what about the stories we tell ourselves?
The Emmys Speech That Showed the Power of Live TV
Even the audience in the room couldn’t look away.
The Best Shows of 2022 Have Something in Common
Claustrophobes beware.
/media/img/mt/2022/09/Sports_Gender_960x540_2/original.gif)