The Sense That Most Defines a Culture
Yáng Shuāng-zǐ’s Taiwan Travelogue shows how colonization shapes a country’s culinary landscape.
The Fairy Tale We’ve Been Retelling for 125 Years
Every generation has an Oz story, but one retelling best captures what makes L. Frank Baum’s world sing.
Gladiator II Is More Than Just a Spectacle
Ridley Scott’s ancient-Roman epic manages to find some beauty amid the savagery.
In Search of a Faith Beyond Religion
Scholastique Mukasonga’s Sister Deborah suggests that some people must look outside the traditional bounds of Christianity to find true spiritual freedom.
Cher Has a History Lesson for Us All
The singer has long stood for a brassy, strutting kind of survival. Her new account of her early life explains how that came to be.
The Most Coveted Screenshot in the Literary World
It’s what proves you’re a “real” writer.
What the Men of the Internet Are Trying to Prove
Jake Paul is an emblem of a generation starving for purpose while gorging on spectacle.
What to Read If You’re Angry About the Election
These seven books aren’t a cure for rage and despair. Think of them instead as a prescription.
I Used to Have Friends. Then They Had Kids.
How do I rebuild my broken social life?
Say Nothing Goes Beyond Good vs. Evil
A terrific drama captures the struggle of separating who you are from what you fight for.
The Atlantic Gift Guide
The Atlantic has chosen 65 gifts for bringing more merriment, adventure, and wonder to the ones you love.
Why Are Dogs So Obsessed With Lamb Chop?
In a market with thousands of toys, somehow the 1960s puppet has become ubiquitous.
The Thin Line Between Biopic and Propaganda
The success of Reagan reflects the market demands of a more fragmented moviegoing public—and reality.
How Jimmy O. Yang Became a Main Character
The actor spent years stuck in small, clichéd roles. Now, starring in Interior Chinatown, he’s figuring out who he wants to be.
The Many Sides of Charli XCX
On SNL, the singer who popularized the “brat” ethos showed that she can be goofy and versatile.
Failed Elegy
Nick Cave’s Revised Rules for Men
On his new album, he searches out salvation in the face of insecurity and irrelevance.
A Film Impossible to Have Mild Feelings About
Emilia Pérez is messy, excessive, and manipulative—and spectacular because of it.
The Onion’s Most Trenchant Headline
The satirical site’s announcement that it is acquiring Alex Jones’s Infowars created confusion—and perfectly captured the media world we’re living in.
What the Band Eats
Memories of the meals I ate growing up with the Grateful Dead