The Worst Insult I Ever Heard as an Opera Singer
I’m not sure how to recover from this.
Michael Keaton’s Simple Trick on SNL
The actor can go from “regular guy” to awkward eccentric in a heartbeat.
Who Owns an Idea?
Cases of loose inspiration or coincidental convergences in art can be fascinating, because they force us to rethink what originality really means.
Seven True Stories That Read Like Thrillers
These immersive works of journalism follow ordinary Americans facing long odds.
Should I Break Up With My Trump-Loving Partner?
It’s a great relationship in nearly every other way.
The Transparent Cruelties of Diddy’s Entertainment Machine
The Bad Boy Records founder has been accused of mistreatment and abuse—and support for some of the allegations aired on Making the Band.
We’re Still Living in a Fight Club World
In the 25 years since its release, the film has burrowed deeply into American culture—and its insights remain apt.
A Radical Vision of the Sick Body
A Nobel Prize–winning author and her ex-lover explore the surprising vitality of a grave illness.
How Ariana Grande Brought Bad Singing to SNL
Sometimes, it’s funny to sound terrible.
All Souls
Han Kang’s Transgressive Art
The author, who has never shied away from criticizing Korean culture, has also given South Korea its first Nobel Prize in Literature.
Scent of a Man
In a new memoir, Al Pacino promises to reveal the person behind the actor. But is he holding something back?
The Most Miraculous—And Overlooked—Type of Milk
Shelf-stable milk is a miracle of food science that Americans just won’t drink.
The Trap of Making a Trump Biopic
The Apprentice aims to avoid politics—and ends up being a shallow, murky portrait.
Melania Really Doesn’t Care
Her new memoir is a master class in how selective attention and empathy can insulate someone from the pains that trouble the rest of us.
Six Books That Feel Like Watching a Movie
Writing can share the thrill of movies by dissolving the physical limitations of the page.
I Love Secrets Too Much
Whenever a friend tells me something, I blab about it to other people. Why can’t I stop?
Alan Hollinghurst’s Lost England
In his new novel, the present isn’t much better than the past—and it’s a lot less sexy.
In Defense of Marital Secrets
Lauren Elkin’s Scaffolding suggests that total honesty can take a relationship only so far.
What Really Works About SNL
The return of Nate Bargatze and his now-classic George Washington sketch points to the surprise viral hits that have kept the show going 50 years on.