What Orwell Didn’t Anticipate
George Orwell famously argued that clear language in politics can be a bulwark against oppression. But in the Trump era, his solution no longer holds.
When the Pope Dies, the Cardinals Get Catty
In Conclave, Vatican City isn’t immune to election-season absurdity.
The Writer Who Understood the True Nature of Obsession
The late Gary Indiana kept the culture of his time close to his chest because it fueled his indignation—and his fixations.
The Virtue of Being Forgotten
A new book argues that privacy is the key to a meaningful existence.
My Colleague Repeats Herself Constantly
And I’m losing my mind.
The Genius of Handel’s Messiah
The oratorio is a feat of sustained inspiration arguably unsurpassed in the canon of Western classical music.
How the Trump Resistance Gave Up
This year is nothing like 2020, and a collective sense of resignation might make all the difference.
The Celebrities Are Saying the Loud Part Quietly
Democratic politics and pop culture have long been entangled—but entertainers seem a bit more sheepish about their endorsements lately.
MomTok Is the Apotheosis of 21st-Century Womanhood
On reality TV, motherhood is turning into a jumble of feminist ideals and branded domesticity.
Don’t Cancel The Washington Post. Cancel Amazon Prime.
The subscription money enriching Jeff Bezos could instead be spent on the journalism crucial to preserving democracy.
Case Study
A short story
The Filmmaker Who Wants to Wake Us From the American Dream
Sean Baker, the director of Anora, has become independent cinema’s best hustler.
Why Are We Humoring Them?
When Donald Trump and Elon Musk can turn death threats into punch lines, the joke is on the rest of us—and that’s the point.
Why Randy Newman Is Least Loved for His Best Work
The musician’s greatest songs are dramatic, psychologically complex, and often very bleak.
Six Political Memoirs Worth Reading
Hackish campaign memoirs shouldn’t indict the entire genre—there are truly excellent books written about power from the inside.
The Chronically Online Have Stolen Halloween
Obscure meme costumes are sucking the joy from the holiday.
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.