A Critic at Large
Academic Freedom Under Fire
Politicians despise it. Administrators aren’t defending it. But it made our universities great—and we’ll miss it when it’s gone.
Don’t Believe What They’re Telling You About Misinformation
People may fervently espouse symbolic beliefs, cognitive scientists say, but they don’t treat them the same as factual beliefs. It’s worth keeping track of the difference.
Scooter Braun and the Twilight of the Music Manager
Colonel Tom Parker made Elvis an icon; Brian Epstein bled for the Beatles. But these days the all-powerful backstage hustler looks more and more like a relic of the past.
The Hunt for John Wilkes Booth Goes On
“Manhunt,” a new television miniseries, depicts the pursuit of Lincoln’s killer. But the public appetite for tales about the chase began even as it was happening.
Can the Internet Be Governed?
Amid worries about what Big Tech is doing to our privacy, politics, and psyches, many stakeholders—from activists to technocrats—are calling for a new rule book.
Is A.I. the Death of I.P.?
Generative A.I. is the latest in a long line of innovations to put pressure on our already dysfunctional copyright system.
What Frantz Fanon and Ian Fleming Agreed On
From opposite directions, the revolutionary intellectual and the creator of James Bond saw violence as essential—psychologically and strategically—to solving the crisis of colonialism.
The Mongol Hordes: They’re Just Like Us
Scholars now argue that early nomadic empires were the architects of modernity. But do we have the right measure of their success?
Am I One of the Last Living Relatives of a Literary Legend?
When I picked up a new biography of the great Polish writer Bruno Schulz, I realized that rumors I’d heard since childhood had a life far beyond my family.
What Do We Want from Comedy?
We insist that comedians respect our sacrosanct ideals—and pray that they skewer our sanctimony. It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it.