The New Yorker
Tabula Rasa: Volume Four
In the new installment of his series reflecting on the writing life, John McPhee tackles the pleasures and frustrations of Wordle and the file of instructions he maintains regarding his literary legacy.
Above the Fold
Essential reading for today.
Who Wins and Who Loses When We Share a Meme
Two new books by art-world authors explore online shareability and come to different conclusions about what creators stand to gain.
“The Idea of You” and the Notion of the Hot Mom
Anne Hathaway, as Solène, is a vision of relatability, self-sufficiency, and poise, in a film that proves the rom-com isn’t dead.
Michael Cohen’s Trump Trial Testimony
The star witness in the former President’s criminal trial is also the most aggrieved and seemingly unreliable one.
Is Netanyahu Choosing a War of Attrition Over Biden’s Wider Plan?
As Israelis mark their independence, the Biden Administration pushes for a regional alliance.
Did She Do It?
Lucy Letby, a British nurse, was found guilty of killing seven babies. Colleagues reportedly called her an “angel of death,” and the Prime Minister condemned her. But, in the rush to judgment, serious questions about the evidence were ignored.
Losing the “Right to Hug”
Hundreds of counties around the country have ended in-person jail visits, replacing them with video calls and earning a cut of the profits.
The Political Scene
The Biden Administration’s Have-It-Both-Ways Report on Gaza
A new assessment, produced by the State Department, found that Israel has likely violated international law—though it doesn’t find a reason to cut off military aid.
It’s a Climate Election Now
Trump’s reported billion-dollar offer to fossil-fuel executives shows that this is the key year to save the planet.
Stormy Daniels’s American Dream
Donald Trump’s lawyers tried to portray the scrappy adult-film actress as a lying profiteer. Instead, she emerged as an intelligent, credible witness who is also very good at making money.
An Israeli Newspaper Presents Truths Readers May Prefer to Avoid
Haaretz consistently attempts to wrestle with the realities of what is going on in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank.
Class Consciousness for Billionaires
We used to think the rich had a social function. What are they good for now?
The Critics
“Baby Reindeer” and “Under the Bridge” Are Stranger Than Fiction
The two streaming series grapple with horrific real-life crimes—and with the complexity of the relationship between perpetrators and victims.
New Releases Make Old Jazz Young Again
Rediscovered archival concerts—and one recent one—offer important revelations.
Nellie Bowles’s Failed Provocations
In “Morning After the Revolution,” the former Times reporter sets out to uncover a not-so-forbidden truth—that the left can be somewhat goofy.
Looking at Art with Peter Schjeldahl
Recalling a friendship with The New Yorker’s late art critic.
Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Our Moment of Bad Reading
The once-upon-a-time defense of the poetics of rap has been ceded to the millennial mind of genius.com, taking every syllable as ripe for mundane exegesis.
Revisiting Composers Suppressed by the Nazis
The Musica Non Grata series, in Prague, explores the glittering, elusive world of Alexander Zemlinsky.
What We’re Reading This Week
A novel of earth-shaking attraction and the crises of middle age; a history of female pianists and the cost of pursuing art; a convivial exploration of dog-show culture; and more.
Remembering Alice Munro
The Nobel Prize-winning short-story writer has died, at the age of ninety-two.
Alice Munro Reinvigorated the Short Story
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Working with the author was both a thrill and a lesson in intentionality.
Our Chekhov, Alice Munro
From 2013: Few contemporary writers are more admired, and with good reason.
“What Is Remembered”
From 2001: “What had happened in their lives surprised them, and they would joke about it.”
“The Bear Came Over the Mountain”
From 1999: “He wanted never to be away from her. She had the spark of life.”
The Wacky and Wonderful World of the Westminster Dog Show
A canine campaign can run to hundreds of thousands of dollars, not to mention all the brushing, trimming, blow-drying, and styling products. Did you think it was easy being top dog?
Ideas
What the Public Is Missing in Trump’s Court Cases
Supreme Court oral arguments—and Trump’s criminal trial—should be televised. Instead, the former President is on trial in a courtroom that has banned cameras, and the Supreme Court is deciding whether his other trials should even happen.
Blurring the Line Between Money and Media
Hunterbrook, a hybrid media-finance company, wants to monetize investigative journalism in the public interest. Is it a visionary game changer or a cynical ploy?
The Hidden-Pregnancy Experiment
An attempt to hide personal news from online ad trackers makes clear how much surveillance we are engaged in, as both subjects and objects, and how insidious the problem is becoming.
Can Suing People for Lying Save Democracy?
The lawyers at Protect Democracy have brought defamation suits against Rudy Giuliani, Kari Lake, and Project Veritas, hoping to limit the spread of disinformation. Others worry that their efforts could impinge on freedom of speech.
The View from Palestinian America
Six months into the war in Gaza, the quiet act of documenting life is a kind of protest against erasure.
The Other Side of the River
Millions of Palestinians live in Jordan, where rage about the suffering in Gaza has reached a boiling point. Can the country’s leaders, who have a long-standing peace agreement with Israel, keep things under control?
Puzzles & Games
Take a break and play.
In Case You Missed It
The Talk of the Town
When we got to her house, she came at me.Continue reading »
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