The Gun Control Debate Foreshadowed Trump’s America
The dynamics of the culture wars have caused a persistent helplessness in our politics.
Why Melville Matters
Jean Giono’s short, unclassifiable book is an ode to "Moby-Dick" and the power of literature to command empathy.
Donald Trump Is Killing Us
Notes from the end of the world as we know it.
Was Grunge Good?
The death of Chris Cornell and the 25th anniversary of the movie "Singles" bring a musical era into focus.
How Should a Person Die?
Minae Mizumura's "Inheritance From Mother" takes on aging, family, and Japan's complicated relationship with the West.
Derek Walcott’s Dueling Legacies
When we assess the reputation of a great man, can we still prioritize the work over the life?
Barack Obama, Forever a Third-Culture Kid
I never expected to see people like myself in positions of power. Then Obama came along.
This Is the Photograph of the Year
Burhan Ozbilici's photo of the assassination of Andrey Karlov captures our unraveling moment.
The Year That Culture Disappeared
Donald Trump drowned out nearly every cultural event in 2016. And it’s only going to get worse.
Don’t Blame Hillary Clinton
The forces that led to Donald Trump's election eclipse any single person.
America’s Repudiation of Barack Obama
Donald Trump's election is a rejection of everything the president stands for, racial progress above all.
The GOP Owns Trump’s Misogyny, Too
In the wake of his latest controversy, Republicans are trying to distance themselves from Donald Trump. It is far too little, too late.
The Camus Investigation
Alice Kaplan’s new book, "Looking for 'The Stranger,'" explores Albert Camus’s fraught relationship with his Algerian homeland.
The Reality Hunger of Happy Hour
A five-hour Japanese movie reflects a growing desire for entertainment that moves at the pace of life.
Is Scarlett Johansson Too White for Anime?
The outrage prompted by her role in "Ghost in the Shell" simplifies Japan and America’s long history of mutual appropriation.
Karl Ove Knausgaard Enters Adulthood
In the fifth volume of “My Struggle,” contemporary Norway comes into view at last.
The Sweetly Melancholic Films of Joachim Trier
With 'Louder Than Bombs,' the Norwegian director brings his studies in alienation to America.
Moby-Dick in the Clickhole
Does Herman Melville’s classic make sense in the internet age?
