The Rise of CliffsNotes Cinema
Oversimplified literary remakes miss the point of the works they are adapting.
Culture
Why Justin Bieber Played YouTube Onstage for Thousands of People
The pop star transformed the normal act of browsing your laptop into something interesting—and unsettling.
The New Age of Performance Anxiety
With the rise of screen culture, all the world has stage fright.
Where Did ‘Let Them’ Come From?
Years before Mel Robbins published her best-selling self-help book, a struggling writer posted a poem with a similar message.
Consider the Boor
In Jo Hamya’s new novel, pity becomes a form of power.
The Hotdish Ticket
The Harris-Walz campaign’s embrace of food is a signal.
When Realism Is More Powerful Than Science Fiction
In On Strike Against God, Joanna Russ imagined a freer world while confronting its inequities head-on.
How Greed Got Good Again
In HBO’s Industry, Gen Z reveals itself to be just as money-obsessed as the corporate raiders of Wall Street.
An Intoxicating 500-Year-Old Mystery
The Voynich Manuscript has long baffled scholars—and attracted cranks and conspiracy theorists. Now a prominent medievalist is taking a new approach to unlocking its secrets.
What to Read When You Want to Quit
These titles help readers think through pressing questions about modern employment—including whether it’s time to walk away.
A Hot New Bombshell Is Taking Over Reality TV
Love Island USA is a dizzy, goofy delight—but the reasons for its success go deeper than its vision of dating-show chaos.
A Marriage That Changed Literary History
Fanny Stevenson forced her husband, Robert Louis Stevenson, to live a bigger life than he had known.
This Is Not Your Typical Campus Novel
Karla Cornejo Villavicencio’s debut work of fiction captures the paradox of immigrant identity in the United States.
The Power of Oddball Charm
Kamala Harris hasn’t just reset the presidential election—her specific charisma matches the cultural moment.