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.
How to Look at Paul Gauguin
He was misunderstood, then adored, then vilified. Who was he really?
It’s the End of the World (And It’s Their Fault)
The tech bros have ascended to movie-villain status.
The Artist Who Captured the Contradictions of Femininity
In her too-short career, the painter Christina Ramberg studied the many contortions that being a woman can demand.
Five Books That Will Redirect Your Attention
When malaise strikes, a book can break the spell—if you choose the right one.
A Reality Check for Tech Oligarchs
Powerful Silicon Valley leaders are prioritizing their utopian vision of the future over the concerns of people in the present.
A Film That Captures a ‘Friend Breakup’
In the movie Friendship, one man will stop at nothing to get his bro back.
Dear James: I Miss Playing the Banjo
But I also have to make a living. Is there a way to balance both?
Unraveling the Secrets of the Inca Empire
For hundreds of years, Andean people recorded information by tying knots into long cords. Will we ever be able to read them?
I Remember
A poem
What the Show of the Summer Knows About Intimacy
The new Netflix miniseries Sirens has beachy vibes but a dark heart.