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.
Sabrina Carpenter Knows What She’s Doing
The pop star’s Saturday Night Live appearance played into her reputation as a provocateur.
D’Angelo Conjured More Than Music
The late singer’s work was steeped in Black tradition, and never lost sight of the future.
Traditional Criticism Is in Trouble. Here’s What’s Replacing It.
Demand for cultural commentary is higher than it’s ever been—but now that commentary is coming from unconventional new sources.
A Surprisingly Endearing True-Crime Movie
Roofman stays grounded by highlighting life’s mundane thrills.
65 Essential Children’s Books
Illustrated titles that teach kids to love literature
The Radical Empathy of a Low-Key Chat Show
Marc Maron’s podcast, which just wrapped its 16-year run, showed us what human connection could really look like.
A Warning for the Modern Striver
A new biography of Peter Matthiessen chronicles his many paradoxical attempts to escape who the world expected him to be.
Dear James: My Guy Friends Are Stuck in a Rut
For 10 years, I haven’t seen any of them change for the better.
The Drink That Americans Won’t Give Up Without a Fight
Coffee has almost no nutritional value and lots of substitutes. It’s also, apparently, too important to lose.