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.
What Tracy Kidder Stood For
His deep, immersive writing had moral stakes and changed people’s lives.
TV’s Failing Cure for Middle-Aged Malaise
Crime-solving housewives have become less compelling.
The Shot That Killed Duke but Saved March Madness
Nostalgists worried that giving players more rights would ruin the game. This year’s NCAA tournament is proving them wrong.
Richard Wagner in the Present Tense
A bold restaging of Tristan und Isolde arrives at a moment of intense concern about the cultural inheritance of Western civilization.
A Boring Video Game I Can’t Put Down
Playing the role of a rental-store owner reveals the thrill in mundanity.
The Real Religious ‘Renewal’ Happening in Gen Z
Some pastors and politicians claim that a Christian revival is afoot among young Americans. Nationwide data tell a different story.
How Long Can You Live Your Ideals?
Stories about revolutionaries seem to entrance readers and moviegoers alike—especially if they don’t end well.
Following
A poem
The Bill Maher Effect
For the past year, Donald Trump has made the Kennedy Center all about him. Last night, the comedian revealed the limits of that approach.
The Surprising Reason for the New Homophobia
Americans are burned-out, frustrated, and hunting for scapegoats.