Are we there yet
Defacement is a beautiful painting—and an ugly one. Its alternative name, The Death of Michael Stewart, reveals its subject: a young Black man who died in police custody in 1983, after his arrest for allegedly writing graffiti on the wall of a subway station in New York City. Stewart’s death shocked the city’s artists, many … Read More “The Guggenheim’s Scapegoat” »
By dint of its longevity and evolving ensemble cast, Saturday Night Live doesn’t stay the same for very long. The series featured a record 21 cast members last year, before major players including Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, Aidy Bryant, and Kyle Mooney left in May, followed later by Alex Moffat, Melissa Villaseñor, Chris Redd, and … Read More “The Playful Return of SNL“ »
Hocus Pocus, as a film, makes little sense. The plot, about a coven of witches who seek to eat children, involves a talking cat, a boy who despises trick-or-treating, and far too many mentions of virgins lighting candles. Released inexplicably in the middle of summer 1993, it was a box-office failure that put off critics. … Read More “Don’t Question the Magic of Hocus Pocus“ »
Sometimes, a book falls into a reader’s hands at the wrong time. Think of one you’ve put aside because you were too busy to tackle an ambitious project; perhaps there’s another you ignored after misjudging its contents by its cover. Maybe a novel was inaccessible or hadn’t yet been published at the precise stage in … Read More “The Books We Read Too Late—And That You Should Read Now” »
One common way of viewing Björk’s career is as a long descent into the bizarre. After the eclectic earworms of her first three solo albums (Debut in 1993, Post in 1995, and Homogenic in 1997), she moved through surprising phases, ranging from soft murmuring (2001’s Vespertine) to splattering noise (2017’s Utopia). These days, her work … Read More “How to Listen to Björk, According to Björk” »
This article was featured in One Story to Read Today, a newsletter in which our editors recommend a single must-read from The Atlantic, Monday through Friday. Sign up for it here. When I leave my house, I’m first struck by the scent of a dry lawn, its soil desiccated by the heat waves … Read More “The Hidden World of Scents Outside Your Door” »
