In an excerpt from her new essay collection, Heather Havrilesky calls for tuning out the online cacophony telling us we aren’t enough, and tuning in to the soul-affirming, quiet truth of the present moment.
Story
Putting a New Stone on the Grave: Sjón Brings the Golem to Iceland
Sjón’s “CoDex 1962” is the fulfillment of a pact he made with the Maharal of Prague in the Old Jewish Cemetery almost three decades ago.
Mega-drought and Me
As California gets drier, a woman entering her 30s reflects on PCOS, pregnancy, and her desire to have children.
A Trip to Tolstoy Farm
Even if one of the last surviving Tolstoyan communes has fallen short of Leo Tolstoy’s ideals, it’s still turned into something meaningful. It’s a place for people who don’t want to be found.
An Immoderate Novel for an Immoderate Season: An Interview with Olivia Laing
Olivia Laing’s new novel, “Crudo,” is a fictionalized account of the summer of 2017, written in real time by Laing — from the perspective of Kathy Acker.
Weighing the Costs — and Occasional Benefits — of Ethnic Ambiguity
Aram Mrjoian reflects on his experiences of being part Armenian in America.
J.R.’s Jook and the Authenticity Mirage
When a young white musician gets invited to a house-party, the musicians he plays with show him a slice of blues culture many people assumed had died.
The Ugly History of Beautiful Things: Perfume
Sometimes it takes a touch of darkness to create something alluring.
Sabrina
A video of a missing woman being murdered has surfaced on the internet, confirming the worst. Her boyfriend, lying low at a friend’s house, stumbles upon a radio program whose enigmatic host says she’s still alive.
To Post, or Not to Post?
Eloghosa Osunde contemplates the role of marginalized artists in online activism.
