Recent editors’ picks
Who Is Black Comedy For?
“A new book is nostalgic for the ’90s. But the era of crossover success was not necessarily the pinnacle of Black comedic achievement.”
Could the Girls of Camp Mystic Have Been Saved?
“Dozens died in a Texas flood, dividing families over whether it was an act of God or adult failure.”
Curiosity Is No Solo Act
“It gains its real power when embedded in webs of relationship and shared meaning-making.”
‘They’re Gonna Make Me Cry’: I Competed at a Speed Puzzling Championship
“You might think of puzzling as leisurely, but it’s now a sport. I entered a national competition and discovered a passionate community.”
I Found It: The Best Free Restaurant Bread in America
“Thirteen thousand miles. Infinite contenders. One beautiful loaf.”
Politics After Literacy
“Postliteracy won’t replace reason with madness, but it might give us madness of a new and different type.”
Turfin’ Safari
“Growing grass for the 2026 World Cup has been a years-long science project. Here’s how it’s going, from B.C. to Tennessee.”
The Absolute Hell of Watching a Movie at the Alamo Drafthouse in 2026
“Once America’s most promising movie theater chain has become a QR-coded symbol of corporate enshittification.”
The Car-Crash Conspiracy
“High-speed accidents, crooked lawyers, and poor people desperate for cash—it was the kind of scheme that could have been cooked up only in the Big Easy.”
