Culture
The Supreme Court v. My Mother The Supreme Court v. My Mother
After my mother escaped the Holocaust, she broke the law to save her family. Her immigration story is more pertinent today than ever before.
The Slop of Things to Come The Slop of Things to Come
This past week boasted many overhyped AI breakthroughs, but the healthiest one was the fierce repudiation of a contemptuous McDonald’s ad.
Does Russian Feminism Have a Future? Does Russian Feminism Have a Future?
A Russian feminist reflects on Julia Ioffe’s history of modern Russia.
One Buyout After Another One Buyout After Another
The multibillion-dollar takeover bids targeting Warner Bros. Discovery show how Trump’s corrupt model of governance-by-payback could destroy Hollywood.
Books
Angelo Herndon and the Radical Politics of Free Speech Angelo Herndon and the Radical Politics of Free Speech
The story ofhis landmark case reminds us of how powerful a popular front of socialists and liberals can be in protecting our civil liberties.
How Can We Fix American Democracy? How Can We Fix American Democracy?
Preserving our democracy is as urgent a task as ever, but the question is how.
The Invention of the Modern Self The Invention of the Modern Self
How did the idea of the individual come into being?
Film
One Buyout After Another One Buyout After Another
The multibillion-dollar takeover bids targeting Warner Bros. Discovery show how Trump’s corrupt model of governance-by-payback could destroy Hollywood.
Jafar Panahi Will Not Be Stopped Jafar Panahi Will Not Be Stopped
Imprisoned and censored by his home country of Iran, the legendary director discusses his furtive filmmaking.
A Visceral Look at the Impossible Task of Mothering A Visceral Look at the Impossible Task of Mothering
Mary Bronstein’s “If I Had Legs I’d Kick You” is at once harrowing and mesmerizing.
The Messy Campus Thriller of “After the Hunt” The Messy Campus Thriller of “After the Hunt”
Luca Guadagnino’s films have always asked viewers to turn off their brains when it comes to love and sex. In his new film, he asks the opposite.
Rethinking Nuremberg for the 21st Century Rethinking Nuremberg for the 21st Century
The new film Nuremberg may tell us as much about the present as about the past.
Television
The Slop of Things to Come The Slop of Things to Come
This past week boasted many overhyped AI breakthroughs, but the healthiest one was the fierce repudiation of a contemptuous McDonald’s ad.
One Buyout After Another One Buyout After Another
The multibillion-dollar takeover bids targeting Warner Bros. Discovery show how Trump’s corrupt model of governance-by-payback could destroy Hollywood.
The Messy Campus Thriller of “After the Hunt” The Messy Campus Thriller of “After the Hunt”
Luca Guadagnino’s films have always asked viewers to turn off their brains when it comes to love and sex. In his new film, he asks the opposite.
Architecture
The Messy Campus Thriller of “After the Hunt” The Messy Campus Thriller of “After the Hunt”
Luca Guadagnino’s films have always asked viewers to turn off their brains when it comes to love and sex. In his new film, he asks the opposite.
The Transformation of the New York Waterfront The Transformation of the New York Waterfront
From the Navy Yard and Industry City to the recent remaking of Bush Terminal, developers are attempting to remake Brooklyn’s coastline.
Your Dream House Might Be a Fantasy Your Dream House Might Be a Fantasy
AI has has invaded the real estate industry, dissolving the boundaries between image enhancement and false advertising.
Music
Who’s the Boss? Who’s the Boss?
A bowdlerized biopic of Bruce Springsteen, starring Jeremy Allen White, flattens a musician whose politics and identity are much more complicated.
The Sonic Risks of PUP and Rico Nasty The Sonic Risks of PUP and Rico Nasty
On their new albums, the punk rockers and rapper break all the rules.
“It’s a Warning, Set to a Dance Beat”: Jon Batiste on His New Song 20 Years After Katrina “It’s a Warning, Set to a Dance Beat”: Jon Batiste on His New Song 20 Years After Katrina
The New Orleans jazz great tells Covering Climate Now, “When you make a song, you want to inspire people, but you also want to let them know what they can do.”
Ozzy Osbourne, Rock God Despite Himself (1948–2025) Ozzy Osbourne, Rock God Despite Himself (1948–2025)
The Prince of Darkness, who gave us heavy metal as we know it, has been laid to rest.
The Life and Times of Talking Heads The Life and Times of Talking Heads
How influential was the New Wave band?
Publishing
Chester Himes’s Harlem Noirs Chester Himes’s Harlem Noirs
Himes helped reinvent the idea of the detective novel. He also transformed it into a powerful vehicle for social criticism.
James Baldwin’s Radical Politics of Love James Baldwin’s Radical Politics of Love
While Baldwin was persecuted in part because of whom he loved, it was love that impelled him to bring about a more utopian future in which such persecution was not possible.
Militarism Has Long Worked to Shield Antisemitism Militarism Has Long Worked to Shield Antisemitism
From the Cold War till Donald Trump, there’s always been a special dispensation for hawkish bigots.
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Dec 10, 2025 / Jon Wiener
Joachim Trier’s Nostalgic Lens Joachim Trier’s Nostalgic Lens
In Sentimental Value, the Norwegian filmmaker’s most ambitious work yet, he examines the porous boundary between art and life.
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Dem Voters Triumph— Plus, That Springsteen Movie Dem Voters Triumph— Plus, That Springsteen Movie
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Nov 5, 2025 / Jon Wiener
The Pending Disaster of a Skydance-Warners Merger The Pending Disaster of a Skydance-Warners Merger
The Ellison family’s aggressive pursuit of the WBD empire would shred news values and further pillage movie and TV production.
Nov 3, 2025 / Ben Schwartz
Trump’s Tony Soprano Presidency Is Bleeding the Country Dry Trump’s Tony Soprano Presidency Is Bleeding the Country Dry
The thrill many felt of having a made-for-TV-mobster president is gone.
Oct 30, 2025 / Dave Zirin
Voters, Democrats, and Redistricting—Plus, Confederate Monuments in LA Voters, Democrats, and Redistricting—Plus, Confederate Monuments in LA
On this episode of Start Making Sense, Harold Meyerson previews the elections next Tuesday, and Christopher Knight comments on the new art exhibit at MOCA.
Oct 29, 2025 / Jon Wiener