I wrote about fictional pop music for the NYT Magazine, featuring Trap, corporate mind control, the 1975, and my defense of Vox Lux

Everyone will be talking about Harry Potter and Downton, but early years Maggie Smith was so so good.

Monet posing with his Water Lilies

The Queen of the Night (Simon Quaglio, 1818), watercolor and gouache on paper. Simon Quaglio was a German artist primarily recognized for his contribution to theatrical scene painting in the early 19th century. His style was heavily influenced by the romantic fascination with

Isabelle Huppert as Medea shot by Brigitte Enguerand (2001)

Trump: I'm going to be a dictator who builds concentration camps and prosecutes his opponents. America: He says that but I bet he tuckers out easily.

Today in The Nation: Charlie 😍 on the Harris campaign's near-total silence when it comes to trans rights. An important read at a time when some Democrats are embracing anti-trans rhetoric. thenation.com/article/politi…

I wrote about the American bookstore. Its history. Reality vs. fantasy. (Yes, they’re dying?) The ideology of “indie.” It’s also a spicy review-essay of Evan Friss’s The Bookshop. For The Baffler thebaffler.com/latest/booksel…

I’ll join Pat Thomas to talk Lou Reed & late 20th century NYC in Berkeley CA at Pegasus Bookstores today at 7pm - join us.

For Notebook I wrote about evil in cinema, also some movie staring Nic Cage:

Thanks to TheGuardain for a great discussion on the books of my life. theguardian.com/books/2024/nov…

Absolutely electric production of Tosca at Metropolitan Opera featuring LiseDavidsen in the title role. The tightest, most dynamic version I’ve seen. Shout out to the incredible production design, too! #metropolitanopera #opera #themet

’Tis the season for Puccini’s La Bohème! While we set the stage for the performance tomorrow, November 24, enjoy Franco Zeffirelli’s original set design sketches. Soprano Ailyn Pérez and tenor Dmytro Popov star as Mimì and Rodolfo. Kensho Watanabe conducts.

I wrote about how I take notes when I'm reading, and also why: not to be more "efficient" or "productive," but to dwell with a text more deeply--& also just as a way of relishing existence. With many photos of my notebooks. Link in profile.

President Musk is like Boring Rasputin.

I strongly believe you can sometimes get in a “dud” car on the subway (people look depressed, drab, rude, NPC-esque) or a “hit” car (people are attractive, lively, well-dressed, good-humored) and the trajectory of your day depends on which

One of The Nation's new interns, Lazo Gitchos, is also an experienced wildland firefighter—and he's written this brilliant piece about how, in the wake of the horrors in Los Angeles, everything about the way we fight wildfires has to change. Please read! thenation.com/article/enviro…

"Dess’s critical voice combines meticulous art history knowledge with singular insights. In her fiction, this visual acuity transforms, becoming daring, luscious, and occasionally sacrilegious." BOMB Magazine bombmagazine.org/articles/sophi…