Books & Culture
Andrew Cuomo’s Pandemic Poster and the Limits of Coronavirus Visuals
The governor’s latest civic-minded art work, “New York Tough,” reflects the same magical thinking that has characterized the country’s coronavirus response.
- Cultural Comment
When Marian Anderson Defied the Nazis
The African-American contralto gave a brilliant demonstration of her full humanity at a time when white supremacists wanted to deny it.
- Kitchen Notes
The Art of the Uncooked Summer Dinner
In the freezer, as the heat bears down like a beautiful hell, I always have popsicles.
The Latest
What to Stream: “Jayhawkers,” a Thrillingly Analytical Drama of Wilt Chamberlain’s College Years
During his years as a basketball star at the University of Kansas, Chamberlain also became an unofficial civil-rights leader.
How to Extract a Mother’s Rogan Josh Recipe Over Zoom
Standing in her kitchen in Michigan, my mother finally walked me through the recipe, peering into the screen as I held it above the pot of sputtering oil, so that she could sign off on the exact shade of red.
Female Mountain Bikers Explore the Romance of the Crash in “On Falling”
In Josephine Anderson’s short documentary, three athletes talk about what their sport has taught them about transcendence and risk.
Desus and Mero Have Conquered Comedy
The duo on transforming TV, dealing with cops, and how to be funny without being a jerk.
Revisiting “A Time for Burning” and the Spiritual Crisis of Racism
In William Jersey’s 1966 documentary about the efforts of a Lutheran minister to break the racial barrier, church is “a hospital for sinners,” a place where the scourge of white supremacism must be addressed.
The Critics
The Argument of “Afropessimism”
Frank B. Wilderson III sketches a map of the world in which Black people are everywhere integral but always excluded.
The Invention of the Police
Why did American policing get so big, so fast? The answer, mainly, is slavery.
Why the Chicks Dropped Their “Dixie”
The all-female country band, which survived an instance of proto-cancel culture for its politics in the past, again wants to meet the current moment.
“Palm Springs” and the Comedy of Eternity
Following in the footsteps of “Groundhog Day,” Max Barbakow’s spirited film turns a wedding into Purgatory, with bumbling speeches and so-so canapés on endless repeat.
Goings On About Town
The Fresh Relevance of the Dance on Camera Festival
The festival, now in its forty-eighth year, will stream films including Susan Misner’s “Bend” and Khadifa Wong’s “Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance.”
Goldbelly Ships Iconic Restaurant Food to Your Home
The online startup sends meal kits and menu items from beloved restaurants nationwide, from Raoul’s decadent burger au poivre to Veselka’s borscht and pierogi.
HAIM’s Carefree and Comfortable New Album
“Women in Music Pt. III” gives the impression that the three sisters recorded it while lounging in the breeze.
Photo Booth
A Visitor to Ireland Finds Ballet in the Ancient Sport of Hurling
In a new book, “People of the Mud,” the photographer Luis Alberto Rodriguez creates a choreography of bodies at work and at play.
Podcasts
Michaela Coel of “I May Destroy You,” and the State of the Biden Campaign
Staff writers discuss how the Democratic Presidential candidate is handling one of the most tumultuous periods in modern times. Plus, a conversation with Coel about dramatizing sexual assault on television.
Video
The Cartoonist Emily Flake Demonstrates How to Draw a Child
Emily Flake discusses how having a child changed how she illustrates kids, and pokes fun at her pre-motherhood drawings.