Anything but Nothing
After a lifetime of mental illness, one woman opts to try electroconvulsive therapy. She discusses her decision with her sister.
Liz Entman
The End Isn't the End
When insomnia and technological convenience collide, a lifetime of binge reading reaches its full potential.
Like Pushing an Elephant Into a Volkswagen
Writers who haven’t quit their day jobs, who cram in the writing hours around full-time work, discuss juggling office life, family, and creativity.
Cleavage
Egypt’s transition to a new military-backed government after the ouster of Mohammed Morsi took a violent turn this week after several hundred supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi were killed during an assault on two protest camps by Egyptian security forces. In what must be the understatement of the
The Great Migration
It’s been an interesting couple of weeks on the transit beat. A shark turned up on the N train. A ride on the Q inspired an an epic Craigslist “Missed Connection.” Workers in London discovered 400 skeletons in a 17th-century mass grave under Liverpool Street Station—not the only
This Is How We Do It Now
On Wednesday Russia granted NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden asylum for a year, while earlier this week a military court found WikiLeaks source Bradley Manning not guilty of aiding the enemy, though guilty of a slew of lesser charges. Coincidentally, I also finally got around to watching the BBC’s enjoyable
There's Someone You Should Meet
The media focus on Britain’s Royal Uterus this week was a valuable reminder of how tiresome fame can be, and how detached from extraordinariness it can be. Kate and Wills seem like perfectly nice people, but that was an awful lot of fanfare for a young couple who had
Cone of Silence
The last few weeks before a vacation are the worst, especially if you haven’t taken a break in a while, and more especially when you’ve been going to work in weather that seems to encourage everything but work. Maybe the heat is making you crazy, or it’s
A Woman for All Seasons
{image-4} Reviewers of Chuck Klosterman’s I Wear The Black Hat: Grappling with Villains (Real and Imagined) all like to relate Klosterman’s theory of Star Wars. The theory goes like this: For male fans, the character they identify with most in childhood is the innocent Luke Skywalker; in adolescence
Summer Reading
I have a hard time committing to a book on the beach—mostly because I can’t seem to stay awake for more than 20 minutes at a time when I’m lying next to a large body of water. So summer vacation, for me, means time to catch up
Paint by Number
The Hours follows a single day in the lives of three women—the author Virginia Woolf; Laura Brown, a pregnant stay-at-home mom living in a California suburb in the 1950s; and Clarissa Vaughan, a book editor in modern-day New York City. There is a fourth character, Laura’s son, Richard,
Toward a More Civil Union
It was probably a coincidence that the Supreme Court handed down its landmark decisions on two same-sex marriage cases just days before the anniversary of the Stonewall riots, but it was a nice touch. Everything I might have wanted to say about it has already been said better by others,
Back in Black
There’s nothing about the cream linen suit Jake Gittes wears in the opening scenes of Chinatown that suggests he’s a private eye. It’s 1937 Los Angeles, and he’s showing graphic photos of a couple having sex in the woods to a distraught husband, but Gittes is
The Roots
I’ve spent much of the past week and a half stuck in much-worse-than-usual traffic, and thinking about Kevin Fanning’s pitch-perfect meditation on commuting: How the Dead Live. “Thinking about the clock of my life ticking away every day while I’m sitting there, just waiting to be somewhere
The Bird of Paradise
Although the jingle-belled codpieces of the 1540s and the disco suits of the 1970s were something special, my vote for the silliest decade in Western men’s fashion is the 1660s. It was an age of voluminous pirate shirts, elaborate, waist-length wigs, high-heeled shoes, enormous feathered hats, and yard upon
I See You
A few weeks after the Obama administration was thumped for subpoenaing Associated Press phone records and monitoring the communications of Fox News reporter James Rosen, word arrived from the Guardian that the administration executed an unusually broad FISA warrant for Verizon call metadata (and grudging props to the Brits for
The Real Housewife of Exquisite Taste
I Am Love is a modern melodrama tracing how Emma Recchi, the Russian wife of a fabulously wealthy Italian industrialist, falls out of love with her husband and in love with a chef who is one of her adult son’s best friends. The film is vaguely set in the
Disorder
At least one of three heavily timber-producing counties in Oregon last week rejected property tax increases to pay for law enforcement services that had previously been funded by federal timber subsidies. Without the levies, those counties had to lay off 80 percent of their police forces and only offer law
The Damsel in Distress
{image-1} While The King and I’s Anna never dropped a single bead of sweat or snagged a single thread while negotiating the palace of Siam, The Last of the Mohicans’ Cora and Alice Munro’s dresses get torn to shreds as the sisters hack through the forests and scrabble
Living Room
Seeing the tornado damage in Oklahoma this week reminded me of the aftermath of a thousand-year flood that struck my city three years ago. My husband and I had three sandbags, which was ridiculous. What piece of our house were we going to save with three sandbags? (We laid them
Siam, I Am (Not)
It’s a dark time for the non-cable subscriber craving sartorial escape on the small screen: Downton Abbey is long over for the year, and it’ll probably be another six months to a year before the latest seasons of Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire are released for purchase.
The Great Equalizer
The talk I get—it’s human nature to have strong opinions about deadly things—it’s the not listening that seems to be the problem. Which is one of the reasons I love Nicole Pasulka’s How to Hunt: Nicole not only listens, but does. As divisive as guns
Cutthroat Island
Delicious incongruity aside, the scene served as another reminder of the age: Nobody with any alternative—even skis—took the subway then, especially at night. Manhattan, it is harder and harder to remember, used to be a really rough place. But as rough as it was in the late ’60s,
Citizen Kane
But if Jessica’s book tour doesn't bring her to you, fear not: You can still get to know her a little better the same way we did—through her writing for TMN. Here are four highlights, ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you
Peanuts and Cracker Jack
I have to admit I’m a little sorry to see the long nights of winter go. I suppose I’m so conditioned to be working during daylight that I often find myself feeling vaguely uneasy when the sun is still up at 8 p.m. Then, a few years
Ivory Tower
On Monday the high court announced it would add a second affirmative action case to its docket, that, The Week reports, “has observers wondering if they’re preparing to deliver a pair of rulings that, combined, would have a wide-reaching impact.” Of more acute concern to today’s high school
Mistakes Were Made
Ten years on, it seems like the only judgment left to be made about our Iraqi boondoggle is how much of a disaster it was. The war’s anniversary was barely acknowledged in Washington this year, something we’ll remedy here, with five stories about the Iraq war, ready to
Smoke and Mirrors
Francis is a Jesuit committed to a modest lifestyle; back home he eschewed the trappings of rank in lieu of living in a simple apartment and taking the bus. Many Catholics have spoken of their wish for the Church to modernize; as a non-Catholic I can only comment that some
You Are What You Eat
This comes less than two weeks after the chain had to pull its signature Swedish meatballs from the menu, after horsemeat was found in those as well, and two days after they had to recall their almond and chocolate cakes, which were discovered to be contaminated with E. coli. If
The Talkies
And then say no more, because there are more important things to talk about, like the financial trouble faced by the visual effects shops responsible for creating much of what the audience sees in Hollywood films—even the most ordinary things. (Who knew? I didn’t.) This has been an
Human Behavior
Over at Vulture, Brian McGreevy pleads with Girls fans (and critics) to stop calling Lena Dunham “brave” for daring to appear en deshabille onscreen despite her clinically average BMI, as if being an actress seeking attention were anything new. Likewise, at Slate, William Saletan argued that one big reason Oscar
It's Complicated
So, since it was also Valentine’s Day this week, here are five stories of complicated love from the TMN archives. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
Making Sausage
But as justifiable as lip syncing was in Beyoncé’s case—hell, I would have lip synced to Beyoncé’s voice, too—it can still be hard to reconcile the ineffability of enjoyment with the nuts and bolts that enable us to consume it reliably. That’s what makes the
Pretty Sick
Incidentally, I happen to have a cold, which is apparently much less interesting to the New York Times. What is interesting, however, is this collection of five wonderful pieces about sickness and health—ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad,
Fly Girl
Even if you grow up crushing on the jets in Top Gun—and not Tom Cruise—it can be tough to preserve a dream of defending your country from a plane. But some girls do.
Magic 8-Ball
But, in the interest of looking forward, here are four stories about predicting the future. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
See How They Grow
Originally conceived as a commentary on Britain’s class system, the series grew along with the children into a bigger and more complex exploration of humanity. To mark the latest installment, here are four stories about growing up, both physically and emotionally—plus Jonathan Bell’s examination of the series.
Chew Thoroughly
If you’re about to gnaw your arm off, why not take a break from the carrot sticks and sate your appetite with four delicious stories about food? Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
Gérard in Russia
Depardieu has not responded to the offer thus far. Perhaps he’s still thinking about it. To help him make up his mind, we present Elizabeth Kiem’s excellent “Reading Roulette” series, highlighting emerging Russian writers—ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to
Rapture
Still, so many people dread the holidays that it seems appropriate to consider Doomsday scenarios. Here are five stories about the apocalypse—or lack thereof—ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
Away We Go
In other news, Voyager I, the space probe launched in 1977, may finally be crossing the boundary between the solar system and interstellar space. To celebrate mankind’s wanderlust, here is a collection of some of TMN’s best and most exotic travel writing, ready to read here on TMN
Consolation Prize
In 2008, TMN’s Todd Levin traced his life in gaming from the pixelated ’80s to the first-person-shooter present in his series “Consoles I Have Known,” ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
The Getaway
TMN contributor and musical omnivore Patrick Ambrose brings together my two favorite escapes: good tunes and good writing. If you, too, need to get away for a bit during the holiday, here are six of his musician profiles, ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can
New York as You Never Knew Her
TMN editor Erik Bryan knows all about the New York the rest of us have forgotten. He’s spent the past year or so exploring the city’s roadside attractions, the living bits of history hiding in plain sight just beyond the city’s flashier landmarks. Here are five of
Wake Me When It's Over
In (hopefully) more lighthearted news, you may have also heard the story of little Abby Evans, a Colorado toddler who was so traumatized by the endless, aggressive presidential campaign that she burst into tears after hearing an NPR story about the race. We feel her pain, too, and so in
Fear Not
With the Great Pumpkin’s return just around the corner, we present a selection of spooky stories to get you in the mood. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
High on Life
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories about overcoming our instinct for self-preservation. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
Wonder Woman
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories examining women and power--political, social, sexual, and creative. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
We Need to Talk
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories about the mysteries of the mind. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
Irreplaceable
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories about (American) football. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
Pity the Rich
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories about the little people. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
Failure to Communicate
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, stories exploring the Middle East and Islam...from perhaps a more nuanced point of view than has been expressed this week. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
The Blue Party
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories looking at the nation's blue party. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
GOP Yourself
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories shedding a little light on the party of Lincoln. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
Corn on a Stick
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, the collected installations (so far) of Matt Robison’s “News From America” series. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
The Obscurathlon
This weekend, a selection of stories about athletic endeavors you won't see on ESPN. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
Imaginary Heroes
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories about the nonpareils of escapism: comic books and science fiction. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
Union Jack
In this edition of the TMN Weekender, a selection of stories exploring the essence of Englishness. Ready to read here on TMN or in an e-book you can export to your Kindle, iPad, iPhone, etc.
Pie Is Not a Gel (and Other Thanksgiving Tips)
As a result, sometimes stuff gets cold, or burnt. We usually eat at least an hour later than planned. We make conversational beelines toward politics and religion. At least one person gets drunk and picks a fight. By dessert, someone is usually in tears. The day is mostly a success
Ornithology
Naturally, I have to procrastinate first, but at least I’m procrastinating intelligently (or so I tell myself) by reviewing Anne Lamott’s sublime Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life. Writerly types have been recommending this book to me for the past 15 years, but I was
Girl Talk
I’ve been thinking a lot about the state of modern girlhood lately. My husband and I have 10 much-younger girl cousins between us, mostly in middle and high school, and I’m getting ready to buy Christmas gifts for many of them. I don’t have kids; instead of
Educated Guess
Five years ago, I joined MetaFilter. MetaFilter began as—and primarily remains—an online space for members to share interesting links and comment on them. Period, end of sentence. But a few specialized subgroups have developed, including one of my favorite places on the entire internet: AskMetaFilter. The concept is
Tennis Fan
As a copy editor, your job is to enforce the rules of grammar, spelling, and style, and do so with enough conviction and authority that you don’t have to provide a remedial grammar lesson with every correction. You also have to keep track of the logic of the piece
Over It
When “Repress Yourself” was published in the New York Times magazine in February 2003, it had been 18 months since Sept. 11, and someone had finally dared to suggest we might want to stop thinking about it so much. I don’t mean to be flip; Sept. 11, 2001 was
This Is My Problem
Emily Yoffe, author of Slate’s thoroughly enjoyable “Dear Prudence,” summed it up nicely: “Judaism is a religion that focuses on justice in this world. It’s not so much focused on the rewards of the next life, but about how to live in this life. Maybe that’s why
The Doctor Is in, Baby
My dad is an OB/GYN, and when I was growing up, this meant all my friends thought I must therefore have some secret insider knowledge about human coitus. While it’s true I knew the birds and the bees by age two, I didn’t lose my training wheels
Spanx Is the New Plastics
Here are 10 things I learned—not necessarily directly—from planning my own wedding that don’t seem to get addressed much in the bridezillasphere. 1. If you really want cash, don’t register for gifts. Enlist your parents and siblings to help spread the word in a low-key way.
Dear Mr. Jesus
The ’90s for me were more Lollapalooza than Nickelodeon, so I’ve never actually seen Clarissa Explains It All, but whatever. That pop-culture nostalgia reminds me of another quintessential ’90s meme: “What would Jesus do?” The thing is, I had no idea: I was raised Jewish. Most of what I
Girls, You Never Know
OK, so my gay BFF in high school didn’t really fit the stereotype, except that he did always give excellent advice. But it wasn’t just the advice I valued, but the source. As a teenage girl—the most cutthroat species of information broker on the planet—I thought
No One Commences Like This Anymore
My college graduation speaker really did begin—and end—his speech with “Today is the first day of the rest of your lives.” Did he also tell us to be ourselves and follow our dreams? It’s possible, I don’t remember. Our speaker was boring, and he was also
Bright Sun, Long Shadows
As the Cardinals fought for a playoff berth in August, I watched my father-in-law in his own personal battle. A tale of victory and loss.
The Messy
Experts answer what they know. The Non-Expert answers anything. When a reader disagrees with his wife over the cleanliness of their home, we propose a tidy solution.
Book Digest: June 11, 2007
Southern lit-fictionist Larry Brown’s The Miracle of Catfish: A Novel in Progress, which came out a few weeks ago, is only the latest of a recent spate of unfinished manuscripts making it into print after the author’s death. Every writer leaves a paper trail at death; many name
The New World
Terrence Malick’s The New World isn’t for everyone, but if you liked The Thin Red Line or, for that matter, Koyaanisqatsi, you’ll appreciate this very strange, very beautiful film. Newcomer Q’orianka Kilcher is beguiling and breathtaking as Pocahontas-cum-Rebecca, and Colin Farrell, as John Smith, turns in
Serenity
Joss Whedon's Serenity, just released on DVD, was easily one of the best movies of the year. Unlike most sci-fi flicks, this space western relies more on smart writing than CGI to engage your imagination. The film's intergalactic smugglers speak a cowboy English peppered with Chinese