Short, Cautionary Tales
Hotel bombings and terrorism aside, it’s the daily alien frustrations and local rituals that put the grit into living abroad. Our writer reports from Cairo on the small infuriations that make her city unique.
Personalities
A collection of 122 issues
Revolution Rock
If rock music used to have a message, then rarely was that message stronger than for South American revolutionaries, for whom it was a significant part of the struggle. Patrick Ambrose traces a history of social uprising, and explains how the music helped fuel it.
Forever Changing
Arthur Lee—songwriter, social critic, and leader of ’60s rock band Love—is finally back after an extended absence. Our writer witnesses Lee and his newly re-formed band play their classic album, Forever Changes, in concert and talks to him about what it meant then and still means today.
Talking With Alex Ross
Classical music was said to be dead in the 14th century, so why are we still holding it hostage? We talk with New Yorker music critic Alex Ross about the state of the art, which composers might appeal to different segments of rock fans, and exactly what he listens to at dinner.
Home, Jeeves, Jonathan
Wouldn’t it be nice, when you’re on the verge of a big mistake, to have a personal butler escort you home? Author Jonathan Ames thinks so, in telling Pitchaya Sudbanthad about his new book, what he’s learned recently, and what it’s like to write for TV.
Return to Sender
In the final installment of her letters from Scotland, our writer returns home with a heart full of remembrance for the experiences she’s had, as well as for friends she’s made in her time abroad.
A Day at the Races
In the eighth installment of her letters from Scotland, our writer blissfully listens to a talking head, then turns around and runs for her life.
Take the Downtown Train
If more men know what’s under the hood of a car than the hood of a clitoris, surely a revolution is needed. Enthusiast Paul Ford interviews Ian Kerner, sex therapist and author of She Comes First: The Thinking Man’s Guide to Pleasuring a Woman.
One Ring Zero
Not many people can play the claviola, and fewer still can use it to accompany lyrics by Neil Gaiman or Margaret Atwood. Pitchaya Sudbanthad talks to Michael Hearst and Joshua Camp of One Ring Zero, band of a thousand authors.
Bulgarian Rhapsody
In the seventh installment of her letters from Scotland, our letter jets to Sofia to meet a friend, explores the city in all its relative weirdness, and learns to speak, or at least gesture, a new language.