The Magazine
January 12, 2026
Goings On
Goings On
January Festivals Bring the Weird, Wonderful Shows
Also: “Tartuffe” mania, the guitar stylings of William Tyler and Yasmin Williams, Justin Chang’s movies for a new year, and more.
Book Currents
Thelma Golden on the Literature of Harlem
The director of the Studio Museum chooses some of her most beloved books about the neighborhood—both as a place and as an anchor for Black cultural consciousness.
The Talk of the Town
Adam Gopnik on N.Y.C.’s new map; Kathryn Bigelow eyes a sub; show tunes and catharsis; the art of the swipe; what should men read?
Comment
What Will New York’s New Map Show Us?
Voters voted for it, even if they weren’t sure what it was. But maps are the ideal metaphor for our models of what the world might be.
The Pictures
Kathryn Bigelow, Catastrophe Connoisseur
At the Intrepid Museum, the “House of Dynamite” director chats with an arms-control expert about duck and cover, radioactive subs, and how close we are to the end.
The Musical Life
Catch Marc Shaiman If You Can
On the eve of his new book, “Never Mind the Happy,” the composer dishes on his career ups and downs—from touring with Bette Midler to getting caught in Twitter wars.
Dept. of Recycling
Meet the Artist Keeping MetroCards Alive
Nina Boesch has been making art out of the cards for twenty-five years. What is she going to do now that they’re gone?
Sketchpad
Book Recommendations for Men
Maybe the fellas should pick up “Belch! An Oral History of the Burp.”
Reporting & Essays
The Political Scene
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Big Breakup
The congresswoman split with the President over the Epstein files, then she quit. Where will she go from here?
The Control of Nature
Can We Save Wine from Wildfires?
The industry has lost billions of dollars, largely because smoke makes the drink taste like licking an ashtray. Now a team of scientists is chasing a solution.
Profiles
The Making of the First American Pope
Will Pope Leo XIV follow the progressive example of his predecessor or chart a more moderate course? His work in Chicago and Peru may shed light on his approach.
Letter from San Bernardino
A Mexican Couple in California Plans to Self-Deport—and Leave Their Kids Behind
Can undocumented parents elude ICE capture for one more year, until their youngest turns eighteen?
Takes
Takes
Amanda Petrusich on Katy Grannan’s Photograph of Taylor Swift
Looking at this image is like seeing a picture of yourself taken just before something seismic happened.
Shouts & Murmurs
Shouts & Murmurs
The Boyosphere
On today’s episode of the podcast, why mommies are obsolete and naps are for the weak.
Fiction
Fiction
“Deal-Breaker”
When he takes her in his arms, she wants to be with him forever. She wants everyone to know that they’re together, everyone except her mother.
The Critics
A Critic at Large
How Consent Can—and Cannot—Help Us Have Better Sex
The idea is legally vital, but ultimately unsatisfying. Is there another way forward?
Books
Briefly Noted
“Heiresses,” “I Deliver Parcels in Beijing,” “A Danger to the Minds of Young Girls,” and “Estate.”
The Art World
It Takes Only Five Paintings to See Helen Frankenthaler’s Genius
In a small show at MOMA, Frankenthaler seems to make paint its own living force, untouched by an artist.
The Current Cinema
“Young Mothers” Is a Gentle Gift from the Dardenne Brothers
In Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne’s latest drama, set in and around a Belgian maternity home, several teen-age moms seek to break through cycles of poverty, addiction, and neglect.
Poems
Poems
“Bear”
“I can’t quite tell, so muddy / is the newsprint, whether he’s looking // toward us or away.”
Cartoons
Puzzles & Games
The Mail
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