The Pictures
Lee Grant Laughs Last
by Alexandra Schwartz
Hollywood wrote her off as an actress at age fifty, so she learned to direct. Just before turning ninety-eight, she celebrates after presenting a retrospective.
Lee Grant Laughs Last
Has Gratuity Culture Reached a Tipping Point?
Annals of Etiquette
Has Gratuity Culture Reached a Tipping Point?
by Zach Helfand
Paying extra for service has inspired rebellions, swivelling iPads, and irritation from Trotsky and Larry David. Post-pandemic, the practice has entered a new stage.
Can Crosswords Be More Inclusive?
Annals of Gaming
Can Crosswords Be More Inclusive?
by Natan Last
The puzzles spread from the United States across the globe, but the American crossword today doesn’t always reflect the linguistic changes that immigration brings.
What Makes A Murder?
Sentenced to Life for an Accident Miles Away
by Sarah Stillman
A draconian legal doctrine called felony murder has put thousands of Americans—disproportionately young and Black—in prison.
Christmas Miracle
The Pictures
A Prep-School Movie Star
by Michael Schulman
Dominic Sessa had only acted in school plays at Deerfield Academy when Alexander Payne plucked him from twelfth grade to star alongside Paul Giamatti in his “Christmas-blues” film, “The Holdovers.”
The Aftermath
What Happens to a School Shooter’s Sister?
by Jennifer Gonnerman
Twenty-five years ago, Kristin Kinkel’s brother, Kip, killed their parents and opened fire at their high school. Today, she is close with Kip—and still reckoning with his crimes.
The Lasting Pleasures of New Haven Pizza
On and Off the Menu
The Lasting Pleasures of New Haven Pizza
by Hannah Goldfield
The city’s restaurants inspire pilgrimages and intense loyalties. Can their magic be replicated elsewhere?
Why the Godfather of A.I. Fears What He’s Built
Why the Godfather of A.I. Fears What He’s Built
by Joshua Rothman
Geoffrey Hinton has spent a lifetime teaching computers to learn. Now he worries that artificial brains are better than ours.
The Last Lighthouse Keeper in America
The Last Lighthouse Keeper in America
by Dorothy Wickenden
In a technological age, impassioned devotees renew an ancient maritime tradition.
China’s Age of Malaise
China’s Age of Malaise
by Evan Osnos
Party officials are vanishing, young workers are “lying flat,” and entrepreneurs are fleeing the country. What does China’s inner turmoil mean for the world?