RSS Post: December 2019

Tuesday, December 31, 2019

What I Learned in Avalanche School

What I Learned in Avalanche School
I wanted to be prepared for the worst nature could throw at me. But the real threat turned out to be human.
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Should I Tell My Friend Her Husband Is Cheating on Her?

Should I Tell My Friend Her Husband Is Cheating on Her?
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on whether to tell a friend of her spouse’s affair and what to do about a Title 1 school’s ineffective social worker.
https://ift.tt/35an191

Letter of Recommendation: Dumb Robot Vacuums

Letter of Recommendation: Dumb Robot Vacuums
They’re poorly constructed and easily confused — but mine is the only gadget I can trust.
https://ift.tt/2QcMmuU

How to Talk to Someone With Alzheimer’s

How to Talk to Someone With Alzheimer’s
Approach from the front. Use gestures more than words. Don’t argue.
https://ift.tt/2QcwoB2

Monday, December 30, 2019

Will Brexit Bring the Troubles Back to Northern Ireland?

Will Brexit Bring the Troubles Back to Northern Ireland?
As the United Kingdom confronts the prospect of dissolution, old factions are bracing for the possibility of new violence.
https://ift.tt/39tV9Qv

Lily Tomlin Plays Tender Characters on Purpose

Lily Tomlin Plays Tender Characters on Purpose
“They might be overlooked easily, but they have something to say.”
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Behind the Cover: The Lives They Lived

Behind the Cover: The Lives They Lived
For this issue, we celebrate the lives of people who passed away this year — including the writer Toni Morrison.
https://ift.tt/39im3L0

Thursday, December 26, 2019

Isabel Toledo, a Designer Who Expressed Emotion Through Clothing

Isabel Toledo, a Designer Who Expressed Emotion Through Clothing
Her style was always her own, from the geometry of the clothing she designed to the elegance of her life.
https://ift.tt/2Skdh9x

Living as Myself, at Last

Living as Myself, at Last
This airman could not be Alexandria Holder and still serve. Then came a change in regulations — and in Technical Sergeant Holder’s life.
https://ift.tt/34T8fDD

Monday, December 23, 2019

Etika, a Charismatic YouTuber Who Struggled Through His Online Fame

Etika, a Charismatic YouTuber Who Struggled Through His Online Fame
His mental health problems collided tragically with the attention economy.
https://ift.tt/2SlaH2R

Robert Frank, an Artist for the Corporate Age

Robert Frank, an Artist for the Corporate Age
He changed photography and helped us to see New York and the rest of the country with fresh eyes.
https://ift.tt/36Xs9i2

Doris Day, the ‘World’s Oldest Virgin,’ Could Have Been So Much More

Doris Day, the ‘World’s Oldest Virgin,’ Could Have Been So Much More
She was an actress with subversive potential — who became a symbol of a generation’s sexual hypocrisy.
https://ift.tt/2EQK9ys

Jimmy Nelson Made Ventriloquism an Art With His Partner Danny O’Day

Jimmy Nelson Made Ventriloquism an Art With His Partner Danny O’Day
They taught each other how to speak — without moving their lips.
https://ift.tt/2ZfBuPM

Barbara York Main, the Australian Lady of the Spiders

Barbara York Main, the Australian Lady of the Spiders
A literary arachnologist, she identified dozens of new species and shed light on the landscape they crept through.
https://ift.tt/391dvZ7

Harold Bloom, a Self-Mythologizing Prodigy of Literary Criticism

Harold Bloom, a Self-Mythologizing Prodigy of Literary Criticism
He submerged himself in literature — more grandly, and grandiosely, than anyone.
https://ift.tt/2SjmtuD

Kathryn Johnson, a Reporter With a Gift for Gaining Trust

Kathryn Johnson, a Reporter With a Gift for Gaining Trust
She knew that the secret to getting a great story was not telling the whole thing.
https://ift.tt/2Znhrif

Carrie Ann Lucas Fought for Disability Rights, Including Her Own

Carrie Ann Lucas Fought for Disability Rights, Including Her Own
She refused to let anything keep her from protecting disabled children.
https://ift.tt/399q4Bo

Angus McQueen Enlisted the N.R.A. in the Culture Wars

Angus McQueen Enlisted the N.R.A. in the Culture Wars
He remade the National Rifle Association’s brand, and he made a fortune doing it.
https://ift.tt/2SnvW4e

Toni Morrison, the Titan of Literature

Toni Morrison, the Titan of Literature
Her friends recall a woman who was as fun as she was brilliant.
https://ift.tt/3955uCl

The Lives They Lived 2019

The Lives They Lived 2019
Remembering some of the artists, innovators and thinkers we lost in the past year.
https://ift.tt/2PP8Vpg

Judith Krantz’s Novels Were About More Than Sex and Shopping

Judith Krantz’s Novels Were About More Than Sex and Shopping
Her books sold some 80 million copies, freeing up millions of young women to imagine themselves as ardent sexual protagonists in their own lives.
https://ift.tt/2MnOiOW

David Berman of Silver Jews, Whose Music and Poetry Were a Balm

David Berman of Silver Jews, Whose Music and Poetry Were a Balm
He channeled his suffering into a comfort for many, including my friend in pain.
https://ift.tt/2SllQ40

Leah Chase Showed the World the Power of Gumbo

Leah Chase Showed the World the Power of Gumbo
She fed presidents and paupers alike and made her New Orleans restaurant into a kind of church.
https://ift.tt/35S6UhE

Rosie Ruiz Was a Marathon Champion ... for a Moment

Rosie Ruiz Was a Marathon Champion ... for a Moment
She stunned everyone when she won the Boston Marathon. But it didn’t take long to uncover the truth: She cheated.
https://ift.tt/2Sl2Rqc

Luke Perry, a Heartthrob Who Led With His Heart

Luke Perry, a Heartthrob Who Led With His Heart
He played a smoldering cool boy on TV. In real life, he wanted to make the world a better place.
https://ift.tt/2ZipWes

Unita Blackwell Risked It All so Black Mississippians Could Vote

Unita Blackwell Risked It All so Black Mississippians Could Vote
She was arrested dozens of times, and Klan members threw Molotov cocktails into her yard — but that didn’t stop her fight for civil rights.
https://ift.tt/34RXktR

Dick Todd Was the Kind of Editor Writers Never Forget

Dick Todd Was the Kind of Editor Writers Never Forget
He worked as a book and magazine editor for nearly 50 years. Five of his writers remember his gifts.
https://ift.tt/3985SQH

Karl Lagerfeld, the Fashion Designer Who Revolutionized Chanel

Karl Lagerfeld, the Fashion Designer Who Revolutionized Chanel
He created up to 17 collections a year for 54 years, but his greatest invention may have been himself.
https://ift.tt/34NGhJq

Elijah Cummings’s American Dream, and American Obstacles

Elijah Cummings’s American Dream, and American Obstacles
The Maryland congressman pledged his service to a country that from his earliest years tried to thwart his ambitions.
https://ift.tt/2ZktvRC

Friday, December 20, 2019

Why We Published The 1619 Project

Why We Published The 1619 Project
The project puts the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the center of our national story.
https://ift.tt/36WK7Bc

Letter to the Editor: Historians Critique The 1619 Project, and We Respond

Letter to the Editor: Historians Critique The 1619 Project, and We Respond
Five historians wrote to us with their reservations. Our editor in chief replies.
https://ift.tt/2PKczk9

The Lies the Generals Told About Afghanistan

The Lies the Generals Told About Afghanistan
Thomas Gibbons-Neff recounts a speech made by a military general in 2010 about the progress of the war and how it contrasted with the reality on the ground.
https://ift.tt/2Q3GhiY

How the Internet Came to Loathe Pete Buttigieg

How the Internet Came to Loathe Pete Buttigieg
It’s natural for a rising candidate to get kicked around. But the nature of the backlash says a lot about the past decade of Democratic politics.
https://ift.tt/2rRd9n3

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Behind the Cover: Living With Death

Behind the Cover: Living With Death
Our video series is back for a second season. For this issue, we look at a more personal relationship with death.
https://ift.tt/2Q4VIaC

The Movement to Bring Death Closer

The Movement to Bring Death Closer
Home death-care guides believe that families can benefit from tending to — and spending time with — the bodies of their deceased.
https://ift.tt/2Q3ywJJ

Poem: What is Poetry? Part 2

Poem: What is Poetry? Part 2
It's a strange question poets are often asked. This one has a good answer.
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Judge John Hodgman on Getting a Second Pet in a Small Apartment

Judge John Hodgman on Getting a Second Pet in a Small Apartment
Why limit yourself to dogs and cats?
https://ift.tt/2sDAvwt

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

His Novels of Planetary Devastation Will Make You Want to Survive

His Novels of Planetary Devastation Will Make You Want to Survive
Jeff VanderMeer, the author of “Annihilation,” brings us fresh horrors with each new book. So why does he remain an optimist?
https://ift.tt/34hyPG5

Inside Wayne LaPierre’s Battle for the N.R.A.

Inside Wayne LaPierre’s Battle for the N.R.A.
How an internal power struggle, a New York State investigation and accusations of fraud and betrayal on all sides have left the longtime leader of the gun-rights organization reeling.
https://ift.tt/36R4cc3

Is Screen Time Really Bad for Kids?

Is Screen Time Really Bad for Kids?
It depends on many factors, including what you even mean by “screen time.”
https://ift.tt/2S3KDt3

Uncovering My Father’s Vietnam Service Through the Things He Carried

Uncovering My Father’s Vietnam Service Through the Things He Carried
Before he died, my father never talked about his time in the military. Now I’m trying to put the pieces together using the clues he left behind.
https://ift.tt/2r3AhhH

How to Cook a Pig

How to Cook a Pig
There is no other dish on the traditional holiday table that you can cook so beautifully this easily.
https://ift.tt/2EwvhoR

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Letter of Recommendation: Cheap Sushi

Letter of Recommendation: Cheap Sushi
It makes the sublime available to the masses — what’s so bad about that?
https://ift.tt/38M4tPC

How to Spot a Counterfeit Watch

How to Spot a Counterfeit Watch
Get close. Is the second hand moving smoothly? Does the engraved lettering look good?
https://ift.tt/2PseSrO

Should I Intervene When I See a Parent Mistreating a Child?

Should I Intervene When I See a Parent Mistreating a Child?
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on whether to step in when you see a parent publicly berating a child and more.
https://ift.tt/35yvgg8

The Case of the Angry Daughter

The Case of the Angry Daughter
Why did my sweet 5-year-old become so stormy when she started kindergarten?
https://ift.tt/2rUaMzU

Monday, December 16, 2019

She Changed the Way We Eat. She Wants to Fix Our Democracy, Too.

She Changed the Way We Eat. She Wants to Fix Our Democracy, Too.
Frances Moore Lappé popularized the idea that plant-based diets were good for the planet. But her focus has been on politics all along.
https://ift.tt/38Gb1z4

Thursday, December 12, 2019

A Runner Suddenly Developed Asthma. It Was Stranger Than It Seemed.

A Runner Suddenly Developed Asthma. It Was Stranger Than It Seemed.
A 34-year-old woman goes to the emergency room for chest pain. Her reaction to painkillers provides a clue to what is really wrong.
https://ift.tt/2EdBWnW

Poem: The Still Life

Poem: The Still Life
To engage the concept of a “still life” painting, this tender poem pauses and holds.
https://ift.tt/2rE4gNA

Who’s Better at Image Management: Colin Kaepernick or the N.F.L.?

Who’s Better at Image Management: Colin Kaepernick or the N.F.L.?
If anyone understands the power of video, it is the N.F.L. But in a triumph of guerrilla filmmaking, Kaepernick keeps seizing their narrative control.
https://ift.tt/36tgrvi

Judge John Hodgman on Cat Taxidermy

Judge John Hodgman on Cat Taxidermy
Does a house cat deserve a permanent place on the mantle?
https://ift.tt/36kMei6

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

When Dad Turns Out to Be the Fertility Doctor

When Dad Turns Out to Be the Fertility Doctor
It’s easier than ever to find out who your biological parents are. But when deception is uncovered, there aren’t many laws to help.
https://ift.tt/2slqILa

The Unexpected Freedom That Comes With Freezing Your Eggs

The Unexpected Freedom That Comes With Freezing Your Eggs
Most women never use their frozen eggs to become pregnant. But that’s not necessarily the point.
https://ift.tt/2LJG8A0

Why Women on the Pill Still ‘Need’ to Have Their Periods

Why Women on the Pill Still ‘Need’ to Have Their Periods
It comes down to decisions made by two men half a century ago.
https://ift.tt/2YC3vkh

Letter of Recommendation: 3D Without Glasses

Letter of Recommendation: 3D Without Glasses
You can tech yourself to see stereo photographs without a special viewer. This turns out to be good practice for making sense of a complex world.
https://ift.tt/2YCpkQB

What Should I Do About My Bigoted Landlady?

What Should I Do About My Bigoted Landlady?
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on having a landlord with hateful views and keeping your apartment — or recommending your building to others.
https://ift.tt/38sMc9K

The Key to a Perfect Italian-American Sauce

The Key to a Perfect Italian-American Sauce
Pickled peppers elevate a pan sauce that you can use on veal, on pork, on beef, on chicken.
https://ift.tt/2PuL1xS

How to Keep a Stranger on the Phone

How to Keep a Stranger on the Phone
Smile — the other person can hear it. Sit up straight. Don’t take it personally if people yell at you.
https://ift.tt/35c3q9o

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

How Watching ‘Jeopardy!’ Together Helped Me Say Goodbye to My Father

How Watching ‘Jeopardy!’ Together Helped Me Say Goodbye to My Father
Every night, as my father was dying, we made the show a ritual. Then Alex Trebek announced that he was sick, too.
https://ift.tt/364nPgB

Monday, December 9, 2019

Why Is Hollywood Afraid of Lupita Nyong’o?

Why Is Hollywood Afraid of Lupita Nyong’o?
Something’s wrong when the fashion world treats an Oscar-winner better than the movies do. But this year, she made up for lost time.
https://ift.tt/2LEKXdQ

Jennifer Lopez on Finally Getting the Part She Was Born to Play

Jennifer Lopez on Finally Getting the Part She Was Born to Play
For decades, Hollywood demanded she play ditzy or desperate. It took the role an exuberant, amoral stripper to set her free.
https://ift.tt/2LDsWg0

Robert De Niro Thinks Donald Trump Is Worse Than Any Gangster He’s Played

Robert De Niro Thinks Donald Trump Is Worse Than Any Gangster He’s Played
“The rule in acting is you never make a judgment about your character. The characters have their reasons, and you understand them.”
https://ift.tt/2YHXhPX

Brad Pitt on the Kind of Leading Man He Doesn’t Want to Be

Brad Pitt on the Kind of Leading Man He Doesn’t Want to Be
“I spent most of the ’90s hiding out and smoking pot. I was too uncomfortable with all the attention.”
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The Best Actors of 2019

The Best Actors of 2019
These are the 10 performers whose work in movies we found most captivating, challenging, shocking and inspiring in 2019.
https://ift.tt/2YzeieX

Friday, December 6, 2019

A Reporter’s Search for the Truth About Cluster-Munition Deaths

A Reporter’s Search for the Truth About Cluster-Munition Deaths
John Ismay spent five years tracking American service member deaths caused by cluster munitions. This is what got him started on his investigation.
https://ift.tt/2RqWjpr

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Afghan War Casualty Report: December 2019

Afghan War Casualty Report: December 2019
At least 57 pro-government forces and 27 civilians have been killed in Afghanistan so far this month.
https://ift.tt/34Tmbyb

Letter of Recommendation: Badly Dubbed Movies

Letter of Recommendation: Badly Dubbed Movies
When I decided to binge watch several dozen spaghetti westerns, I didn’t expect the dubbing to be one of the best parts. It was.
https://ift.tt/2P81at0

Poem: Mother Going Gone

Poem: Mother Going Gone
In a rush of breath and syllables, someone lives and departs, is gone without being gone.
https://ift.tt/366aPXW

I Worked for Alex Jones. I Regret It.

I Worked for Alex Jones. I Regret It.
I dropped out of film school to edit video for the conspiracy theorist because I believed in his worldview. Then I saw what it did to people.
https://ift.tt/2RmAWp7

Judge John Hodgman on Where Midtown Ends

Judge John Hodgman on Where Midtown Ends
Is Midtown a place? Or a state of mind?
https://ift.tt/2rUf6ie

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

How to Pluck a Feather

How to Pluck a Feather
Hold the bird in your sterilized, nondominant hand. Gently pull out two feathers, six in from each side of the tail’s underside.
https://ift.tt/35YsWPg

‘I Think This Guy Is, Like, Passed Out in His Tesla’

‘I Think This Guy Is, Like, Passed Out in His Tesla’
What should we make of videos that seem to show Tesla drivers napping while their cars zip along on Autopilot?
https://ift.tt/2DnNpRj

He’s a Serial Con Artist. His Word Might Soon Send a Man to His Death.

He’s a Serial Con Artist. His Word Might Soon Send a Man to His Death.
Paul Skalnik is a grifter with a long criminal record. He may also be one of the most prolific jailhouse informants in American history.
https://ift.tt/2Phd83k

These Cluster Bombs Started Killing Civilians Before They Left U.S. Soil

These Cluster Bombs Started Killing Civilians Before They Left U.S. Soil
In 1989, a BLU-97 cluster-munition bomblet exploded in a Kansas factory, killing two workers. Their fates were soon shared by American service members in the Persian Gulf War.
https://ift.tt/364y8kW

America’s Dark History of Killing Its Own Troops With Cluster Munitions

America’s Dark History of Killing Its Own Troops With Cluster Munitions
The weapons are notorious for their effects on civilians. But five years of reporting and hundreds of interviews have revealed they’ve also killed and wounded scores of Americans.
https://ift.tt/3628xJi