Louis’s Sins and Mine

Art doesn’t reduce our questions and conflictedness; it multiplies them.

The Dissect Podcast Fills a Gaping Hole in Music Criticism

Dissect reminds us that we need critics who help us engage with art more deeply.

On DAMN., Kendrick Wrestles Without Resolution

Kendrick’s latest album offers less resolution for his fans. And that’s okay.

“Come on Dandelion, Tell Us a Story”: A Richard Adams Primer

Richard Adams is gone now, but as a storyteller he lives on. He’s handy that way.

Low’s Somber Christmas Music Is Perfect for 2016’s Holiday Season

If Christmas means anything, Low seems to be saying, it has to begin by being honest about the heartache all around us.

Bidding Farewell to Garrison Keillor’s Church

Keillor had no interest in presenting a scrubbed and gleaming version of the church and its people to the world; if anything, his stories tend in the opposite direction.

Unity and Diversity in the Olympic Pool

Swimmer Lilly King claims to be the good American Olympian in the face of the Russian doping scandal, but the truth of the matter is more complicated.

Touchdown Jesus: The Inexplicable Joy of Leicester City’s Title

Confronted by the inexplicable, our reaction—strangely enough—is joy.

“SG,” not “JM”: Identity and Freedom in ‘Better Call Saul’

Defining yourself is as dangerous as living by other people’s definitions

Fixing FIFA: Is a New Beginning Possible?

Given the kind of corruption we’re accustomed to in our most powerful institutions, is reform even a possibility?

“Stephen Colbert” and the Importance of Satire

Whether or not you agree with Stephen Colbert’s politics, his influence is a reminder of the important function of satire in public discourse.

Is It Time to Quit Watching Sports?

It’s harder — and more worthwhile — to look for and champion the good things in any institution or arena, enjoying them for what they are, and working to facilitate them.

Yeezianity, Dudeism, and Other Pop Religions: Whatever Works

The proliferation of pop religions suggests that our culture is less and less interested in the veracity of their belief systems.

9. Orange is the New Black: “Treated With Respect” #CaPC25

Kerman’s efforts to survive in prison make for an absorbing (if not completely original) clash between upper-middle class mores and the seedy power-grabbing of the underworld.

Lou Reed and the Iconography of Rock and Roll

“In the same way that religious icons represent larger realities, Lou Reed stood for his time and place in a way that few others have”

The Washington Redskins and the Potential for a Better Identity

“As dear as the Washington Redskins’ 81-year history is to its fans, it’s nothing to the vast and varied history and culture of Native American peoples.”