Readings

Short Stories That Are Sick

Mireille Silcoff on her new fiction collection, inspired by her own epic battle with a rare spinal condition.

‘I’m Coming Out’ Comes Back

Ariana Grande’s “Break Your Heart Right Back” is the latest song to sample the Diana Ross hit, though in more vicious fashion than usual.

The Future of Energy is Coming Faster Than We Thought

German utility companies are realizing too late they'd underestimated the rise of renewable energy sources for too long—just as peak wholesale electricity prices are bottoming out.

Role Models, Positive and Abominable

Lawrence Wright's Thirteen Days in September shows how even horrible legacies can stand for beautiful ideals.

The Outside of Inside Jokes

Laughing with and at outsiders in Cristina Henríquez’s Book of Unknown Americans and Anita Loos's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.

So, How’s Toronto’s Election Going?

Exit Rob Ford, enter Doug Ford, re-enter Rob Ford.

Celebrating 10,000 Years of Arcade Fire

Notes on what will eventually be a book-length prose poem about the ten-year anniversary of Arcade Fire’s Funeral LP.

How Do You Hurt the Ones You Love?

One way to measure how compassionate a partner you are? The way you break up with people.

The Surety

The case here described is real, witnessed by the author in bail court. The names have been changed and some details condensed. This week in Worse Off Than You: It’s not only the accused on trial.

An Investigation Into the Reappearance of Walter Benjamin

History tells us that the influential German literary critic died more than seventy years ago. So how is it then that Benjamin is now out doing lectures and has published a new book?