Readings

Infinity Mirrored Room by Yayoi Kasuma, via Flickr
Artists Don't Have To Do It All Themselves: An Interview with Sarah Thornton

The author of 33 Artists in 3 Acts discusses whether being an artist means knowing how to do life drawing, art as a financial asset, and the rise of Lena Dunham.

For Kids, By Kids—But Not For Long

YouTube's (mostly) teenage vloggers created a monumental mainstream youth culture free of adult supervision. Now they're doing the unthinkable: growing up.

Roman Dog via Wikimedia
True Dog Stories

No two dogs are alike, nor are their stories. An excerpt from Radio Benjamin, the collected radio broadcasts of Walter Benjamin.

Smartass Entertainment in the Age of Sincerity

David Foster Wallace's big concerns live on in the interviews of Jaden and Willow Smith.

The Hazlitt Offensive: Molly Peacock

The poet, biographer, and memorist answers our (trademark pending) questionnaire.

From "Leaves of Grass" by Geoffrey Farmer
'Art Can Be A Story-Starter': Eliza Robertson and Lee Henderson in Conversation

The authors discuss the influence of visual art in their writing, working to rap music, and the hypnotic smell of oil paints.

Buying a Better World

Can charity make the world we want? If so, to whom should we sign the cheque?

Memorable For the Wrong Reasons: Tom Ewing on Charity Singles

In e-mail conversation with the UK music critic about "We Are the World," "Do They Know It's Christmas?" and other "classics" of the genre.

The Secret Art of Talking to Other Humans

Whether at a friend's birthday party or stark naked in the Nicaraguan jungle, our first conversations with strangers require a complex dance of tentative reveals and elisions.

Changing Minds: Nick Jonas, One Direction, and the Rare Act of Pop Transference

There's no sure escape from the compressed life of a boy band.