The Weekend Essay
How to Eat a Rattlesnake
In my native Oklahoma, snake meat was a masculine trophy, edible proof that you were willing to tangle with death.
The “Epic Row” Over a New Epoch
Scientists, journalists, and artists often say that we live in the Anthropocene, a new age in which humans shape the Earth. Why do some leading geologists reject the term?
Is This Israel’s Forever War?
Foreign-policy analysts whose careers were shaped by the war on terror see troubling parallels.
The Day Ram Dass Died
He taught me to be more curious, present, and self-loving. His final lesson was more surprising.
Piecing for Cover
At our darkest moments, why do so many of us take up quilting?
Life in a Luxury Hotel for New Moms and Babies
My month of rest, relaxation, and regret at a Taiwanese postpartum-care center.
Has Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine Improved His Standing in Russia?
As Russians go to the polls, the economy is booming and the public feels hopeful about the future. But the politics of Putinism still depend on the absence of any means to challenge it.
My Anxiety
Is what’s wrong with me what’s wrong with everyone else?
UNESCO’s Quest to Save the World’s Intangible Heritage
For decades, the organization has maintained a system that protects everything from Ukrainian borscht to Jamaican reggae. But what does it mean to “safeguard” living culture?
The Fab Five and Hair That Does the Talking
In my youth, when I wore a kufi, what my hair looked like became a source of wonder for the people around me. I took a foolish pleasure in holding on to that kind of power.