The Magazine

October 8, 2018

Reporting

Annals of Art
How New York’s Postwar Female Painters Battled for Recognition
The women of the historic Ninth Street Show had a will of iron and an intense need for their talent to be expressed, no matter the cost.
By Claudia Roth Pierpont
Letter from Switzerland
Lessons from the Last Swiss Finishing School
An abundance of wealth and time are de-facto prerequisites for admission at the Institut Villa Pierrefeu.
By Alice Gregory
American Chronicles
Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Unlikely Path to the Supreme Court
Before she became a hero to feminists, she had to overcome their distrust.
By Jill Lepore
A Reporter at Large
The Comforting Fictions of Dementia Care
Many facilities are using nostalgic environments as a means of soothing the misery, panic, and rage their residents experience.
By Larissa MacFarquhar

More Reporting

The Critics

Pop Music
Cat Power’s Past Imbues “Wanderer” with Empathy and Weight
Decades after her début, the indie rocker’s interest in soul and blues idioms remains, but she has never sounded more like a folksinger.
By Amanda Petrusich
Books
Briefly Noted Book Reviews
“Old Gods, New Enigmas,” “Algiers, Third World Capital,” “Whistle in the Dark,” and “If They Come for Us.”
Books
Max Ritvo’s Enduring Lyricism
His poetry, carried forward by friends, teachers, and editors, is a vibrant workshop, left open for readers to explore.
By Dan Chiasson
On Television
Meeting Cute on “YOU” and “Forever”
Each is concerned with soul mates, but one is a twisted stalking satire with irresistibly arch confidence, and the other is a bland existential experiment.
By Emily Nussbaum
The Theatre
Machine Dazzle Embodies a New Kind of Surrealism
Costume designers generally work within a realistic tradition. But the only script that the theatrical genius Machine Dazzle follows is an emotional one.
By Hilton Als
The Art World
The Utterly Original Bill Traylor
Born into slavery in the eighteen-fifties and buried in a pauper’s grave in 1949, the Alabama artist amazes today.
By Peter Schjeldahl
The Current Cinema
Lady Gaga Tips the Scales in Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born”
Shedding her persona for her performance opposite Cooper, the pop deity is strikingly believable as an undiscovered talent on the verge.
By Anthony Lane

More Criticism

The Talk of the Town

Comment
Christine Blasey Ford’s Experience Was Just as Bad as Anita Hill’s—Maybe Worse
Ford spoke with disarming directness and vulnerability, but the hearing unleashed in Brett Kavanaugh a bitter, partisan rage pumped up with conspiracy theory.
By Margaret Talbot
Dept. of Multitasking
Jacinda Ardern’s Juggling Act
New Zealand’s Prime Minister balances trilateral meetings and nursing her three-month-old daughter.
By Sophia Hollander
On Point Dept.
Crunch Time for Kyle Abraham at the New York City Ballet
The company’s first black choreographer in more than a decade fine-tunes his first ballet, with the help of Robyn and Prince.
By Elizabeth Barber
At the Ballpark
Touring Yankee Stadium with Marlins Man
A sports-world fixture, the Miami superfan is on track to attend a hundred and sixty-five baseball games this year.
By Ben McGrath
Q. & A. Dept.
M.I.A. Guest-Stars at a High-School Assembly
In Edison, New Jersey, the controversial pop star talks with teens about eyebrow fashions and her Sri Lankan roots.
By Jeanie Riess

More Talk of the Town

Shouts & Murmurs

Shouts & Murmurs
How to Think Through Finding a Lost Shoe
Has your husband recently “cleaned” the house?
By Ann Beattie

More Shouts & Murmurs

Cartoons

Fiction

Fiction
“The Rise and Rise of Annie Clark”
“With a prayer of thanks to Jesus, Annie seizes on her power as a modern woman. She will take her life into her own hands and let someone else do all the work for a change.”
By John L’Heureux

More Fiction

Poems

Poems
“undetectable”
“not antimatter / but the memory of matter. or of it mattering.”
By Danez Smith
Poems
“Kiss Cam”
“It trawls the crowd, patrons / cast for tonight’s brief drama.”
By Corey Van Landingham

More Poetry

Goings On About Town

Art
The Met Puts a Spotlight on Native American Art
On October 4, an exhibition of the Charles and Valerie Diker collection in the museum’s American Wing will showcase more than a hundred works from more than fifty cultures.
Tables for Two
Oxomoco Balances Hipster Bait with Mexican Tradition
Justin Bazdarich, the chef behind Speedy Romeo, delivers upmarket tacos with house-made tortillas in a Greenpoint restaurant with a Venice Beach vibe.
By Hannah Goldfield
Bar Tab
Beer and Foosball at Banter Bar
The Williamsburg bar is dedicated to English soccer, but on Thursday nights the foosballers come to play.
By Colin Stokes

More Goings On About Town

The Mail

Letters should be sent with the writer’s name, address, and daytime phone number, via e-mail, to themail@newyorker.com. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, and may be published in any medium. We regret that, owing to the volume of correspondence, we cannot reply to every letter.

Letters from our Readers

Reporting

How New York’s Postwar Female Painters Battled for Recognition

The women of the historic Ninth Street Show had a will of iron and an intense need for their talent to be expressed, no matter the cost.

Lessons from the Last Swiss Finishing School

An abundance of wealth and time are de-facto prerequisites for admission at the Institut Villa Pierrefeu.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Unlikely Path to the Supreme Court

Before she became a hero to feminists, she had to overcome their distrust.

The Comforting Fictions of Dementia Care

Many facilities are using nostalgic environments as a means of soothing the misery, panic, and rage their residents experience.

The Critics

Cat Power’s Past Imbues “Wanderer” with Empathy and Weight

Decades after her début, the indie rocker’s interest in soul and blues idioms remains, but she has never sounded more like a folksinger.

Briefly Noted Book Reviews

“Old Gods, New Enigmas,” “Algiers, Third World Capital,” “Whistle in the Dark,” and “If They Come for Us.”

Max Ritvo’s Enduring Lyricism

His poetry, carried forward by friends, teachers, and editors, is a vibrant workshop, left open for readers to explore.

Meeting Cute on “YOU” and “Forever”

Each is concerned with soul mates, but one is a twisted stalking satire with irresistibly arch confidence, and the other is a bland existential experiment.

Machine Dazzle Embodies a New Kind of Surrealism

Costume designers generally work within a realistic tradition. But the only script that the theatrical genius Machine Dazzle follows is an emotional one.

The Utterly Original Bill Traylor

Born into slavery in the eighteen-fifties and buried in a pauper’s grave in 1949, the Alabama artist amazes today.

Lady Gaga Tips the Scales in Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born”

Shedding her persona for her performance opposite Cooper, the pop deity is strikingly believable as an undiscovered talent on the verge.

The Talk of the Town

Christine Blasey Ford’s Experience Was Just as Bad as Anita Hill’s—Maybe Worse

Ford spoke with disarming directness and vulnerability, but the hearing unleashed in Brett Kavanaugh a bitter, partisan rage pumped up with conspiracy theory.

Jacinda Ardern’s Juggling Act

New Zealand’s Prime Minister balances trilateral meetings and nursing her three-month-old daughter.

Crunch Time for Kyle Abraham at the New York City Ballet

The company’s first black choreographer in more than a decade fine-tunes his first ballet, with the help of Robyn and Prince.

Touring Yankee Stadium with Marlins Man

A sports-world fixture, the Miami superfan is on track to attend a hundred and sixty-five baseball games this year.

M.I.A. Guest-Stars at a High-School Assembly

In Edison, New Jersey, the controversial pop star talks with teens about eyebrow fashions and her Sri Lankan roots.

Shouts & Murmurs

How to Think Through Finding a Lost Shoe

Has your husband recently “cleaned” the house?

Cartoons

Fiction

“The Rise and Rise of Annie Clark”

“With a prayer of thanks to Jesus, Annie seizes on her power as a modern woman. She will take her life into her own hands and let someone else do all the work for a change.”

Poems

“undetectable”

“not antimatter / but the memory of matter. or of it mattering.”

“Kiss Cam”

“It trawls the crowd, patrons / cast for tonight’s brief drama.”

Goings On About Town

The Met Puts a Spotlight on Native American Art

On October 4, an exhibition of the Charles and Valerie Diker collection in the museum’s American Wing will showcase more than a hundred works from more than fifty cultures.

Oxomoco Balances Hipster Bait with Mexican Tradition

Justin Bazdarich, the chef behind Speedy Romeo, delivers upmarket tacos with house-made tortillas in a Greenpoint restaurant with a Venice Beach vibe.

Beer and Foosball at Banter Bar

The Williamsburg bar is dedicated to English soccer, but on Thursday nights the foosballers come to play.

The Mail

Letters should be sent with the writer’s name, address, and daytime phone number, via e-mail, to themail@newyorker.com. Letters may be edited for length and clarity, and may be published in any medium. We regret that, owing to the volume of correspondence, we cannot reply to every letter.