Culture
Books, art, museums, and the ideas shaping contemporary life. Critical essays and cultural commentary from working critics.
44 articles
The Coming AI Fiction Backlash: Why Readers Are Starting to Say No
The backlash against AI-authored fiction is real. A growing number of readers refuse to read books written by machines. Here's why they're right.
Thomas Heise's Last Film 'Übergang': A Master's Goodbye Wrapped in Time's Puzzle
Thomas Heise's final film, 'Übergang,' is a haunting, unfinished meditation on time and loss. It's not a story — it's a knot.
Vogue's San Francisco Pivot: When Fashion Finally Admits Tech Won
Vogue World is heading to San Francisco, and it's not about fashion — it's about surrender. The tech world won, and the fashion empire is coming to collect.
Y2K Nostalgia Is a Trap — But the Party's Still On
A Hacker News post invites us to relive Y2K, but it's more than nostalgia — it's a cry for connection in a fragmented world. Here's why we should answer the call.
Paying Artists for AI Training: A Band-Aid on a Bullet Wound
The Verge explores AI companies paying artists for training data, but cash can't fix the real problem: the wholesale theft of creative careers. A hard-hitting look at why money is a band-aid on a bullet wound.
AI's Ancient Roots: The Medieval 'Instant Knowledge' Spell We Keep Recasting
Medieval monks had a magic spell for instant knowledge. We've just rebranded it as AI. Same promise, same failure, different century.
Nerd Culture Has Killed the Intellectual — And We Helped
Nerd culture has replaced genuine intellectualism with fandom trivia. It's time to stop mistaking consumption for thought and reclaim the messy, uncomfortable act of thinking.
Patti Smith Met the Pope and He Knew Her Song — Punk Rock Meets the Vatican
When Patti Smith met Pope Leo XIV, he surprised her by knowing her song “Wave.” A punk rock moment in the Vatican that proves music knows no borders.
The Owl Who Owned New York: 'Wild Inside' and Our Desperate Need for Wildness
A documentary about Flaco the owl reveals our own cages — and what it truly means to be free in a city that never lets go.
Anime UIs Are Watching You: Why Every Fictional Screen Screams for Real Design
Anime UIs are the most effective, emotionally intelligent interfaces ever drawn—and real-world designers are finally stealing them. Here's what they're getting right.
Angela Nissel's Grief Memoir: Why Laughing at Death Isn't Macabre, It's Survival
Angela Nissel's new memoir turns grief on its head, using gallows humor to tackle her mother's death. It's a radical, honest, and laugh-out-loud take on loss that will make you rethink everything you thought about mourning.
Fonts In Use: The Digital Detective Work That Designers Actually Need
Fonts In Use is a quiet rebellion against algorithmic everything. No AI, no hype — just a human-curated archive of where typefaces live in the real world. Designers need it. You might too.