The Magazine
March 2, 2026
Goings On

Goings On
Mitski’s Spellbinding Intensity

Also: the actions and art work of Lotty Rosenfeld, mixed-martial-arts sparring in the play “The Monsters,” a cocktail adventure at Oddball, and more.
Book Currents
The Director of “Crime 101” on His Favorite Anti-Western Westerns
Bart Layton, whose new film stars Halle Berry, Chris Hemsworth, and Mark Ruffalo, discusses a few of his favorite novels that question the romance of the frontier.
The Talk of the Town
Rebecca Mead on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor; Gandalf at the Shed; hot-pot advocacy; Gateway tunnel vision; iceboating champions.
Comment
Andrew Mounbatten-Windsor’s Life in Pictures
Following his arrest last week, Andrew spent his first birthday as a commoner in circumstances as degraded as earlier celebrations had been grand.
The Boards
Ian McKellen Swings from Shakespeare to Gandalf to Virtual Reality
On a visit to New York, the actor reflected on mortality and coming out, and unleashed an Elizabethan anti-ICE monologue on “Colbert” that went viral.
Dept. of Sharing
Natasha Pickowicz, Hot-Pot Alchemist
In the aisles of H Mart, the James Beard-nominated chef chats about her new book, “Everyone Hot Pot,” and her leap from pastries to soup.
Hard Hat Dept.
Jan Staller, Constructor of Image
The photographer shoots the bolts and beams of building sites. His latest subject? The Gateway tunnel project being targeted by Donald Trump.
The Sporting Scene
Move Over, Olympics—Iceboating Is the Hottest Sport
This winter was finally cold enough for the legendary race along the Navesink River. But who brought home the trophy?
Reporting & Essays
Personal History
Cash and Carry
I guessed correctly that the woman had found this cabinet on the curb, just as I had found my current desk chair and countless pieces of furniture in the past.
Letter from Poland
The Migrants in the Ancient Forest
Five years ago, Belarus began enabling people from high-conflict countries to migrate into Europe. Despite high walls and backlash, they’re still coming.
A Reporter at Large
The Trial of Gisèle Pelicot’s Rapists United France and Fractured Her Family
After fifty-one men were convicted, Pelicot became a feminist hero. But additional accusations left her children struggling to accept her new role.
Profiles
James Talarico Puts His Faith in Texas Voters
The Senate candidate believes that Democrats can win by appealing to higher values. Can he succeed in the age of Trump?
Sketchbook
The Endless Stages of Enlightenment
Until last week, I believed that “fullback,” “halfback,” and “quarterback” were terms that referred to players’ sizes.
Shouts & Murmurs
Shouts & Murmurs
Say It Again: A Treatment
If you’re on your phone: Clara and Desmond are spies, and they are meeting at a church in Paris. Their names, again, are Clara and Desmond, and they are spies.
Fiction

Fiction
“Something Familiar”

She didn’t remember what she’d said, only that it had gone on for the whole hour, and that he’d said, “I’m lonely,” and “Please,” and “Give me a chance.”
The Critics
Books
Why the World Cup Can Feel Like War
Soccer stadiums can be dominated by violence, tribalism, chauvinism, and near-religious fervor‚ animated by the memory of old hostilities and the power of ritual.
Books
Briefly Noted
“To Catch a Fascist,” “Southern Imagining,” “Good People,” and “Every One Still Here.”
Books
What Walter Benjamin Knew
A new biography of the Berlin-born philosopher emphasizes his combination of stubborn unworldliness and startling prescience.
The Art World
The Haunting Talent of Noah Davis
The artist, who died young, conjured the breadth of life’s moods with a rare economy.
On Television
The Quad God and American Reckoning at the Olympics
The skater Ilia Malinin, the snowboarder Chloe Kim, and the Norwegian biathlete Sturla Holm Lægreid are a few of the athletes who battled it out at the Winter Games.
Poems
Poems
The Tomb Attendant Contemplates His Own Death
“Though I’ve never uttered the name pharaoh / I knew he was there.”
Cartoons
