Leaving the workforce, by choice
Five freelancers talk about why they voluntarily left the world of 9-to-5 employment and how they’re getting by. | The Boston Globe
What do rich home owners actually want?
Home owners are making it impossible for people who provide essential services to live locally. Where does this lead? | Welcome to Hell World
Building castles in the air
The cathartic joy of building with Lego again, for the first time in two decades, and what it taught me about “building” in general. | WBUR
Sometimes, just surviving is good enough
During times of stress and isolation, ensuring that we can be here for each other might be the most important work we can do. | The Boston Globe
Bernie Sanders is mobilizing the DIY scene
The 2020 presidential campaign is building a coalition of musicians and artists, which has imbued his campaign with irreverence and fun. | VICE
Being frugal is for the rich
American media just can’t get enough of the “savings hero” narrative. But frugality works best if you have a lot of money to start with. | The Outline
‘Occupied’ brings the climate crisis to TV. Finally.
Climate change is strangely absent from the narrative TV landscape. But a powerful and addictive Norwegian Netflix series is changing that. | MIC
The money that Congress owes us
Americans need direct relief to survive the pandemic. We must stop letting our politicians get away with being cheap. After all, it’s our money. | GEN
A Hidden Life and the cost of resisting fascism
Valerie Pachner talks about her role in Terrence Malick’s new film about the Jägerstätter family, who refused to swear loyalty to the Nazis. | VICE
Could Crawl revive the climate horror genre?
Creature features were a product of climate anxiety during the 1970s. Will the genre re-emerge today, as climate change gets worse? | VICE
Arctic is an exemplary wilderness survival thriller
Mads Mikkelsen’s intense and sometimes terrifying North Pole thriller is an opportunity to discover the best of the overlooked survival genre. | VICE
Philanthropy is nice, but free college is better
American students shouldn’t have to rely on the whims of billionaires to receive an education that doesn’t crush them with debt. | WBUR
Vice exposes the viciousness of U.S. politics
Adam McKay talks about his new Dick Cheney biopic: a devastating look at how America’s political system cultivates sociopathic leaders . | VICE
The troubling idea behind “dignity of work”
Politicians like Joe Biden often talk about the “dignity of work,” but the idea that hard work bestows dignity on people is dangerous. | NBC News
Christmas Vacation—a class warfare manifesto
The classic comedy unites the suburban middle class, the rural poor, and even the police against the wealthy. That’s virtually unheard of. | VICE
Why prequels suck (and how to make them cool)
Prequels to beloved franchises like Star Wars and Harry Potter should be as dangerous and weird as possible. Otherwise, what’s the point? | VICE
Voting is not enough
Liberals and progressives must win more elections. But building mass movements outside of electoral politics is just as important. | WBUR
The Meg and the ecstasy of the creature feature
Jason Statham vs. a 75-foot shark is a cinematic premise that most of us would contemplate under psilocybin mushrooms. And yet. . . | VICE
Rethinking America’s live-to-work culture
American life prioritizes work above all else, and Americans are suffering from chronic anxiety and exhaustion. How can we change gears? | GEN
Millennial voters are coming for the gerontocracy
Democrats like Dianne Feinstein aren’t too old to run for re-election. But they are too out-of-touch from the party’s younger voters. | The Nation
Surviving austerity
The Republican Party’s tax reform will gut social programs. In the absence of a kind government, Americans must take care of each other. | WBUR
Neither here nor there: a smartphone journey
When I walked across Massachusetts in 2014, I underestimated how my smartphone would enhance and undermine the long walk. | Headspace