Family, Families
Dispatch
Will L.A.’s Fires Permanently Disperse the Black Families of Altadena?
In a Los Angeles suburb, multigenerational families like the Benns found affordable housing and a deep sense of connection. After the devastating fires, many wonder whether they’ll be able to rebuild what they’ve lost.
By Emily Witt
The Front Row
“Janet Planet”: Melt the Icebergs
The playwright Annie Baker’s first feature conceals its depth of experience under a narrow array of details.
By Richard Brody
The Weekend Essay
My Grandmother and the Canine Detective
How the Austrian police procedural “Inspector Rex” bridges gaps between languages.
By Naaman Zhou
Page-Turner
“The Bee Sting,” a Family Saga of Desperation and Denial
The protagonists of Paul Murray’s perspective-shifting novel struggle to conceal their unruly attachments beneath a conventional surface.
By Katy Waldman
Fiction
The Last Grownup
“The paperwork was done, and it was weird and painful, like picking off a scab, because the marriage itself had ended two years before.”
By Allegra Goodman
Shouts & Murmurs
Dear Pepper: Party Foul
Do I️ really need to go to every gathering that my aunt and uncle host?
By Liana Finck
The Political Scene Podcast
Uncovering Biden Family Secrets
The President has been a public figure for decades. How did his father’s scandalous past remain unknown?