The Magazine
December 29, 2025 & January 5, 2025
Goings On
Goings On
Jim Jarmusch’s Ironically Optimistic Family Movie
Also: Graciela Iturbide’s tranquil photographs of Mexico, Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson in “Song Sung Blue,” the coke-rap of Clipse, and more.
The Food Scene
At the New Babbo, It’s Batali Minus Batali
Under the chef Mark Ladner, the famous Greenwich Village trattoria aims for selective nostalgia.
The Talk of the Town
Eric Lach on the arrival of the Mamdani mayoralty; a Paddington to tread the boards; Joseph Cornell’s studio; what the Shakers made; mapping MAHA country.
Comment
What Zohran Mamdani Is Up Against
When the thirty-four-year-old socialist is sworn in as mayor, he will have to navigate ICE raids, intransigent city power players, and twists of fate and nature.
London Postcard
A Puppet Called Paddington
Tahra Zafar has made creatures for “Harry Potter” and “Star Wars.” Her latest project? Bringing the beloved bear to the stage.
Mockup Dept.
The Re-Assemblage of Joseph Cornell
Wes Anderson and Jasper Sharp teamed up to re-create the artist’s famous Flushing studio—only this time it’s at a Gagosian gallery in Paris.
Dept. of Austerity
Mona Fastvold Knows Her Way Around a Chair
The director’s new movie, “The Testament of Ann Lee,” stars Amanda Seyfried as the Shakers’ founder. But the film’s furniture alone is worth a trip to the theatre.
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Reporting & Essays
Annals of Education
Dyslexia and the Reading Wars
Proven methods for teaching the readers who struggle most have been known for decades. Why do we often fail to use them?
Brave New World Dept.
Why Millennials Love Prenups
Long the province of the ultra-wealthy, prenuptial agreements are being embraced by young people—including many who don’t have all that much to divvy up.
A Reporter at Large
Peter Navarro, Trump’s Ultimate Yes-Man
The tariff cheerleader established the template of sycophancy for Trump Administration officials.
Takes
Takes
Lawrence Wright on A. J. Liebling’s “The Great State”
For all the humor in his reporting, Liebling recognized Louisiana’s governor as something more than another political buffoon. That insight made the piece a classic.
Shouts & Murmurs
Shouts & Murmurs
Premeditated
Close your eyes. Breathe in. Experience “Titanic” and “The Wizard of Oz” the Chloé Zhao way.
Fiction
Fiction
“The Welfare State”
Julia had longed to be an educated mother like Vroni, but there was never a serviceable father in view, so she had limited herself to being educated.
The Critics
A Critic at Large
Is the Dictionary Done For?
The print edition of Merriam-Webster was once a touchstone of authority and stability. Then the internet brought about a revolution.
Books
Briefly Noted
“Daring to Be Free,” “The Second Estate,” “Best Offer Wins,” and “A Love Story from the End of the World.”
Books
The Psychology of Fashion
Our garments offer glimpses of the unconscious; we may also choose them because they feel nothing like us—because they allow us, briefly, to become someone else.
Musical Events
The Organists Improvising Soundtracks to Silent Films
Early on, movies had no sound, but musicians provided live accompaniment. The tradition continues.
The Theatre
Matthew Broderick Stars as the Titular Grifter in “Tartuffe”
It’s been the year of Molière, and therefore the year of the liar, the hypocrite, the poseur, the clown.
The Current Cinema
“Marty Supreme” ’s Megawatt Personality
In Josh Safdie’s hectic new film, Timothée Chalamet plays a gifted Ping-Pong player who’s also a born performer.
Poems
Poems
“Memory Palace”
“Every memory palace should have a damp basement / with frozen pipes and mouse bones, / shreds of pink insulation, you dare not enter.”
Poems
“It’s Getting Lighter”
“O Holy Mother of Moths, brighten the light / that fills the scene where I fall.”
Cartoons
Cartoon Dept.
Cartoons from the Issue
Drawings from the December 29, 2025 & January 5, 2026, magazine.
Puzzles & Games
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.