Meet Rob “Mr. Comedy Man” Haze“There are times when everyone is in agreement, and there are times when the room is divided. I get to dictate that chemistry in real time.”
Stavros Halkias Has No System“Writing stand-up sucks, and every moment I’m doing it I’d rather scrape my nuts across broken glass.”
comedians you should know
Katrina Davis Finds Beauty in Closed Doors“It’s nice to get messages from people who relate to my jokes or accidentally woke up the person next to them on a red-eye flight laughing at me.”
chapters‘I Don’t Want to Be Erased’ Frustrated by his failing health and fretting about his own legacy, Lou Reed spent his final days intent on making something “really astonishing.”By Will Hermes
the industryRomeo and Juliet Was a Tragedy In 1968, Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting were the most famous teenagers in the world. Fifty-five years later, they sued Paramount for child abuse.By Lila Shapiro
book reviewHow Zadie Smith Lost Her Teeth Since her audacious debut, she has been moving toward character-driven realism. In the process, she’s become the least interesting version of herself.By Andrea Long Chu
profileThe Spectacular Life of Octavia E. Butler The story of the girl who grew up in Pasadena, took the bus, loved her mom and grandmother, and wrote herself into the world.By E. Alex Jung
performance reviewWhat Was Brangelina? The couple were always known for their image-making savvy. Now, as their divorce reenters the press cycle, we’re reminded of who’s better at it.By Angelica Jade Bastién
gallery
first personThe Voice of New York Is Drill It’s the most captivating sound the city has heard in decades — and also the most misunderstood. Here, 19 NY drill artists set the record straight.By Camille Squires