On the night of September 1, 2023, Iranian households experienced something truly extraordinary – a live broadcast of a Saudi Pro League soccer game. This was a significant moment considering the historical animosity between the two nations, which prevented their football teams from playing each other. However, times have changed, and so has the dynamics …
Hollywood has always been captivated by the realm of high finance. The allure of money and power, coupled with the sleek facade of hedge funds and investment banks, creates the perfect setting for memorable monsters clawing their way to the top. “Fair Play,” a Sundance hit Netflix recently acquired for $20 million, debuts on the …
For over five decades, the highly acclaimed cartoonist Daniel Clowes has depicted a diverse range of societal misfits in his work. From high-school best friends grappling with the transition to adulthood, to middle-aged individuals searching for long-lost relatives, to the sex-obsessed fixated on their past relationships, Clowes has created characters that feel strikingly real. In …
Four years ago, The New York Times Magazine’s 1619 Project, a series of essays aiming to place “the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative,” sparked heated debate. Some criticisms of the essays were substantive, others less so. The backlash, however, has endured long after …
Like any other technology, such as nuclear power or the printing press, social media’s effectiveness is dependent on its users. Unfortunately, over the past decade, we have not utilized it well. Initially, social media held the promise of connecting communities and giving voice to the underrepresented, but it has now become a platform for spreading …
Over the past three years, I have had the privilege of teaching creative writing courses at Georgetown University. During this time, I have made an interesting observation: the majority of my students have a strong preference for genre fiction—sci-fi, mystery, romance—over literary fiction. While literary fiction focuses on exploring character development and resembles real life, …
My last vivid memory of a former close friendship revolves around an evening spent watching an episode of the FXX show Dave. It was during the summer, celebrating his birthday with a few others. As we laughed together, relating to the characters who were all striving to achieve success in their respective fields, little did …
Last September in Paris, I had the opportunity to attend a screening of the Netflix film Athena, which delves into the aftermath of a teenager’s killing by a group posing as police officers and the resulting apocalyptic uprising. The unrest initially takes place within a French hyperghetto and eventually escalates into a nationwide civil war, …
In the spring of 2018, an unexpected Facebook-friend request landed in my notifications. It was from someone claiming to be my father, but there was something off about it. The profile featured my dad’s photos, but the name was misspelled. Not thinking much of it, I reported the account and moved on with my life. …
The government is currently paralyzed due to toxic polarization, which is hindering progress. Our economic and social systems contribute to wealth inequality, leaving the poor at a disadvantage. Marginalized groups continue to fight against centuries of systemic injustices. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has tragically claimed the lives of over 1 million Americans. Meanwhile, preventable “deaths …