4 GOINGS ON ABOUT TOWN
11 THE TALK OF THE TOWN
Steve Coll on the Electoral College;
the game is rigged; Woodward ’s next scoops;
Rhode Island famous; please don’t visit.
LIFE AND LETTERS
Alexandra Schwartz 18 Making a Scene
A polymath writer addresses the nation’s psyche.
AMERICAN CHRONICLES
Thomas Mallon 26 The Normalcy Election
In 1920, voters looked to forget a war and a virus.SHOUTS & MURMURS
Jay Martel 31 One-Star Yelp Reviews of HeavenA REPORTER AT LARGE
Laura Secor 32 The Man Who Wouldn’t Spy
An Iranian scientist and his struggle for justice.SKETCHBOOK
Barry Blitt 41 “Starting Work on the Joe Biden Presidential Library”PROFILES
John Lahr 44 The Shape-Shifter
The restlessness and recklessness of Ethan Hawke.
FICTION
Nicole Krauss 52 “Switzerland”THE CRITICS
POP MUSIC
Hua Hsu 59 Beverly Glenn-Copeland ’s inner visions.
BOOKS
Peter Schjeldahl 61 A new biography of Goya.
Julian Lucas 65 Hervé Guibert’s confessions and provocations.
67 Briefly NotedA CRITIC AT LARGE
Alex Ross 69 Classical music and white supremacy.POEMS
Bob Hicok 38 “Remedy”
Maya Phillips 56 “Rauschenberg”
COVER
Chris Ware “Last Days”DRAWINGS Millie von Platen, Mick Stevens, Johnny DiNapoli, Akeem Roberts,
Lila Ash, Hartley Lin, Roz Chast, Charlie Hankin, Jason Adam Katzenstein, Lars Kenseth,
Frank Cotham, Brendan Loper, Sofia Warren S POTS Richard McGuire