New Yorker: Outloud

Nancy Franklin on the return of “Upstairs Downstairs”

This week in the magazine, Nancy Franklin reviews the sequel ...

This week in the magazine, Nancy Franklin reviews the sequel to "Upstairs Downstairs." Here Franklin talks with Blake Eskin about her fondness for the original Upstairs Downstairs and how the British imports on Masterpiece Theater were once the best thing on television.

Laura Miller on the epic fantasy author George R. R. Martin

This week in the magazine, Laura Miller writes about the ...

This week in the magazine, Laura Miller writes about the epic fantasy author George R. R. Martin and his relationship with his fans, who have been waiting (some not so patiently) for his latest novel in the series "A Song of Ice and Fire" for almost six years. Here Miller talks with Blake Eskin about how Martin fosters such intense relationships with his fans, and what lessons literary novelists can draw from Martin's example.

Adam Gopnik on human and computer intelligence

This week in the magazine, Adam Gopnik looks at memory, ...

This week in the magazine, Adam Gopnik looks at memory, intelligence, and the shrinking advantage humans have over computers. In this interview, Gopnik takes questions from Blake Eskin and from the artificial intelligence known as Cleverbot. Gopnik and Eskin examine the layers of tone and meaning to be found in human speech that remain, like, you know, difficult for, um, computers to understand.

Alexandra Jacobs on Spanx

This week in the magazine, Alexandra Jacobs profiles the founder ...

This week in the magazine, Alexandra Jacobs profiles the founder of the shapewear company Spanx, Sara Blakely. Here Jacobs talks with Blake Eskin about how Blakely has used humor, sex, and new technology to make foundation garments for women stylish again, and what the success of Spanx says about how Americansmen as well as womenthink about and take care of their bodies.

Ian Frazier on his urban wanderings

Ian Frazier on his urban wanderings.

David Denby on the films of Abbas Kiarostami

David Denby on the films of Abbas Kiarostami.

Elif Batuman on Turkish soccer fans

Elif Batuman on Turkish soccer fans.

Tad Friend on the asteroid threat

Tad Friend on the asteroid threat.

Adam Gopnik on the Internet revolution

Adam Gopnik on the Internet revolution.

Lawrence Wright talks about Paul Haggis and Scientology

Lawrence Wright talks about Paul Haggis and Scientology.