‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ and the Weight of Glory

The American West, in the shadow of our memories, is marked by failure. Its emblems—the outlaws, prospectors and pioneers—are extinct. Its achievements, like the telegraph and railroad, have been surpassed. Its possibilities, from the riches to the freedom to the land itself, are spent. The West was a dreamworld in both what it promised and implied, but we’ve interrupted that dream. It’s legend now, and barely that.

10 Years Later: The Social Importance of ‘Grand Theft Auto IV’

You never forget your first job. I was leaving my cousin’s place when my phone buzzed and I read the directive: Find a vehicle.

I had cash on hand—a couple thousand, actually—so I could have snagged a cab or taken the bus or even gone to the auto shop for a lemon. I had options, but as I was waiting at the crosswalk, the most beautiful car I’d ever seen pulled up to the light. The options fell away.

Joel McHale’s Rise to the Bottom

After a joke about heroin, another joke about cocaine, a suppressed F-word, an unsuppressed F-word and a description of his personal hell (the Big Brother house with everyone inside conspiring against him), Joel McHale opened up about his church. It felt like an alternate reality, but it makes sense. Joel McHale’s lived between the real and unreal for decades.

The Life-Changing Homecoming of Lauren Daigle

Lauren Daigle couldn’t believe she was hiding in the bathroom. She loved being around people. She could —in her words— “make friends with a brick wall,” but right then she felt she could barely stand another conversation. What was wrong with her? Nashville was her dream. Three years ago she had been waitressing at Chili’s and now her worship album was one of the most acclaimed and successful in the genre. How could she possibly consider leaving it all behind?

Don’t Worry About Bo Burnham

After a near-decade of performing onstage and on the internet, Bo Burnham vanished. He stopped posting videos to his 1.4 million YouTube subscribers, and he stopped the theatrical brand of stand-up comedy that earned him three specials by the time he was 25. People thought he was dead. With the way he went out, can you blame them?

Storm Chasers: St. Paul and the Broken Bones

Paul Janeway describes his family with a quote, fittingly, from southern historical figure Andrew Jackson: “I was born for the storm, and a calm does not suit me.” Janeway used to run from the storm. These days, he finds himself embracing it.