Harper's magazine - Founded in 1850, Harper's magazine offers the best in progressive reporting, essays, and criticism in the fields of art, politics, and culture. Reader favorites include the Harper's index, notebook, and readings sections.
The August issue features a new story by Heidi Julavits, Multiples of Cohen. Plus, Dan Baum's Happiness Is a Worn Gun-- which reveals that "the gun-carrying revolution started in Florida, which in 1987 had a murder rate 40 percent higher than the national average. Another state might have reacted by restricting access ... but [Florida] went the other way." No--not Florida.
Elsewhere, David Samuels coveres covers a White House visit by Afghanistan's president in Barack and Hamid's Excellent Adventure; but our favorite is Tom Bissell's Cinema Crudite, in which he attempts to analyze the mysterious appeal of the post-camp cult film, The Room.
With lines like, "shot simultaneaously with two cameras ... the film's visual style is ... in the kindest possible terms, internally competitive." And: "Wiseau's directorial interest flies straight into the lessons learned headwinds generated by a century of filmmaking."
Heh-hehs and head-shaking through the dog days with the August Harper's.