The Atlantic's Week in Culture

Don’t Miss

The Borrowed Words of Ivanka Trump—Megan Garber shows how the “inspirational quotes” of her new book, Women Who Work, function as their own, tidy versions of the alternative fact.

Film

Why Kurt Russell Is Still a One-of-a-Kind Movie Star—David Sims exalts the actor’s late-career renaissance in films such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and the Fast & Furious franchise.

Warning: This Drug May Kill You Offers a Close-Up of the Opioid Epidemic—Sophie Gilbert watches the documentary by Perri Peltz, which looks at four families devastated by addiction to prescription pills.

What Risk Says About Julian Assange—David Sims weighs in on the Oscar-winning director Laura Poitras’s latest film about the WikiLeaks founder.

Guardians of the Galaxy 2: Twice Is (Still) the Charm—Christopher Orr reviews the Marvel superhero sequel.

The Dinner Is a Stew of Privilege and Resentment—Sophie Gilbert bemoans Oren Moverman’s new film, which seethes with toxic envy and moral decay.

Looking Back on the L.A. Riots Through Five Documentaries—Vann R. Newkirk explores a glut of imperfect but panoramic new films marking the 25th anniversary of the unrest.

Television

What Went Wrong With 13 Reasons Why?—Sophie Gilbert explains why the hit Netflix show is being denounced by educators and experts for the ways in which it tackles suicide.

Sense8 Is Auteur Television That’s Actually Fun—David Sims argues that Season 2 of the indulgent Netflix series stands out amid all the dark, ponderous dramas.

Imitation and Satire at the Not the White House Correspondents’ Dinner—Megan Garber attends Samantha Bee’s alternate version of the Washington gala.

The Leftovers: Desert Trip—Spencer Kornhaber and Sophie Gilbert dissect the third episode of the HBO show’s final season.

The Handmaid’s Tale Treats Guilt as an Epidemic—Megan Garber examines the Hulu show’s treatment  of complicity.

Frank Rich on How American Politics Came to Look So Much Like Veep—Sophie Gilbert talks to the executive producer about how the HBO series captured the reality of Washington.

Jimmy Kimmel’s Latest Monologue Gets Personal and Political—David Sims recounts the late-night host’s moving opening to Monday’s show.

Carrie Fisher’s Perfect Farewell on Catastrophe—Spencer Kornhaber recaps the late actress’s final performance on the Amazon series.

Stephen Colbert’s ‘Apology’—David Sims remarks on the late-night host’s controversial joke made at Trump’s expense on Monday.

American Gods Is a Gorgeous Mess—Sophie Gilbert reviews the ambitious and frequently absurd new Starz show, adapted from the 2001 book by Neil Gaiman.

Books

When Memories Are True Even When They’re Not—Joe Fassler chats with the novelist Elizabeth Strout about the powerful way literature can harbor recollection, as part of The Atlantic’s ongoing “By Heart” series.

The (Feminist) Case for Women’s Happiness—Megan Garber considers Jill Filipovic’s book The H-Spot, which argues for a de-emphasis on women’s equality—and focuses instead on their fulfillment.

Sports

Why Don’t More People Consider Competitive Cheerleading a Sport?—Elisabeth Sherman tracks how the rigorous activity, dominated by female athletes, is growing in legitimacy and popularity.

Fashion

End Times at the Met Ball—Alex Wagner argues that the annual gala was a spectacle of America in the Trump Era, obsessed with hollow celebrity.

Music

Nick Cave Is Still Looking for Redemption—Jason Heller delves into musician's new compilation album Lovely Creatures, which reveals a longstanding fascination with fables of doom and salvation.

Haim Returns With Old Charm—and New Gloss—Spencer Kornhaber laments the busy production of the band’s comeback single.

Art

Vito Acconci and the Shelf Life of Sensational Art—Kriston Capps looks back on the late artist’s early performance work, and questions how it would hold up in the contemporary museum space.