An Epidemic of Disbelief
What new research reveals about sexual predators, and why police fail to catch them
August 2019
In This Issue
Why police fail to catch sexual predators, Raj Chetty’s American dream, the jailhouse true-crime writer, and Drew Gilpin Faust on Virginia and race. Plus measles as metaphor, Sam Shepard as prophet, the stock-buyback swindle, new short fiction, and more.
Cover Story
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The Con Man Who Became a True-Crime Writer
In his old life, Matthew Cox told stories to scam his way into millions of dollars. Now he’s trying to make it by selling tales that are true.
Race, History, and Memories of a Virginia Girlhood
A historian looks back at the legacy of slavery and Jim Crow in her home state.
The Economist Who Would Fix the American Dream
No one has done more to dispel the myth of social mobility than Raj Chetty. But he has a plan to make equality of opportunity a reality.
Wolves of Karelia
A short story
Dispatches
Edmon De Haro What the Measles Epidemic Really Says About America
The return of a vanquished disease reflects historical amnesia, declining faith in institutions, and a troubling lack of concern for the public good.
Tyler Comrie Twitter Needs a Pause Button
Instantaneous communication can be destructive. We need to tweak our digital platforms to make time for extra eyes, cooler heads, and second thoughts.
Justyna Stasik Elementary Education Has Gone Terribly Wrong
In the early grades, U.S. schools value reading-comprehension skills over knowledge. The results are devastating, especially for poor kids.
Esther Aarts Long Live the Albatross
The bird is a literary symbol, a natural wonder—and a harbinger of our own future.
Geoffroy de Crécy The Metamorphosis
AI will bring many wonders. It may also destabilize everything from nuclear détente to human friendships. We need to think much harder about how to adapt.
Matt Chase The Stock-Buyback Swindle
American corporations are spending trillions of dollars to repurchase their own stock. The practice is enriching CEOs—at the expense of everyone else.
Rami Niemi Why New Zealanders Love DIY Coffins
For the nearly departed, a new bucket-list entry: “Build my casket”
Joe McKendry Your Brain on Smog
A very short book excerpt
The Culture File
Armando Veve The Spectacular P. T. Barnum
The great showman taught us to love hyperbole, fake news, and a good hoax. A century and a half later, the show has escaped the tent.
Illustration: Emily Haasch; Library of Congress The Students of Sex and Culture
Margaret Mead, Ruth Benedict, and Zora Neale Hurston—spurred on by Franz Boas—revolutionized the way we think about humanity.
Chad Batka / The New York Times / Redux Sam Shepard Saw It All Coming
The family battles he described foreshadowed our current national crisis.
Oliver Munday The Unbearable Smugness of Walking
Glorified for its creative benefits, the pastime has become yet another goal-driven pursuit.
Graywolf Girl, Haunted
A drowning haunts Susan Steinberg’s dark first novel about teenagers’ summer adventures.
Departments
The Conversation: To Save the Church, Dismantle the Priesthood
Readers respond to our June 2019 cover story.
Graham Roumieu What Was the Greatest Debate in History?
A big question
Poetry
Melinda Josie
