1.
“The Post-Roe World Has Begun,” May 9–22
New York’s latest issue featured a special section on the Supreme Court leak signaling the imminent demise of Roe v. Wade. For the cover, artist Barbara Kruger reimagined her 1989 silk-screen portrait Untitled (Your body is a battle-ground). The creative hub Typeroom wrote, “Kruger’s art remains relevant, although it shouldn’t. Using a determiner ‘Your,’ Kruger connects the viewer and focuses the attention on the hot topic of reproductive rights.” For Artnet, Sarah Cascone noted, “This isn’t the first time Your body is a battleground has made headlines in recent years. In late 2020, the piece became a symbol of protest against restrictive new Polish abortion laws.” Inside the magazine, Rebecca Traister wrote about how the fall of Roe will affect everyone in America (“The Limits of Privilege”). Reader Peter Krupa said, “Most American adults don’t remember life without Roe v. Wade and don’t fully grasp how their lives are about to change,” while Laura Chapin wrote, “They’re coming for everyone. Maybe when Suzy the Tri-Delt from UT Austin gets arrested for picking up abortion pills in Colorado, they’ll figure that out.” Also in the issue, Irin Carmon reported on the far right’s plans to come for grassroots abortion funds next (“Abortion Funds Are a Lifeline. And a Target.”). @RevAGSL called it “deeply infuriating and makes me wonder what we need to do protect our identities as donors.” Referencing the debate over protesting outside Supreme Court justices’ homes, @moonlighthalo wrote, “I’m sure all the civility police will also be outraged about the harassment & threats & doxxing faced by people raising money for women’s healthcare.”
2.
“The Woman Who Killed Roe,” May 9–22
The centerpiece of the magazine’s abortion coverage was Kerry Howley’s profile of Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser. Podcaster Adam Damon called it “a truly remarkable piece on abortion, trade-offs in politics, and one woman’s hellacious journey to get Roe overturned. What an incredible, historically and factually based read. This is not an opinion piece; it’s an important documentation of where we’re at and how we got here.” Tom Doran tweeted, “Absolutely amazing, eye-opening profile of the woman (yes, woman) chiefly responsible for forcing opposition to abortion to the top of the Republican agenda. The author displays a lot of empathy while also being appropriately damning.” Dhaaruni Sreenivas added, “I loathe Marjorie Dannenfelser but every time I read about how Dannenfelser or Phyllis Schlafly are responsible for killing Roe and the ERA, I feel like people are missing the point that without the overwhelming support of white men, neither movement would have succeeded!” For The Spread newsletter, Rachel Baker wrote that the story “was heartbreaking, but—cornball as it sounds—it also gave me a little hope. Howley’s ability to telegraph the fear and humanity of the ‘other’ side while writing for a lefty magazine, yet never swaying from the truth that abortion is a moral necessity … is extraordinary.”
3.
“Waking Up From the Nap Dress,” May 9–22
Matthew Schneier wrote about Nell Diamond, the designer who convinced many women to essentially wear pajamas in public. Reader Margaret Bonaparte wrote, “I bought a nap dress last year (duh) and honestly it’s cute but I’ve only worn it once. But that hasn’t stopped me from being fascinated by founder Nell Diamond so naturally I’m all over this profile.” Nichole Perkins, host of the podcast This Is Good for You, added, “i had no idea that 1) y’all were paying $125+ for that dress 2) this is the reason everything has been smocked like a child’s wardrobe for the last few years,” while writer Ana Kinsella noted, “The wildest fact in this is that Peter Thiel’s fund invested.”
4.
“In Conversation: John C. Reilly,” May 9–22
“My audience has let me do all kinds of different things,” the actor John C. Reilly told Lane Brown about his 70-plus-role career. Journalist Carl Quintanilla called it “brilliant — especially when he explains how the shift to digital film has destroyed the urgency of nailing the perfect take.” And commenter judegallegos7 praised the photographs of Reilly and added, “I already admired John because of his range (like Chicago to Step Brothers), but this interview made me appreciate him on another level. What a kind and grounded human being.”
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