The Miracle MakerSam Seibert, The Daily Beast

The extraordinary life of the man who liberated South Africa—and then kept the country from falling apart.

On SmarmTom Scocca, Gawker

From literature to politics, smarm—an insistence on civility, a finger-wagging disapproval of negativity—is doing its best to keep the cultural elite insulated from criticism.

The Homeschool ApostatesKathryn Joyce, The American Prospect

They were raised to carry the fundamentalist banner forward and redeem America. Now, the “Joshua Generation” is rebelling.

What Would Jesus Film?Christopher Kelly, D Magazine

With a little oil money and a lot of faith, Dallas has become the production center for Christian entertainment.

The Men Who Leaked the SecretsJanet Reitman, Rolling Stone

How two angry, isolated geeks—Edward Snowden and Glenn Greenwald—broke the story of the year.

Netflix’s War on Mass CultureTim Wu, The New Republic

Binge-watching was just the beginning. Netflix has a plan to rewire our culture.

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