What If You Could Do It All Over?

Plus: Trump’s coup attempt isn’t over; the top twenty-five New Yorker stories of 2020; and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” View in browser | Update your preferences A Critic at Large What If You Could Do It All Over? The uncanny allure of our unlived lives. By Joshua Rothman Our Columnists Trump’s Coup Attempt Isn’t Over A challenge to the election result on the floor of Congress is guaranteed to fail, but it will afford Republicans a loud show of doing something to “stop the steal.” By Jeannie Suk Gersen Our Columnists The Overlooked Hallmark of the Trump Administration We generally understand the President’s failures as the products of cruelty and incompetence. But there is a third source: indifference. By Masha Gessen 2020 in Review The Top Twenty-five New Yorker Stories of 2020 Piece by piece, the list encapsulates a uniquely trying year. By Michael Luo Culture and More Performance Reimagining “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” on the Small Screen Viola Davis plays the blues singer, whose wounds live right next to her cynicism. By Hilton Als On Television “How To with John Wilson” Offers a Martian’s-Eye View of Homo Sapiens The oddball, comic show about New York City is the perfect documentary for our documentary-obsessed culture. By Alexandra Schwartz The Front Row What’s Missing from Steven Soderbergh’s Cruise-Ship Film The paradox of the impersonal personal is the defining trait of Soderbergh’s art, but his latest film, “Let Them All Talk,” subtracts the latter element. By Richard Brody Crossword Today’s Crossword Hedonist’s opposite: seven letters. By Elizabeth C. Gorski Humor from The New Yorker Daily Shouts Lessons from the Unpresidential Transition to Apply to Your Love Life Do not attempt to hide out on a golf course from lovers you’ve scorned. We can all see you. By Caroline Rose Giuliani and Ginny Hogan Daily Cartoon Wednesday, December 16th By Kim Warp This e-mail was sent to you by The New Yorker. To insure delivery, we recommend adding newyorker@newsletters.newyorker.com, to your contacts, while noting that it is a no-reply address. Please send all newsletter feedback to tnyinbox@newyorker.com. For more from The New Yorker, sign up for our newsletters, shop the store, and sign in to newyorker.com, where subscribers always have unlimited access. Contact us with questions. View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2020. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.