This Week’s Issue: Holding On to Hope in Putin’s Russia

Plus: Rachel Aviv on a sexual-abuse case in Germany; a Profile of Ishmael Reed; and Peter Schjeldahl on the artist Nikolai Astrup.  View in browser | Update your preferences     Annals of Democracy Lyubov Sobol's Hope for Russia With Alexey Navalny in prison, one of his closest aides is carrying on the lonely work of the opposition. By Masha Gessen Listen to this story Have a world-class narrator read this to you.     Profiles Ishmael Reed Gets the Last Laugh America's most fearless satirist has seen his wildest fictions become reality. By Julian Lucas     Letter from Berlin The Kentler Experiment With the approval of the Berlin Senate, a renowned sexologist ran a program that involved placing children in foster homes run by pedophiles. How could this happen? By Rachel Aviv     Comment The Race to Leave Planet Earth Not just billionaires but private companies and a growing number of nations are, somewhat abruptly, competing to get into space. By Amy Davidson Sorkin     The Art World Have You Heard of Nikolai Astrup? The Norwegian artist, a younger contemporary of Munch, is largely unknown outside Norway's borders. That should change. By Peter Schjeldahl     Books The Radical Women Who Paved the Way for Free Speech and Free Love Anthony Comstock's crusade against vice constrained the lives of ordinary Americans. His antagonists opened up history for feminists and other activists. By Margaret Talbot     The Theatre The Class Distinctions of Wallace Shawn In new podcast versions of his plays "The Designated Mourner" and "Grasses of a Thousand Colors," Shawn turns the upper-middle-class intellectual hero inside out to show the demon within. By Vinson Cunningham     Books Are Americans More Trusting Than They Seem? Political scientists say that our confidence in our institutions—and in one another—is running perilously low. Economists see a different story. By Idrees Kahloon     The New Yorker Live Tig Notaro and Jason Sudeikis on Comedy Amid Chaos On July 22nd, the comedians will meet for a virtual happy hour with The New Yorker's cartoon editor, Emma Allen, to discuss humor and hope in uncertain times, exclusively for subscribers. By The New Yorker   Humor from The New Yorker     Shouts & Murmurs When You Unfreeze Your Cryopreserved Mom Awaking in the year 12081, Mom says, "Did you DVR any of my programs?" By Paul Rudnick     Cartoons from the Issue Cartoons from the Issue Drawings and drollery from this week's magazine.   You're receiving this e-mail because you signed up for This Week's Issue from The New Yorker. Was this e-mail forwarded to you? Sign up.   Unsubscribe | Manage your e-mail preferences | Send newsletter feedback | View our privacy policy    Copyright © Condé Nast 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.