David Sedaris’s Diary of a Crazy Year

Plus: Biden’s slump; the efforts to rescue African American burial grounds; and Instagram’s effect on kids. View in browser | Update your preferences Thursday, September 30, 2021 Personal History What if You’d Known We Were All So Crazy? A diary of 2016—the year of Trump, Brexit, and Carol the fox. By David Sedaris Annals of Inquiry How Bad Is Biden’s Slump? Political consultants vary in their views of what caused it, and how the President can recover. By Benjamin Wallace-Wells American Chronicles When Black History Is Unearthed, Who Gets to Speak for the Dead? Efforts to rescue African American burial grounds and remains have exposed deep conflicts over inheritance and representation. By Jill Lepore Daily Comment Instagram for Kids and What Facebook Knows About the Effects of Social Media A Senate hearing will address whether the company is following the example of Big Tobacco. By Sue Halpern From the Archive American Chronicles Britney Spears’s Conservatorship Nightmare From July: How the pop star’s father and a team of lawyers seized control of her life—and have held on to it for thirteen years. By Ronan Farrow and Jia Tolentino Culture and More Photo Booth A Nonbinary Artist’s Chronicle of “Puberty” In their self-portrait series, Laurence Philomene toys with the notion of gender transition as a kind of adolescence, finding moments when new physical forms shift social roles. By Crispin Long Kitchen Notes A Jamaican Chef’s Journey Home Norma Shirley immigrated to the U.S. and tried to make it as a restaurateur. Then she became an icon by cooking for her own people. By Mayukh Sen Annals of a Warming Planet A Soundtrack for an Unfolding Climate Disaster In my rural corner of Sonoma County, there is no longer a question of whether fire will come to us; it’s only a matter of when. By Manjula Martin Postscript The Vibrant Life and Quiet Passing of Dottie Dodgion The pioneering female jazz drummer played with Charles Mingus, Benny Goodman, and many others—and still had a regular gig, at the age of ninety, until the pandemic struck. By Megan Mayhew Bergman Humor and Games Name Drop Play Today’s Quiz The fewer clues you need, the more points you receive. By Liz Maynes-Aminzade Daily Shouts America!: Leaf-Peeping with Marjorie Taylor Greene “I’ll show you my defense against Lyme disease!” By Ali Fitzgerald Daily Shouts What to Expect When You’re Expecting to Be a Gen X Girl Please enjoy hearing “Get off the phone!” every day of your pubescent life. By Kimberly Harrington Daily Cartoon Thursday, September 30th By Brendan Loper You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for The Daily 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.