Taylor Swift’s Quest for Justice

Plus: the danger of space junk; the arrival of an astounding new child movie star; and will Russia’s press ever be free? View in browser | Update your preferences Thursday, November 18, 2021 In today’s newsletter: Masha Gessen on the threats faced by Russian journalists. Plus: the danger of space junk; and the arrival of an astounding new child star. Illustration by Laura Lannes; Source photograph from Getty This past week, on “Saturday Night Live,” Taylor Swift performed the ten-minute version of her song “All Too Well,” which she had recorded for the release of “Red (Taylor’s Version),” part of her ongoing project of remaking the songs in her catalogue that she doesn’t own in order to render those old versions obsolete. With a short film playing on a screen behind her, and a carefully curated selection of orange leaves, and, later, snowflakes, falling around her, it was a confirmation of what Carrie Battan writes about Swift in the upcoming issue of the magazine: “There is perhaps no performer of the modern era with a more intuitive understanding of pop stardom and its demands. Swift has mastered all of the elements, including songwriting, music licensing, and social media.” Battan writes that the new recording of “Red” brings added sophistication to some of the tracks, but that, mostly, it “is more a facsimile than an addendum. The album feels a bit like a cherished garment after it’s been through the wash.” What is different, then, is the context in which it now emerges and the passage of time; Swift’s musical enterprise, in addition to being an act of business and personal empowerment, is also a savvy repurposing of the past, reinvigorated with the stories of her present. —Ian Crouch, newsletter editor Read “Taylor Swift’s Quest for Justice.” Explore more of the magazine’s writing about Swift over the years: Pop Music Taylor Swift’s Confessions on “Reputation” From 2017: Her new album is full of wry and revealing lines. But is she admitting to flaws or just trying to fit in? By Carrie Battan Page-Turner The Book on Taylor Swift From 2016: The new coffee-table book “Taylor Swift: This Is Our Song” is more than a mere scrapbook for superfans. By Jia Tolentino Editor’s Picks Letter from Moscow Can Russia’s Press Ever Be Free? The journalists of Novaya Gazeta report on dangerous conflicts—and endure threats of their own. By Masha Gessen Onward and Upward with the Sciences The Elusive Peril of Space Junk A recent Russian weapons test has created more than fifteen hundred pieces of debris in space. From 2020: Millions of human artifacts circle the Earth. Can we clean them up before they cause a disaster? By Raffi Khatchadourian Video Dept. Screening Room A Counterterrorism Informant’s Drama of Trust and Betrayal In “No Longer Suitable for Use,” Julian Joslin spotlights the vulnerabilities of undocumented people drawn into work as sources for the F.B.I. Film by Julian Joslin Text by Naaman Zhou Dept. of Delight Photograph by Sophie Calle from The Hotel courtesy Siglio Press When the French artist Sophie Calle poked around people’s hotel rooms as a maid, Lili Owen Rowlands writes, what she was looking for was more “enigmatic and compelling than other people’s dirty laundry.” A star is born! The astounding young actor Woody Norman, playing alongside Joaquin Phoenix, brings “spontaneous yet wondrously precise” energy to Mike Mills’s new movie, “C’mon C’mon,” Richard Brody writes. Adam Gopnik on the many sides of H. G. Wells: “He is also remembered, among Brits with a taste for evergreen gossip, as perhaps the most erotically adventurous man of his generation, the satyr of the socialists.” That seventies sound: Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s “An Evening with Silk Sonic” “is a dutiful homage, down to the last detail,” to a bygone era of rhythm and blues, Sheldon Pearce writes. The New Yorker Live Animation by Emily Collins Celebrating Ninety Years of George Booth’s Cartoons Today, at 6 P.M., The New Yorker’s cartoon editor will host the première of “Drawing Life,” a short film about George Booth, exclusively for subscribers, followed by a discussion. Get more details about the event, including how to watch, and order a limited-edition hoodie featuring one of Booth’s cartoon canines from The New Yorker Store. Fun & Games Dept. Name Drop Play Today’s Quiz The fewer clues you need, the more points you receive. By Andy Kravis Daily Cartoon Thursday, November 18th By Jason Adam Katzenstein Daily Shouts The ABCs of Finding an N.Y.C. Apartment An alphabet song to accompany the hunt for the perfect New York residence. By Jenny Fine Daily Shouts Concerning Wedding Registries A knife sharpener, a set of knives, a year’s supply of garbage bags, and a large tarp, please. By Eugenia Viti P.S. Jacob Chansley, better known as the QAnon Shaman, was sentenced on Wednesday to forty-one months in prison for his actions during the U.S. Capitol riot on January 6th. The writer Luke Mogelson was a firsthand witness when Chansley delivered a quasi-sermon inside the Senate chamber that day: “ ‘I’m gonna take a seat in this chair, because Mike Pence is a fucking traitor,’ he announced. He handed his cell phone to another Trump supporter, telling him, ‘I’m not one to usually take pictures of myself, but in this case I think I’ll make an exception.’ The policeman looked on with a pained expression as Chansley flexed his biceps.” Today’s newsletter was written by Ian Crouch. Thanks for reading. Let us know your thoughts about today’s edition. Plus, browse more newsletters and invite a friend to sign up for The Daily. You’re receiving this e-mail because you signed up for The Daily from The New Yorker. Manage your preferences | View our Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2021. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.