Surfing Through Korea’s War Games

Plus: Dave Eggers from Kyiv; thirty-four movies that celebrate the movies; and the anniversary of the January 6th attack. View in browser | Update your preferences Friday, January 6, 2023 In today’s newsletter, the war machine comes alive, and then: • Dave Eggers on life in Kyiv • Richard Brody on thirty-four movies about the movies • Allen Ginsberg’s self-recording sessions Surfing Through Korea’s War Games U.S. and South Korean forces conduct drills in waters shared by North Korea and China. What do those exercises look like up close? Illustration by Nicholas Konrad / The New Yorker Each fall, the United States and South Korea stage joint military exercises in the East Sea, a tradition dating back to 1955 and the end of the Korean War. This past year, as the war games were ramped up, following several years of more restrained maneuvers, the writer E. Tammy Kim settled in the country, reporting on the ground as a huge infrastructure of bases, aircraft, and ships whirred to life—and speaking to the service members, civilians, and antiwar activists whose lives are shaped by these simulations, and the real-life horrors they evoke. In this rich and deeply personal story, Kim considers the borders where a heavily militarized landscape, “at once pristine and abundantly polluted,” opens to the wildness and beauty of the water. —Ian Crouch, newsletter editor Read the story Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » From the News Desk Dispatch The Profound Defiance of Daily Life in Kyiv In the capital, Ukrainians track the trajectory of Russian missiles on smartphone apps, but refuse to be defeated by fear. By Dave Eggers Letter from Biden’s Washington Kevin McCarthy Is Not the Only Loser in the House G.O.P.’s Speaker Mess Notes from a historic debacle on Capitol Hill. By Susan B. Glasser The January 6th Attacks Photograph by Balazs Gardi for The New Yorker In the days after the attack on the Capitol, two years ago today, the historian Jill Lepore searched for the right words to define it. Was it a riot? An insurrection? Sedition? Treason? Above all, Lepore suggested that it would come to be called some version simply of itself, January 6th, encompassing all its complicated meaning. As we experience fresh political oddity and upheaval, it’s worth pausing to reflect on the true extremity of that day, and the events and instigators that led to it. Luke Mogelson’s remarkable first-person reporting from among the rioters—and the defining video he shot—are as shocking and vital as when they were first released. And David Remnick has recently offered a sweeping analysis of the attack and its wider meaning. “The events of January 6th were the culmination of a long campaign that Trump and members of his circle have led against the legitimacy of American elections,” he writes. “The campaign’s most powerful weapon was the undermining of truth itself.” Now available: “The January 6th Report,” with a foreword by David Remnick and an epilogue by Representative Jamie Raskin. Order your copy from Amazon or Bookshop. Culture Dept. The Front Row Thirty-four Movies That Celebrate the Movies Because films about filmmaking hold their own methods up to scrutiny, the best of them often bend toward aesthetic radicalism. By Richard Brody Culture Desk The Dance Between Editor and Writer in “Turn Every Page” A new film about Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb is a rare window into a relationship that usually goes undocumented. By Mary Norris Second Read Allen Ginsberg’s Self-Recording Sessions In the late sixties, Ginsberg began taping many of his public appearances, as well as his casual and private conversations. He used the recordings to compose his greatest work. By Kathryn Winner Fun & Games Dept. Blitt’s Kvetchbook Congress Goes to the Movies But is it comedy or science fiction? By Barry Blitt Name Drop Play Today’s Quiz Can you guess the notable person in six clues or fewer? By Will Nediger Daily Shouts The Most Likely Ways I Will Die in the Hudson Valley Driving off the side of a mountain. Lyme disease. A stampede of Brooklyn ladies. By Blythe Roberson Daily Cartoon Friday, January 6th By Jason Chatfield and Scott Dooley Crossword A Themed Puzzle Today’s theme: On the plus side. By Christina Iverson and Katie Hale P.S. Kevin McCarthy has had a long week. But things could be worse: he could live in France, where his name alone might have doomed him from birth. As Lauren Collins noted of the name Kevin this summer, “Like to-go coffee or athleisure, Kevin strikes certain French people as a gauche Anglo-Saxon import,” and men bearing it find themselves victim to “snobbery and even social discrimination.” 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 2023. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.