"Shame / is like you’re made / of 10,000 / beautiful doors // and every day / you try to keep them / all / from flying open / at once." — Patrick Rosal
An excerpt from Brit Bennett's debut novel, The Mothers.
When my closest friend's first baby was stillborn, we navigated through depression and grief together.
The jabs were there. But were they too soft?
-
How SlutWalk Has Helped Amber Rose Leave Haters Far Behind
She hasn't just reclaimed the word "slut" — she's also found inner peace.
-
These Movies Warm The Heart While Avoiding The White Savior Cliché
How two of this fall's movies give the inspirational true story genre a focus on characters of color.
-
Poem: "The Last Thing, Or Song For When They Take It All Away"
"Shame / is like you’re made / of 10,000 / beautiful doors // and every day / you try to keep them / all / from flying open / at once." — Patrick Rosal
-
Fiction: "An Inside Hurt Was Supposed To Stay Inside"
An excerpt from Brit Bennett's debut novel, The Mothers.
-
What Group Chat Taught Me About Friendship
When a friend moved 4,000 miles away, group chat answered the question of how to stay together. But it didn’t promise for how long.
-
What My Best Friend And I Didn't Learn About Loss
When my closest friend's first baby was stillborn, we navigated through depression and grief together.
-
I Didn't Wake Up Like This
Even after becoming a movie star, it took Sonam Kapoor years to believe she looked the part. In this essay, she's ready to bust the myth of female celebrity flawlessness.
-
Here's How Book Covers Look In The UK Vs. The US
An ocean of difference.
-
Was America Swayed By Last Night's Debates?
The jabs were there. But were they too soft?
-
How Santeria Brings Hope To The New Yorkers Who Need It Most
Cuban santero Rudy Guardiola has hundreds of "godchildren" in New York and around the US. Like the religion itself, many of its followers, including young people who were drawn to Santeria over trendier forms of spirituality, are in a constant struggle to survive. At Rudy’s botanica, they find safety, healing, and hope.
-
I Went To My Own Digital Funeral
After years of posting indiscriminately to social media, I was suddenly faced with uncomfortable questions about what will happen to all of it when I die.
-
The Beautiful Bond Between Disney’s Newest Queens
Queen of Katwe's onscreen mother and daughter, Lupita Nyong’o and Madina Nalwanga, share where they are now, and the village it took to get them there.
-
After Transitioning, No One Calls Me Fat Anymore
When doctors started reading me as male, my size was still the same — but my obesity was cured.
-
What Comedy Taught Me About My Mental Illness
I didn’t expect it, but stand-up comedy has given me the freedom to talk about depression and anxiety on my own terms.
-
Why America Will Never Stop Trying To Solve JonBenét Ramsey’s Murder
Our continued fascination with the murder of the 6-year-old beauty queen reveals America’s relentless love for stories that encompass the lurid and the pure.
-
Badass Bisexual Women In History You Should Know
No, Mom, my bisexuality is not a "youthful phase."
-
MacArthur Grant Winner Claudia Rankine On Charlotte: “This Violence Is Not Accidental”
The celebrated Citizen author spoke to BuzzFeed News about the protests in Charlotte and of the national anthem — and how she plans to use her award.
-
How Are We Supposed To Deal With Viral Images Of Suffering Children?
When photos of suffering children are splashed across my timeline, I see my own son reflected in them. But that doesn't mean I deserve more say in how, and whether, those photos are shared.
-
Angelina Jolie And Brad Pitt's Unhappy Onscreen Marriages
How an 11-year relationship was bookended by two portrayals of marital non-bliss — and we couldn't help but watch.
-
Why The Rom-Com Bitch Should Evolve Herself Into Retirement
Pride and Prejudice's Caroline Bingley bitch trope has shaped romantic comedy for centuries. It's time to rethink her as a plot device.
-
Brangelina Is Dead; Long Live Angelina
Early Tuesday morning, TMZ broke the news that Angelina Jolie had filed for divorce from Brad Pitt. As rumors swirl around Pitt’s supposed infidelity, here’s how Jolie continues to masterfully control the publicity narrative around her.
-
Poem: "Minefields" By Kyle Dargan
"Many men are booby traps. You think you're picking up a song, a shield, or a heart, then, lo and behold, there's a man inside."
-
Meet The Muslim YouTuber Who's Proving Modesty Can Be Fashionable
“I want to show young Muslim women in the US that it’s possible to be American and wear a hijab and to be stylish, all at once."
-
How Alicia Keys Changed The Conversation About Her Image
Her makeup-free campaign may be empowering, but it’s also a savvy way to reframe how the public perceives her.
-
Everyone Should See This Heartbreaking Movie About Black Masculinity And Sexuality
Moonlight will break your heart a thousand times.
-
What Does A Queer Pop Star Look Like In 2016?
For queer female celebrities, coming out is only the beginning. Can an artist like Halsey — bisexual, biracial, and transitioning from internet to mainstream fame — avoid the pressure to straighten her image?
-
The Dakota Access Pipeline Protest Is Unprecedented — And 150 Years In The Making
Streaming, posting, and updating from "Facebook Hill" in the Sacred Stone Camp, thousands of protesters have made their fight impossible to ignore.
-
Gabrielle Union Is Carrying Nate Parker's Water
Sexual assault has engulfed The Birth of a Nation, not only because of the film's content, but because its director, star, and screenwriter Parker was accused of rape 17 years ago. Now, only one member of the cast and crew is truly speaking openly about sexual violence, and she's a survivor herself.
-
Have All The Single Ladies Moved Beyond Bridget Jones?
In Bridget Jones's Baby, Bridget is still just focused on finding a man and settling down. (Spoilers ahead, but only if you've never seen a rom-com.)
reader Masthead
-
Saeed Jones
Executive Editor, Culture
-
Karolina Waclawiak
Deputy Culture Editor
-
Bim Adewunmi
Culture Writer
-
Scaachi Koul
Culture Writer
-
Tomi Obaro
Associate Editor
-
Doree Shafrir
Culture Writer