David Remnick talks with John Ridley, the writer of 12 Years a Slave, about portraying the legacy of racism on film, the reality of white supremacy now, and how Ridley maintains his belief in redemption. The writer Mark Lilla explains why he thinks Democrats need to give up identity politics and leftist activism to focus on winning elections. Nick Lowe talks about getting old in rock and roll, and three writers — Gillian Flynn, Akhil Sharma and Alison Bechdel — share their most memorable jobs.
Illustration by Matthew Hollister