The 8.21.22 Issue

Highlights

Willie Nelson’s Long Encore
As he approaches 90, even brushes with death can’t keep him off the road — or dim a late-life creative burst.
By Jody Rosen
CreditPhilip Montgomery for The New York Times
The Arizona Republican Party’s Anti-Democracy Experiment
First, it turned against the establishment. Now it has set its sights on democracy — the principles, the process and even the word itself.
By Robert Draper
CreditPeter van Agtmael/Magnum, for The New York Times
TikTok Audio Memes Are Everywhere. How Do They Work?
Welcome to the era of the audio meme, a time when replicable units of sound are a cultural currency as strong as — if not stronger than — images and text.
By Charlotte Shane
Credit
Talk
Her Discovery Changed the World. How Does She Think We Should Use It?
“It’s a little scary, quite honestly,” says Dr. Jennifer Doudna, who helped develop CRISPR gene-editing technology.
By David Marchese
CreditPhoto illustration by Bráulio Amado

My Birth Father and Siblings Don’t Know I Exist. Should I Contact Them?
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on whether to break the silence with genetic kinfolk or keep quiet.
By Kwame Anthony Appiah
CreditIllustration by Tomi Um
The Ethicist
The Case for Writing Fan Mail
When I’m truly possessed by an artist’s work, I let them know. It’s a way to turn distant admiration into intimacy, even when they don’t reply.
By Rachael Bedard
CreditIllustration by Paola Saliby
Letter of Recommendation
When the American Dream of the Open Road Hits Traffic
NASCAR takes to the streets of Chicago — merging computer-generated fantasy with reality.
By Peter C. Baker
CreditPhoto illustration by Mark Weaver
Screenland
Late Summer Tomatoes Are Perfect for Spaghetti al Pomodoro
The purest distillation of summer umami with just four ingredients.
By Eric Kim
CreditChris Simpson for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Pappas.
Eat
She Couldn’t Stand Still Without Pain. What Was Wrong?
Her legs felt heavy, as if her feet were encased in lead. A telltale sound was the key clue in diagnosing her rare disorder.
By Lisa Sanders, M.D.
CreditPhoto illustration by Ina Jang
Diagnosis

Poem: Second Attack
The syntax in this poem mimics the confusing and untidy emotional landscape of relationships.
By Jana Prikryl and Victoria Chang
CreditIllustration by R. O. Blechman
Poem
Judge John Hodgman on the Egg Order
A husband wants his wife to decide how they should be cooked.
By John Hodgman
CreditIllustration by Louise Zergaeng Pomeroy
Judge John Hodgman