The 8.20.23 Issue

Highlights

‘Forever Chemicals’ Are Everywhere. What Are They Doing to Us?
PFAS lurk in so much of what we eat, drink and use. Scientists are only beginning to understand how they’re impacting our health — and what to do about them.
By Kim Tingley
CreditGrant Cornett for The New York Times
The Instagram Account That Shattered a California High School
It had barely a dozen followers, but the discovery of its racist posts turned a Bay Area community against itself — and changed students’ lives forever.
By Dashka Slater
CreditIllustrations by Pola Maneli
Sean Paul Is Still Busy
For more than 20 years he’s taught generations to let loose on the dance floor. He’s not stopping anytime soon.
By Iva Dixit
CreditNaila Ruechel for The New York Times
The Ethicist
My Father Was Abusive. Should I Attend His Memorial Service?
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on what to do when a toxic parent passes away.
By Kwame Anthony Appiah
CreditIllustration by Tomi Um

Can People Claim Spots on the Beach With Empty Chairs?
The magazine’s Ethicist columnist on sharing public spaces.
By Kwame Anthony Appiah
CreditIllustration by Tomi Um
The EThicist
The ‘World’s Happiest Man’ Shares His Three Rules for Life
A searching, playful, provocative discussion with the Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard.
By David Marchese
CreditPhoto illustration by Bráulio Amado
Talk
Every Peach Shines in This Tart
Peaches are at the height of summer perfection right now. But even the most mundane stone fruit manages to thrill when wrapped in flaky pastry.
By Yotam Ottolenghi
CreditChris Simpson for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Pappas.
Eat
What Is ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ Doing to Soccer?
Hollywood has turned a perfectly good fourth-tier Welsh team into a TV show instead. That can’t be great.
By Amos Barshad
CreditPhoto illustration by Anthony Gerace
Screenland
The Secret to Unshakable Confidence
Face your fears and take the plunge. You’ll feel freshly confident after you do.
By Haley Howle
CreditIllustration by Caroline Péron
Letter of Recommendation

The Pain in Her Hip Was Spreading Down Her Leg. What Could It Be?
At first, it seemed like an exercise injury. But it wouldn’t go away.
By Lisa Sanders, M.D.
CreditPhoto illustration by Ina Jang
Diagnosis
Poem: From ‘Letters to Walt Whitman’
Ronald Johnson’s work has long been a secret beauty, treasured by readers but difficult to find.
By Ronald Johnson and Anne Boyer
CreditIllustration by R. O. Blechman
Poem Selected by Anne Boyer
Judge John Hodgman on Texting From the Bathroom
A married couple confronts a strong taboo.
By John Hodgman
CreditIllustration by Louise Zergaeng Pomeroy
Judge John Hodgman