Noah Berlatsky

Some love stories don't end happily. So why do so many romance novels insist they do?

Talking about race can get you into a lot of trouble . . . especially if you don't have a lot of class power or status.

Sex and bodies don't clarify gender; they confuse the issue.

To understand this debate, it's important to consider historical context.

This doesn't mean that the outcomes of domestic violence are always equal; men tend to be bigger and stronger than women, and therefore are more likely to cause serious harm, even in situations where violence is reciprocal. Still, the fact that women are frequently perpetrators of violence in domestic situations substantially undermines the typical story of domestic abuse—and helps to show just how harmful that story is.

The Lord of the Flies can feel like a vacation spot for conflict-management consultants in comparison to social media.

A Ghostbusters with a female cast is a thorough violation of the spirit of the original. And that's a good thing.

For once, central character Andrew's flaws are tied up in the fact that he is—wait for it—fundamentally decent.

The founder of the brilliant fyeahblackrockmusic Tumblr talks racial politics, Kelis, and . . . the Doobie Brothers?

Is the gender of the philosopher a marginal curiosity—or is it more central?