September 2022

by Zachary Siegel,

[Letter from Maine]

Both Sides Now

Domination and abuse on the high school debate circuit

by Tess McNulty,

Harper’s Magazine welcomes reader response.

Email us about articles in the magazine.

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of those workers who predict that they will one day become that man : 3/10

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of journalists who say that journalism is bad for their emotional well-being : 1/3

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which journalists are more likely than the general public to think misinformation is a big problem : 21

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of journalists who believe they should not let personal views affect their work : 82

[Harper’s Index]

Factor by which Americans over 65 are more likely than those under 30 to worry about the future of democracy : 2

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which men are more likely than women not to care about the January 6 investigation : 19

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which women are more likely than men to develop long COVID : 22

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which Americans drink alcohol less often than the average person worldwide : 18

[Harper’s Index]

Minimum percentage of North American psychologists who have a lifetime history of mental health difficulties : 80

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Americans who live within an hour’s drive of all or most of their extended family : 3/10

[Harper’s Index]

Who do not live within an hour’s drive of any extended family members : 1/5

[Harper’s Index]

Minimum amount of wealth created by the housing market during the pandemic : $6,000,000,000,000

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of American homebuyers who report having cried at least once while purchasing a home : 1/2

[Harper’s Index]

Who say the process was as stressful as a root canal : 1/5

[Harper’s Index]

Who say it was as stressful as becoming a parent : 1/4

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which Republicans are more likely than Democrats to use condoms : 14

[Harper’s Index]

By which Democrats are more likely than Republicans to have an IUD : 400

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of sexually active American men who would consider using hormonal contraception : 1/3

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Republicans younger than 50 who think feminism has done more harm than good : 57

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Democrat-voting college students who would not go on a date with a Trump voter : 71

[Harper’s Index]

Of Trump-voting college students who would not go on a date with a Democrat : 31

[Harper’s Index]

Average amount Americans estimate they would receive if their partner won a million dollars in the lottery : $291,689

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who say they would keep their winning the lottery a secret : 83

[Harper’s Index]

Who say they would be afraid of squandering their winnings : 42

[Harper’s Index]

Who say they would invest them in cryptocurrency : 19

[Harper’s Index]

Chance that a finance worker making more than $500,000 per year has knowledge of corporate malfeasance : 1 in 3

[Harper’s Index]

Average amount of a New York City banker’s 2021 bonus : $257,500

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Americans making more than $250,000 per year who are living paycheck to paycheck : 1/3

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage increase in the number of freelancers performing skilled labor between 2019 and 2021 : 8

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of full-time skilled freelancers who say they would prefer a traditional full-time job : 1/4

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. workers who are bound by noncompete agreements : 1/5

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage increase since 2019 in the average hourly rate for a babysitter : 26

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage increase this year in the average rate for a lawn-mowing service : 22

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. pools that will be closed at some point this summer due to lifeguard shortages : 1/3

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of young Japanese workers who say their office employs a middle-aged man who doesn’t do any work : 1/2

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of those workers who predict that they will one day become that man : 3/10

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of journalists who say that journalism is bad for their emotional well-being : 1/3

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which journalists are more likely than the general public to think misinformation is a big problem : 21

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of journalists who believe they should not let personal views affect their work : 82

[Harper’s Index]

Factor by which Americans over 65 are more likely than those under 30 to worry about the future of democracy : 2

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which men are more likely than women not to care about the January 6 investigation : 19

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which women are more likely than men to develop long COVID : 22

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which Americans drink alcohol less often than the average person worldwide : 18

[Harper’s Index]

Minimum percentage of North American psychologists who have a lifetime history of mental health difficulties : 80

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Americans who live within an hour’s drive of all or most of their extended family : 3/10

[Harper’s Index]

Who do not live within an hour’s drive of any extended family members : 1/5

[Harper’s Index]

Minimum amount of wealth created by the housing market during the pandemic : $6,000,000,000,000

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of American homebuyers who report having cried at least once while purchasing a home : 1/2

[Harper’s Index]

Who say the process was as stressful as a root canal : 1/5

[Harper’s Index]

Who say it was as stressful as becoming a parent : 1/4

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which Republicans are more likely than Democrats to use condoms : 14

[Harper’s Index]

By which Democrats are more likely than Republicans to have an IUD : 400

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of sexually active American men who would consider using hormonal contraception : 1/3

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Republicans younger than 50 who think feminism has done more harm than good : 57

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Democrat-voting college students who would not go on a date with a Trump voter : 71

[Harper’s Index]

Of Trump-voting college students who would not go on a date with a Democrat : 31

[Harper’s Index]

Average amount Americans estimate they would receive if their partner won a million dollars in the lottery : $291,689

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who say they would keep their winning the lottery a secret : 83

[Harper’s Index]

Who say they would be afraid of squandering their winnings : 42

[Harper’s Index]

Who say they would invest them in cryptocurrency : 19

[Harper’s Index]

Chance that a finance worker making more than $500,000 per year has knowledge of corporate malfeasance : 1 in 3

[Harper’s Index]

Average amount of a New York City banker’s 2021 bonus : $257,500

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Americans making more than $250,000 per year who are living paycheck to paycheck : 1/3

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage increase in the number of freelancers performing skilled labor between 2019 and 2021 : 8

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of full-time skilled freelancers who say they would prefer a traditional full-time job : 1/4

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. workers who are bound by noncompete agreements : 1/5

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage increase since 2019 in the average hourly rate for a babysitter : 26

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage increase this year in the average rate for a lawn-mowing service : 22

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. pools that will be closed at some point this summer due to lifeguard shortages : 1/3

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of young Japanese workers who say their office employs a middle-aged man who doesn’t do any work : 1/2

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of those workers who predict that they will one day become that man : 3/10

Readings

[Essay]

In Favor of Fear

by Clarice Lispector,Translated by Margaret Jull Costa, Robin Patterson,

[Speech]

Gods, Up to a Point

by Roberto Calasso,Translated by Tim Parks,

[Poem]

Inside

by Xi Chuan, Lucas Klein,

[Accounts]

Peach

by Giada Scodellaro,

Sing a song my little Kiskadee, a mixed-media artwork by Simonette Quamina, whose work was on view in May at Praxis Gallery, in New York City.

Eye of Fire I—Topographies of Fragility, a photographic collage by Ingrid Weyland, whose work is on view this month at York Art Gallery, in England.

Threshold and Eternal, paintings by Danielle Mckinney, whose work will be on view next month at Marianne Boesky Gallery, in New York City.

Clockwise from top left: “Ritual del Niño Fidencio, Espinazo, México, 2000”; “Jardín Botánico de Oaxaca, México, 1998–1999” (detail); “Ofrenda a Francisco Toledo, Oaxaca, México, 2019”; and “Saguaro, Desierto de Sonora, México, 1979,” photographs by Graciela Iturbide, whose work was on view in May at the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, in Paris.

“La butte,” a photograph by Mohamed Bourouissa, whose book Périphérique was published last year by Loose Joints. Bourouissa’s work was on view last month at the Ludwig Múzeum, in Budapest.

Sing a song my little Kiskadee, a mixed-media artwork by Simonette Quamina, whose work was on view in May at Praxis Gallery, in New York City.

Eye of Fire I—Topographies of Fragility, a photographic collage by Ingrid Weyland, whose work is on view this month at York Art Gallery, in England.

Threshold and Eternal, paintings by Danielle Mckinney, whose work will be on view next month at Marianne Boesky Gallery, in New York City.

“La butte,” a photograph by Mohamed Bourouissa, whose book Périphérique was published last year by Loose Joints. Bourouissa’s work was on view last month at the Ludwig Múzeum, in Budapest.