Harper’s Magazine

[Essay] Empire Burlesque

What comes after the American Century?

by Daniel Bessner,

Current Issue July 2022

[Letter from Ukraine] Army of Shadows

Searching for the Ukrainian foreign legion

by Seth Harp,

[Report] The Victim Cloud

Gullibility in the golden age of scams

by Hannah Zeavin,

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Republicans who believe high-level Democrats run a child sex-trafficking ring : 1/2

[Harper’s Index]

Of Democrats who believe this : 1/5

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Americans who think Putin is doing a better job as head of state than Biden : 1/10

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which Republicans were more likely than Democrats to view Russia as a major threat in 2008 : 28

[Harper’s Index]

By which Democrats are more likely than Republicans to do so now : 8

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which Democrats are more likely than Republicans to have their phone bills paid by their parents : 60

[Harper’s Index]

Chance that an American aged 18 to 41 learned to do laundry from social media : 1 in 5

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which vaccinated Americans are more likely than the unvaccinated to use social media as a news source : 17

[Harper’s Index]

By which Biden supporters are more likely than Trump supporters to do so : 24

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which men are more likely than women to view NPR as untrustworthy : 50

[Harper’s Index]

By which they are more likely to view the Weather Channel as untrustworthy : 75

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which men are more likely than women to want their lives documented by a biographer : 23

[Harper’s Index]

Factor by which women with children under five have increased their alcohol consumption since the start of the pandemic : 4

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change in the number of alcohol-related deaths among women in the past two decades : 157

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who believe calories from alcohol are different from other calories : 53

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of the global population that has a headache on any given day : 16

[Harper’s Index]

Estimated portion of cannabis sales in Colorado last year that were illicit : 1/5

[Harper’s Index]

Of cannabis sales in California that were : 7/10

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which residents of states where marijuana is legal are more likely to have tried it

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage decrease in drug use among U.S. teenagers since 2019 : 40

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage increase in adult fiction sales this year that can be attributed to TikTok : 73

[Harper’s Index]

Maximum portion of American parents who would give up social media to see their kids more : 1/4

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which employees spend more time in meetings now than they did before the pandemic : 250

[Harper’s Index]

Of coupled Americans who try to annoy their partners by claiming they are turning into their parents : 84

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. adults who say that their ideal relationship is non-monogamous : 1/3

[Harper’s Index]

Estimated percentage of the U.S. population whose IQ has declined because of exposure to leaded gasoline : 59

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. community water systems that contain unsafe levels of uranium : 1/2

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of recent American home buyers who regret their choice of location : 22

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who believe it would be better for the environment if houses were built farther apart : 75

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which the carbon footprint of a New Yorker is lower than that of the average American : 68

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which people who say they have a purpose in life are less likely to develop dementia : 19

[Harper’s Index]

Average amount that American Catholics or Protestants would pay a stranger to pray on their behalf : $2.34

[Harper’s Index]

That non-believers would pay to avoid being prayed for : $1.56

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who say they are actively trying to avoid turning into their parents : 42

Weekly Review

Harper’s Podcast

Ottessa Moshfegh on Lapvona

It takes a village: the author discusses her latest novel

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Monday Gallery

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“Lindsay’s Scarf” and “Gem’s Arm”

“Lindsay’s Scarf” and “Gem’s Arm,” photographs by Rahim Fortune, whose book I can’t stand to see you cry was published last year by Loose Joints. Fortune’s work will be on view from July 4 through August 28 at the Rencontres d’Arles photography festival, in France.

Huggermugger

Huggermugger, a painting by Lyn Liu, whose work is on view through August 12 at Kasmin Gallery, in New York City.

Courtesy the artist

Vishnu Dreaming of Brahma Creating the Universe, Daihannya-Kyō (The Sutra of Great Wisdom), and The Lotus Sūtra

Vishnu Dreaming of Brahma Creating the Universe [Indic manuscript leaf c. 17th-18th c.], Daihannya-Kyō (The Sutra of Great Wisdom) [Japanese manuscript page; gold ink on indigo-dyed paper 1185-1392], and The Lotus Sūtra [Manuscript leaf, hand-copied by Joyen (Japanese Priest) 1834], mixed-media artworks by David Orr, whose work is on view through July 9 at Tibet House, in New York City.

Woman on a Bridge #1 of 5: Tar Beach

Woman on a Bridge #1 of 5: Tar Beach, 1988, a mixed-media quilt by Faith Ringgold, whose work is on view through June 5 at the New Museum, in New York City. The exhibition’s accompanying book, American People, was published in March by Phaidon.

In the News

Portion of Republicans who believe high-level Democrats run a child sex-trafficking ring : 1/2

Of Democrats who believe this : 1/5

Portion of Americans who think Putin is doing a better job as head of state than Biden : 1/10

Percentage by which Republicans were more likely than Democrats to view Russia as a major threat in 2008 : 28

By which Democrats are more likely than Republicans to do so now : 8

Percentage by which Democrats are more likely than Republicans to have their phone bills paid by their parents : 60

Chance that an American aged 18 to 41 learned to do laundry from social media : 1 in 5

Percentage by which vaccinated Americans are more likely than the unvaccinated to use social media as a news source : 17

By which Biden supporters are more likely than Trump supporters to do so : 24

Percentage by which men are more likely than women to view NPR as untrustworthy : 50

By which they are more likely to view the Weather Channel as untrustworthy : 75

Percentage by which men are more likely than women to want their lives documented by a biographer : 23

Factor by which women with children under five have increased their alcohol consumption since the start of the pandemic : 4

Percentage change in the number of alcohol-related deaths among women in the past two decades : 157

Percentage of Americans who believe calories from alcohol are different from other calories : 53

Percentage of the global population that has a headache on any given day : 16

Estimated portion of cannabis sales in Colorado last year that were illicit : 1/5

Of cannabis sales in California that were : 7/10

Percentage by which residents of states where marijuana is legal are more likely to have tried it

Percentage decrease in drug use among U.S. teenagers since 2019 : 40

Percentage increase in adult fiction sales this year that can be attributed to TikTok : 73

Maximum portion of American parents who would give up social media to see their kids more : 1/4

Percentage by which employees spend more time in meetings now than they did before the pandemic : 250

By which the average workday has lengthened : 13

By which after-hours work has increased : 28

Portion of Americans who are unable to name all of their grandparents : 1/2

Of Philadelphians who are unable to : 3/4

Average age at which U.S. adults think you turn into your parents : 32.5

Of coupled Americans who try to annoy their partners by claiming they are turning into their parents : 84

Portion of U.S. adults who say that their ideal relationship is non-monogamous : 1/3

Estimated percentage of the U.S. population whose IQ has declined because of exposure to leaded gasoline : 59

Portion of U.S. community water systems that contain unsafe levels of uranium : 1/2

Percentage of recent American home buyers who regret their choice of location : 22

Percentage of Americans who believe it would be better for the environment if houses were built farther apart : 75

Percentage by which the carbon footprint of a New Yorker is lower than that of the average American : 68

Percentage by which people who say they have a purpose in life are less likely to develop dementia : 19

Average amount that American Catholics or Protestants would pay a stranger to pray on their behalf : $2.34

That non-believers would pay to avoid being prayed for : $1.56

Percentage of Americans who say they are actively trying to avoid turning into their parents : 42

June 21, 2022

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Ottessa Moshfegh on Lapvona

Subscribe to the Podcast

The Other Rosalie

When the Monsoon Winds Turned

No Pain, No Gain

“Lindsay’s Scarf” and “Gem’s Arm”

Huggermugger

Vishnu Dreaming of Brahma Creating the Universe, Daihannya-Kyō (The Sutra of Great Wisdom), and The Lotus Sūtra

Woman on a Bridge #1 of 5: Tar Beach

Past Issues

Harper’s Finest

From the Archive

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SARS was found in tears.

A psycholinguistic analysis of posts on Twitter and Weibo during COVID-19 lockdowns found that residents of Lombardy grew increasingly focused on leisure and residents of Wuhan grew increasingly focused on religion.

Convalescent plasma helps Syrian hamsters fight SARS-CoV-2.

Falling levels of tourist trash during pandemic lockdowns was found to have caused rat infighting, and macaques were reported to have attacked a lab assistant in Delhi and stolen vials of COVID-­19-­infected blood, which at least one monkey then tried to eat.

The World Health Organization warned that SARS will probably return this winter.

Falling levels of tourist trash during pandemic lockdowns was found to have caused rat infighting, and macaques were reported to have attacked a lab assistant in Delhi and stolen vials of COVID-19-infected blood, which at least one monkey then tried to eat.