November 2021

by Rachel Riederer,

[Letter from California]

Portrait of the Coyote as a Young Man

Coming of age in Bemidji

by David Treuer,

Harper’s Magazine welcomes reader response.

Email us about articles in the magazine.

[Harper’s Index]

Estimated number of potentially habitable planets from which aliens could detect life on Earth : 29

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 2010 in the portion of Americans who identify as exclusively white : –9

[Harper’s Index]

Who identify as white in combination with another race : +316

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Republican-leaning Americans who say the declining share of white people is bad for society : 34

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of new U.S. hires who are in occupations that typically require at least a bachelor’s degree : 3/4

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. adults who do not have a bachelor’s degree : 2/3

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of U.S. adults working remotely who would take a pay cut to continue doing so indefinitely : 65

[Harper’s Index]

Who would give up social media for a year to do so : 55

[Harper’s Index]

Chance that a U.S. worker feels their job does not make a meaningful contribution to the world : 1 in 5

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of American office workers who have cried on the job : 45

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. remote workers who admit to regularly streaming video while on the job : 3/10

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of total U.S. TV-watching time accounted for by Netflix : 7

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 2019 in the number of Republicans who say that large corporations benefit the country : –15

[Harper’s Index]

In the number of Republicans who say that financial institutions benefit the country : –44

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which more Americans are “very concerned” about domestic extremist groups than international ones : 30

[Harper’s Index]

Factor by which this is more likely to be true of a Democrat than a Republican : 9

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which more Americans believe Iran has nuclear weapons than believe Israel does : 17

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 2018 in the number of U.S. adults who say the government should restrict false information online : +23

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of time spent on smartphones in the United States that can be attributed to “self-control problems” : 3/10

[Harper’s Index]

Number of hours per week that children in China are legally allowed to spend playing video games : 3

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 1990 in the number of Americans who say they have a best friend : –21

[Harper’s Index]

In the number of Americans who say they have ten or more close friends : –61

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Americans who lost touch with at least a few friends in the past year : 1/2

[Harper’s Index]

Rank of August 2021 among months with the largest number of active dating-app users ever recorded : 1

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Americans who, on an average day between May and December 2020, did not spend any time on grooming : 1/4

[Harper’s Index]

Minimum percentage by which carbon emissions of the average single man exceed those of the average single woman : 16

[Harper’s Index]

Factor by which Democrats are more likely than Republicans to have noticed an increase in extreme local weather events : 2

[Harper’s Index]

Date on which forest fire smoke was first detected at the North Pole : 8/2/2021

[Harper’s Index]

On which rain was first detected at the highest point of Greenland’s ice cap : 8/14/2021

[Harper’s Index]

Year in which the first known insect species was driven extinct in the United States by humans : 1941

[Harper’s Index]

Rank of New Zealand among countries best suited to survive a global societal collapse : 1

[Harper’s Index]

Estimated number of potentially habitable planets from which aliens could detect life on Earth : 29

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 2010 in the portion of Americans who identify as exclusively white : –9

[Harper’s Index]

Who identify as white in combination with another race : +316

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Republican-leaning Americans who say the declining share of white people is bad for society : 34

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of new U.S. hires who are in occupations that typically require at least a bachelor’s degree : 3/4

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. adults who do not have a bachelor’s degree : 2/3

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of U.S. adults working remotely who would take a pay cut to continue doing so indefinitely : 65

[Harper’s Index]

Who would give up social media for a year to do so : 55

[Harper’s Index]

Chance that a U.S. worker feels their job does not make a meaningful contribution to the world : 1 in 5

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of American office workers who have cried on the job : 45

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. remote workers who admit to regularly streaming video while on the job : 3/10

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of total U.S. TV-watching time accounted for by Netflix : 7

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 2019 in the number of Republicans who say that large corporations benefit the country : –15

[Harper’s Index]

In the number of Republicans who say that financial institutions benefit the country : –44

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which more Americans are “very concerned” about domestic extremist groups than international ones : 30

[Harper’s Index]

Factor by which this is more likely to be true of a Democrat than a Republican : 9

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which more Americans believe Iran has nuclear weapons than believe Israel does : 17

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 2018 in the number of U.S. adults who say the government should restrict false information online : +23

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of time spent on smartphones in the United States that can be attributed to “self-control problems” : 3/10

[Harper’s Index]

Number of hours per week that children in China are legally allowed to spend playing video games : 3

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage change since 1990 in the number of Americans who say they have a best friend : –21

[Harper’s Index]

In the number of Americans who say they have ten or more close friends : –61

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Americans who lost touch with at least a few friends in the past year : 1/2

[Harper’s Index]

Rank of August 2021 among months with the largest number of active dating-app users ever recorded : 1

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Americans who, on an average day between May and December 2020, did not spend any time on grooming : 1/4

[Harper’s Index]

Minimum percentage by which carbon emissions of the average single man exceed those of the average single woman : 16

[Harper’s Index]

Factor by which Democrats are more likely than Republicans to have noticed an increase in extreme local weather events : 2

[Harper’s Index]

Date on which forest fire smoke was first detected at the North Pole : 8/2/2021

[Harper’s Index]

On which rain was first detected at the highest point of Greenland’s ice cap : 8/14/2021

[Harper’s Index]

Year in which the first known insect species was driven extinct in the United States by humans : 1941

[Harper’s Index]

Rank of New Zealand among countries best suited to survive a global societal collapse : 1

[Harper’s Index]

Estimated number of potentially habitable planets from which aliens could detect life on Earth : 29

Readings

[Essay]

Flesh and Blood

by David Graeber, David Wengrow,

[Cover]

Melancholy & the Infinite Sadness

by Natashia Deón,

[Malfunctions]

Three Deer, Sharon Springs, November, 2020

by Paul Muldoon,

[War Logs]

Country Toads Take My Home

“Uoon,” a photograph by Paul Cupido, whose work was on view in September with Bildhalle, at Photo London. Cupido’s monograph 4 a.m. was published in September.

Courtesy the artist and Danziger Gallery, New York City

“Sweet Water, Bitter Earth 45–Song Hua Hu II,” a photograph by Kurt Tong, whose work is on view this month at UP Gallery, in Hsinchu, Taiwan.

Apprehended Without Incident 2, mixed-media artwork by Didier William, whose work was on view in July at M+B, in Los Angeles.

Courtesy the artist and M+B, Los Angeles

Pray for the Living, Dance for the Dead 3, mixed-media artworks by Didier William, whose work was on view in July at M+B, in Los Angeles.

Courtesy the artist and M+B, Los Angeles

A mixed-media artwork that incorporates facial-recognition software, by Maxime Matthys, from his series 2091: The Ministry of Privacy. Matthys’s work is on view this month at the Biennale de l’Image Tangible, in Paris.

Palm Sunday, an embroidered photograph by Joana Choumali, from her Alba’hian series. Choumali’s work is on view this month with Loft Art Gallery, at Paris Photo.

“Moonvoyage,” a photograph by Paul Cupido, whose work was on view in September with Bildhalle, at Photo London. Cupido’s monograph 4 a.m. was published in September.

Courtesy the artist and Danziger Gallery, New York City

“Kawa #15,” a photograph by Paul Cupido, whose work was on view in September with Bildhalle, at Photo London. Cupido’s monograph 4 a.m. was published in September.

Courtesy the artist and Danziger Gallery, New York City

“An Island in the Moon II,” a photograph by Paul Cupido, whose work was on view in September with Bildhalle, at Photo London. Cupido’s monograph 4 a.m. was published in September.

Courtesy the artist and Danziger Gallery, New York City

“Uoon,” a photograph by Paul Cupido, whose work was on view in September with Bildhalle, at Photo London. Cupido’s monograph 4 a.m. was published in September.

Courtesy the artist and Danziger Gallery, New York City

“Sweet Water, Bitter Earth 45–Song Hua Hu II,” a photograph by Kurt Tong, whose work is on view this month at UP Gallery, in Hsinchu, Taiwan.

Apprehended Without Incident 2, mixed-media artwork by Didier William, whose work was on view in July at M+B, in Los Angeles.

Courtesy the artist and M+B, Los Angeles

Pray for the Living, Dance for the Dead 3, mixed-media artworks by Didier William, whose work was on view in July at M+B, in Los Angeles.

Courtesy the artist and M+B, Los Angeles

Palm Sunday, an embroidered photograph by Joana Choumali, from her Alba’hian series. Choumali’s work is on view this month with Loft Art Gallery, at Paris Photo.

“Moonvoyage,” a photograph by Paul Cupido, whose work was on view in September with Bildhalle, at Photo London. Cupido’s monograph 4 a.m. was published in September.

Courtesy the artist and Danziger Gallery, New York City

“Kawa #15,” a photograph by Paul Cupido, whose work was on view in September with Bildhalle, at Photo London. Cupido’s monograph 4 a.m. was published in September.

Courtesy the artist and Danziger Gallery, New York City

“An Island in the Moon II,” a photograph by Paul Cupido, whose work was on view in September with Bildhalle, at Photo London. Cupido’s monograph 4 a.m. was published in September.

Courtesy the artist and Danziger Gallery, New York City

“Uoon,” a photograph by Paul Cupido, whose work was on view in September with Bildhalle, at Photo London. Cupido’s monograph 4 a.m. was published in September.

Courtesy the artist and Danziger Gallery, New York City