June 2022

by Justin E. H. Smith,

[Photo Essay]

The Matter of War

Photographs from Ukraine

by Nicole Tung,

[Miscellany]

Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Looking for demons in a disenchanted world

by Kent Russell,

Harper’s Magazine welcomes reader response.

Email us about articles in the magazine.

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who think the Supreme Court acts in a “serious and constitutionally sound” manner : 37

[Harper’s Index]

Rank of 2021 among years since Roe v. Wade in which the most abortion laws were passed in state legislatures : 1

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which white Catholics are more likely than black ones to say opposing abortion is essential to their faith : 23

[Harper’s Index]

By which black Catholics are more likely than white ones to say sermons should touch on political issues : 189

[Harper’s Index]

Estimated percentage by which the 2020 U.S. Census undercounted the number of black Americans : 3.3

[Harper’s Index]

By which it overcounted the number of non-Hispanic white Americans : 1.6

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which more Americans would defend Canada from invasion than Mexico : 25

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who strongly consider themselves vigilantes : 20

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of adults under 30 who say Americans should be allowed to fight in the Ukrainian army : 36

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage increase in the number of doomsday bunkers purchased in Texas since Russia invaded Ukraine : 1,100

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of U.S. workers who quit their jobs in 2021 who cited disrespect as a reason for quitting : 57

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which hiring a CEO with a business degree decreases wages for the company’s other employees : 15

[Harper’s Index]

Average percentage change in sales by companies that hire CEOs with business degrees : –1

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who support equipping manual laborers with AI-controlled robotic exoskeletons : 33

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which Democrats are more likely than Republicans to believe in vampires : 33

[Harper’s Index]

By which Republicans are more likely than Democrats to believe in demons : 72

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of the U.S. population that owns a gun, according to the average American’s estimate : 54

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of the U.S. population that is transgender, according to the average American’s estimate : 21

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Republicans who do not know what it means for a person to identify as transgender : 1/3

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which Americans with college degrees are more likely than those without to get their news from podcasts : 65

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. Twitter bios including “storyteller” that belong to current or former journalists : 4/5

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Americans who respond negatively to this descriptor when applied to journalists : 7/10

[Harper’s Index]

Average number of streaming services Americans subscribe to : 4.5

[Harper’s Index]

Estimated number of times per day Netflix viewers select the option to “skip intro” : 136,000,000

[Harper’s Index]

Number of years in saved time this represents each day : 195

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of female students asked to sit alone for fifteen minutes who will self-administer an electric shock out of curiosity : 1/4

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who think the Supreme Court acts in a “serious and constitutionally sound” manner : 37

[Harper’s Index]

Rank of 2021 among years since Roe v. Wade in which the most abortion laws were passed in state legislatures : 1

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which white Catholics are more likely than black ones to say opposing abortion is essential to their faith : 23

[Harper’s Index]

By which black Catholics are more likely than white ones to say sermons should touch on political issues : 189

[Harper’s Index]

Estimated percentage by which the 2020 U.S. Census undercounted the number of black Americans : 3.3

[Harper’s Index]

By which it overcounted the number of non-Hispanic white Americans : 1.6

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which more Americans would defend Canada from invasion than Mexico : 25

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who strongly consider themselves vigilantes : 20

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of adults under 30 who say Americans should be allowed to fight in the Ukrainian army : 36

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage increase in the number of doomsday bunkers purchased in Texas since Russia invaded Ukraine : 1,100

[Harper’s Index]

Minimum number of U.S. states that have banned the sale of Russian vodka : 12

[Harper’s Index]

Maximum percentage of U.S. vodka imports that come from Russia : 1

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage increase in U.S. alcohol-related deaths in 2020 : 26

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of U.S. workers who quit their jobs in 2021 who cited disrespect as a reason for quitting : 57

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which hiring a CEO with a business degree decreases wages for the company’s other employees : 15

[Harper’s Index]

Average percentage change in sales by companies that hire CEOs with business degrees : –1

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of Americans who support equipping manual laborers with AI-controlled robotic exoskeletons : 33

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which Democrats are more likely than Republicans to believe in vampires : 33

[Harper’s Index]

By which Republicans are more likely than Democrats to believe in demons : 72

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of the U.S. population that owns a gun, according to the average American’s estimate : 54

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage of the U.S. population that is transgender, according to the average American’s estimate : 21

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Republicans who do not know what it means for a person to identify as transgender : 1/3

[Harper’s Index]

Percentage by which Americans with college degrees are more likely than those without to get their news from podcasts : 65

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of U.S. Twitter bios including “storyteller” that belong to current or former journalists : 4/5

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of Americans who respond negatively to this descriptor when applied to journalists : 7/10

[Harper’s Index]

Average number of streaming services Americans subscribe to : 4.5

[Harper’s Index]

Estimated number of times per day Netflix viewers select the option to “skip intro” : 136,000,000

[Harper’s Index]

Number of years in saved time this represents each day : 195

[Harper’s Index]

Portion of female students asked to sit alone for fifteen minutes who will self-administer an electric shock out of curiosity : 1/4

Readings

[Essay]

Fear and Loathing in Moscow

by Emmanuel Carrère,Translated by Annie Bouchet,

[Research]

Life, Inc.

by Nina Strohminger, Matthew Jordan,

[Travel Guide]

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Gauche

[Record]

Time Wasting

by Oleg Sentsov,Translated by Kate Tsurkan, Daisy Gibbons,

[Poem]

Not Terrorized No

by Cristina Rivera Garza,Translated by Ilana Luna, Cheyla Samuelson,

[Theory]

Prime Factors

by Alec Wilkinson,

[Life Coach]

Chew Your Own Adventure

by Jean Cocteau,Translated by Alex Wermer-Colan,

[Medical Record]

Loss in Translation

by Lina María Ferreira Cabeza-Vanegas,

[Fiction]

Terms of Endearment

by Ali Smith,

[Blacklist]

Naming Contentions

Distraídos venceremos (Distracted Win), a painting by Luiz Zerbini, whose work is on view this month at the São Paulo Museum of Art, in Brazil.

“Karaoke Europa,” photographs by Sasha Rudensky, whose work was on view in January at Yale University Art Gallery, in New Haven, Connecticut.

“Birches, Vladimir, Russia,” photographs by Sasha Rudensky, whose work was on view in January at Yale University Art Gallery, in New Haven, Connecticut.

“Snake Handlers,” photographs by Sasha Rudensky, whose work was on view in January at Yale University Art Gallery, in New Haven, Connecticut.

“Bus Station, Sevastopol, Ukraine,” photographs by Sasha Rudensky, whose work was on view in January at Yale University Art Gallery, in New Haven, Connecticut.

Memorial, a painting by Mohammed Sami, whose work is on view this month at the London Open 2022.

Paul’s Work Clothes #1, a drawing by Richard Wyatt Jr., whose work was on view in February at Steve Turner, in Los Angeles.

Distraídos venceremos (Distracted Win), a painting by Luiz Zerbini, whose work is on view this month at the São Paulo Museum of Art, in Brazil.

“Karaoke Europa,” photographs by Sasha Rudensky, whose work was on view in January at Yale University Art Gallery, in New Haven, Connecticut.

“Birches, Vladimir, Russia,” photographs by Sasha Rudensky, whose work was on view in January at Yale University Art Gallery, in New Haven, Connecticut.

“Snake Handlers,” photographs by Sasha Rudensky, whose work was on view in January at Yale University Art Gallery, in New Haven, Connecticut.

“Bus Station, Sevastopol, Ukraine,” photographs by Sasha Rudensky, whose work was on view in January at Yale University Art Gallery, in New Haven, Connecticut.