‘Seinfeld’ and ‘Friends’ Reflected the Atomized US of the ’90s—and Today
What an era’s most popular sitcoms can tell us about their time and our own.
Articles by Samuel Miller McDonald
Can the Love of Menswear Be Justified in a Time of Global Crisis?
Can there possibly be any value in caring about something as seemingly frivolous as personal style and taste in clothing? As it turns out, Yes!
The Last Great Forests
What’s left of Madagascar and its extraordinary rainforest can tell us a great deal about the history of the climate crisis, as well as the forces we’re up against.
How to Destroy a Story
10 years after the launch of Game of Thrones, Samuel Miller McDonald looks back at its promising start—and how it all went wrong.
The Ministry for the Future, or Do Authors Dream of Electric Jeeps?
Kim Stanley Robinson’s 2020 climate novel has been hailed as one of the most important books of the era. But is it good climate commentary, or even good fiction?
The Climate Case for Joe Biden (Is Strong but More Complicated Than You Might Have Heard)
Biden’s climate plan may be lackluster, but it is less likely to actively kill people.
Empire of Same
Samuel Miller McDonald takes an introspective look at chemical deserts, Disney’s hegemony, and empires of the past and future.
How Do We Actually Build Solidarity?
“Solidarity” is a word that gets thrown around a lot on the left. But what does it really mean? And how do we take it from a concept to reality?