Hermione Hoby

Hermione Hoby describes decades of living with an undiagnosed mystery illness that was eventually identified as ME/chronic fatigue syndrome. The audio long read explores the severity of her symptoms, including debilitating fatigue, and considers whether retraining the brain could offer relief.

Hermione Hoby recounts living with undiagnosed and later diagnosed ME/CFS for decades, describing debilitating relapses, postural symptoms and the emotional damage caused by doctors who dismissed her illness. After trying numerous treatments, she experimented with brain retraining, which initially coincided with a dramatic recovery and led her to believe she was cured. A later relapse undermined that confidence, revealing the limits of the method and the risks of wellness narratives that place responsibility for healing entirely on patients. She concludes that ME/CFS remains mysterious and unpredictable, requiring ongoing management rather than a forced search for meaning or a guaranteed cure.

After a nine-year recording gap, Yeah Yeah Yeahs return with Cool It Down, an album shaped by the pandemic, parenthood, wildfires and anxiety about ecological collapse. Karen O, Nick Zinner and Brian Chase describe reconnecting through a more joyful, pressure-free creative process while preserving the band’s early blend of punk irreverence, theatricality and emotional intensity. The group’s history, influence on the 2000s New York indie scene, evolving approach to performance and support for Asian-American representation are also discussed as they prepare to tour.

Betty Tompkins explains how her husband’s pornography collection inspired her large-scale, explicitly sexual paintings, beginning with Fuck Painting #1 in 1969. Initially rejected by galleries and seized by French customs officials, her work is now held by major institutions such as the Centre Pompidou and is receiving renewed attention from younger audiences and feminist movements. The interview also examines her Women Words and Apologia series, her engagement with #MeToo, and the tension between celebrating an older female artist and reducing her to a novelty based on age and sexual subject matter.

Philippe Ungar and Franck Bohbot document around 50 independent New York booksellers, portraying their shops as cultural sanctuaries built around community, generosity and the preservation of knowledge rather than profit. The feature highlights figures including Michael Seidenberg of Brazenhead Books, Corey Farach of Bluestockings and Bonnie Slotnick, while examining the threat posed by soaring rents and urban redevelopment. The closures of St Mark’s Bookshop and the attempted displacement of Three Lives & Company demonstrate the precariousness of independent retail, although strong neighborhood loyalty can sometimes preserve these institutions.

Karley Sciortino is profiled as the creator of Slutever, a sex blog, book and VICE series that uses humor, parody and personal storytelling to challenge shame around sexuality. Her work explores BDSM, gender, queer relationships, promiscuity and consent while advocating sexual autonomy. Sciortino describes how her conservative Catholic upbringing and early experiences in London shaped her provocative approach, but also acknowledges that her views do not always align with progressive orthodoxies, particularly around sexual responsibility, identity politics and consent. Against the backdrop of the Weinstein-era reckoning and scrutiny of VICE, she argues that open, nuanced conversations about sex remain important.

Jeffrey Eugenides discusses Fresh Complaint, his approach to inhabiting characters unlike himself, and the challenge of writing amid the political absurdity of the Trump era. He argues that writers should not be externally constrained in whose perspectives they can portray, but must judge whether the work feels truthful and compassionate. Reflecting on America’s history, inequality and political division, he advocates opposing harmful beliefs while preserving the possibility of individual redemption. Rather than competing with Trump’s outrageousness, Eugenides aims to offer fiction characterized by calm, clarity, thoughtfulness and companionship, while continuing to examine his own moral shortcomings through writing.

Josh and Benny Safdie discuss the making of Good Time, their low-budget, street-casting approach and Robert Pattinson’s unexpected email seeking a role after seeing an image from Heaven Knows What. Pattinson was cast as Connie, a desperate career criminal, and is praised for shedding his celebrity image to deliver an intense performance. The filmmakers explain their decision for Benny to play Nick, Connie’s brother with learning disabilities, and address criticism of the film’s racial imagery and its depiction of unequal policing. They also discuss their attraction to morally compromised but determined characters, their distrust of stagnation and their intention to maintain an aggressively independent filmmaking style even with larger budgets.

Naomi Campbell reflects on her 31-year modeling career, her early success and her growing comfort with publicly sharing her experience. She discusses racism and the lack of diversity in fashion, defending British Vogue editor Edward Enninful against criticism she considers racially motivated and emphasizing the need to support the next generation. Campbell also addresses her past assault convictions, addiction and recovery, arguing that she has taken responsibility and will not allow others to exploit her history. Alongside her advocacy work, she describes her acting roles, spiritual connection to Nelson Mandela and renewed focus on mentoring and empowering women.

Harvey Weinstein, once one of Hollywood's most powerful producers, faced suspension from his company after investigations revealed decades of allegations of sexual harassment, unwanted contact and settlements with women. The reporting describes a longstanding open secret enabled by a culture that privileged powerful men over younger women, while noting Weinstein's political donations and public support for women did not make the issue partisan. It also traces his rise through Miramax and The Weinstein Company, his influence on independent cinema and the decline of his professional standing. Weinstein denied or disputed aspects of the allegations and sought a second chance, but the scale of the accusations raised broader questions about impunity, workplace culture and whether Hollywood's tolerance of abusive behavior was finally changing.

The Museum of Modern Art’s exhibition Items: Is Fashion Modern? examines the past century of clothing through 111 everyday fashion typologies, including Spanx, Speedos, safety pins, hijabs, headphones and the little black dress. Curator Paola Antonelli argues that fashion is essential to the history of modern design and should be viewed as a social and political system rather than as mere commerce or frivolity. The exhibition also shows how garments acquire political meaning, notably through a football jersey bearing Colin Kaepernick’s name amid protests against racial injustice.

Hermione Hoby recounts interviewing Taylor Swift at a Manhattan restaurant in 2014, where Swift taught her to take a selfie and then held her hand while guiding her through a crowd of photographers. Photos of the encounter sparked online speculation that Hoby was Swift’s girlfriend or friend, leading to awkward questions from relatives and wedding guests. Hoby reflects humorously on the strange afterlife of a brief encounter with a global celebrity.

An interview with sisters Este, Danielle and Alana Haim explores the years of work behind the band’s seemingly effortless soft-rock sound, their experiences with condescension and sexism in the music industry, and their rise from family-band beginnings in Los Angeles to international success. The trio discusses the painstaking two-and-a-half-year creation of their second album, Something to Tell You, produced with Ariel Rechtshaid, Rostam Batmanglij and Dev Hynes, as well as their enthusiasm for touring and commitment to giving audiences their best.

Patty Jenkins discusses directing Wonder Woman as the first film from Marvel or DC to be directed by a woman, arguing that Hollywood long assumed action and superhero movies appealed primarily to men. She describes her vision of Diana as a compassionate hero whose mission is rooted in love, peace and collective responsibility rather than hatred, while acknowledging the genre’s demand for spectacular combat. Jenkins also reflects on her long career hiatus, selective approach to projects and experiences of sexism in Hollywood. The film’s success could broaden expectations about women-led action movies and demonstrate that audiences want greater variety in superhero storytelling.

Natasha Lyonne discusses her role as Lou in the body-horror film Antibirth, her long friendship and on-screen partnership with Chloë Sevigny, and her unconventional performance style. She reflects candidly on addiction, serious health problems, arrest and nearly a decade away from acting, arguing that existential breakdowns and self-destructive responses to life are widely human experiences. Lyonne describes Orange Is the New Black as a supportive environment that helped her regain confidence, while also questioning the objectification and limited roles traditionally offered to young women in Hollywood.

Gigi Hadid is presented as the archetype of the Instagram supermodel, whose more than 30 million followers have become central to her marketability and career. Her appearance on Vogue Arabia's inaugural cover, wearing a headscarf and hijab, prompted debate over cultural and religious appropriation, the lack of Muslim representation, and whether her half-Palestinian heritage justified the choice. Supporters saw the cover as evidence that Arab and Muslim identity is diverse, while critics argued that Hadid is generally perceived as a white American woman. The profile also examines how privilege, celebrity friendships, relentless social-media work and commercial partnerships have shaped her success, suggesting that the modern supermodel functions less as a fashion model than as a personal media corporation.

In an interview over lunch in New York, Laurie Anderson discusses her film and album Heart of a Dog, her late husband Lou Reed, her mother, Buddhist practice and animal ethics. She describes Reed’s death as an ecstatic confrontation with love and mortality rather than only an experience of grief, saying he remains a powerful presence in her life. Anderson also reflects on her avant-garde career, the role of food and community in her studio, and her dismay at misogyny and hostility surrounding Donald Trump’s election, while questioning how compassion can be extended to his supporters.

Open letters experienced a resurgence in 2016, particularly as a vehicle for feminist expression. The survivor of the Stanford sexual assault case demonstrated the form's power to transform personal trauma into a wider moral reckoning, while letters by celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence, Jennifer Aniston, Serena Williams, Amber Heard and Rose McGowan used fame to address gender equality, sexual violence and cultural standards. The format is not inherently radical: commodified confession, celebrity privilege and media objectification can undermine its aims, and some examples become comic or futile. Nevertheless, carefully written open letters can humanize public figures, extend personal experience into collective political concerns and demonstrate that clear, sincere language can have more power than spectacle.

Jennifer Ehle discusses how her acclaimed performance as Elizabeth Bennet in the BBC’s Pride and Prejudice transformed her career without leading her toward the superstardom others expected. She prioritized raising her children and pursuing substantial acting work over fame, choosing theatre and character roles alongside film appearances. Her role as a stressed psychiatrist and breadwinner in Ira Sachs’s Little Men reflects the film’s themes of family conflict, economic pressure and the limits of conflict resolution. As her children grow older, Ehle says she is increasingly ready to give her career greater importance, while still hoping widespread fame does not intrude on her life.