Lapham's Quarterly Reaches Deal to Live On
Lapham's Quarterly, a beloved journal of history and reportage he started, had stopped putting out issues. The fate of the publication was uncertain without Mr. Lapham, a nattily dressed former editor at Harper's who seemed to personify a bygone era of magazines.
But Mr. Lapham's magazine will live on, though under a much different owner. Bard College, a private liberal arts institution in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., is acquiring it at no cost from the American Agora Foundation, the nonprofit that had published the magazine.
'This will benefit all our students,' said Leon Botstein, the president of Bard College. 'To understand how it's possible to talk intelligently, without jargon, without the worst of self-referential academic prose, about important ideas and important controversies and complexities, which we seem not to tolerate today.'
Lapham's Quarterly, which was founded in 2007, is something of an oddity, even for the quirky magazine business. Each issue connects a broad, sweeping theme — 'Night,' for example, or 'Happiness' — to current events thorough long-form articles and excerpts from historical texts by writers like Shakespeare. Mr. Lapham had already written the preamble to the latest issue, focused on energy, when he died in July at age 89.
Bard College plans to publish that issue in print and has others in development, with the titles 'Islands' and 'Folly.' It's still unclear whether Bard will continue Lapham's Quarterly on its regular print schedule after that. The magazine will be operated by the Hannah Arendt Center, a politics and humanities institution founded by the scholar Roger Berkowitz.
One of the most valuable assets owned by the foundation, the list of 17,500 paying subscribers to Lapham's Quarterly, will also pass to Bard, said Paul Morris, the magazine's publisher and executive editor. It is unclear whether any of the 18 or so staff members furloughed when the magazine went on hiatus last year will be hired back. The American Agora Foundation will dissolve.
Before he died, Mr. Lapham blessed the transaction with Bard on a call with Mr. Morris. But it took months for Bard to vet copyright issues, said Mr. Morris, who added that his only regret was that Mr. Lapham wasn't around to see the magazine pass into safe hands.
'It's my great lament that he couldn't be here for this conversation,' Mr. Morris said, 'because I know he'd be echoing everything that's been said and adding his own flavor to it.'
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Travel + Leisure
3 days ago
- Travel + Leisure
This Cruise Line Keeps Its Destinations a Secret Until the Night Before—so I Packed These 14 Foolproof Items
As a lifelong solo traveler, keen snorkeler, and beginner sailor, I love an adventure that allows me to dip and dive amongst different landscapes and cultures. So, you can only imagine how enticing a mystery voyage with Variety Cruises was to me. Each year, the private cruise line hosts a mystery cruise where you only find out where you're sailing into on the night prior; last year was the Greek islands, this year: Malta's Valletta to Naples, Italy, with the deep promise of plenty of Sicilian gems that are best reached by small vessels. Since details of the voyage were strictly under wraps, putting together a packing list was a challenge, but as a frequent cruisegoer, I knew that what I brought needed to be versatile and functional; outfits that can be thrown on and off for watersports and boat trips, but still cooling and comfortable for walks around ports and archaeological sites (plus something nice for dinners on board), as well as sturdy closed-toe shoes for potential hikes and pebbly beach strolls. Below are my 14 tried-and-true cruise essentials that fit the bill, even when I didn't know what the itinerary would entail, so if you find yourself booking a mystery cruise, the only mystery will be the undersung coasts you'll dock at next—not what to pack. While Variety Cruises prides itself on its tiny, intimate vibes on board (there's only one restaurant and one bar, and no dress codes or themes) and laidback itineraries—guests are more like a gang of like-minded, low-key adventurers who like a dash of comfort and ease when in transit, but don't go for the over-the-top indulgence of some of Sicily's screen-popularized, moneyed haunts—a decent maxi dress to wear around the fancy yacht never feels out of place. This dress' already-crinkled look meant no stress about wrinkles, and it was nice enough to wear off-ship, too. The sky blue color paired with the red hand-smocked accents feels perfectly Mediterranean glam, and the ease and length of this number is great for dancing, sitting on steps to watch music, and shuffling respectfully through churches on some of the late-night island tours you find yourself on with Variety. Plus, there are on-seam pockets for your phone, sunglasses, and other tiny essentials. The only other type of short dress I'll consider wearing on a cruise is a tighter cut that is still decidedly nautical-elegant. The '90s feel of this sweater dress gem feels classic and smart, simple to dress up for any special night on or off board, but I would particularly choose it for an evening somewhere cosmopolitan like Palermo or Amalfi after a day exploring and boating. Something special from Variety Cruises that you don't get on bigger vessels is the local excursions to tiny villages for a traditional dinner; once or twice during a sail, the team chooses a local taverna or restaurant run by locals in the Ionian or Mediterranean for a culture-rich evening of food and music. When at sea, I, more often than not, like a throw-on outfit to wear over my bathing suit so I can easily get changed when walking across pool decks and walkways. This Petal & Pup romper is made with 100 percent cotton, so it's moisture-wicking, breezy, and easy to hand-wash in your stateroom's bathroom sink if needed. It's particularly ideal for plodding around cities or towns such as the capital city of Valletta or Sicilian marina spot Porto Empedocle, where traditions and merged cultures still make for rather reserved and pared-down atmospheres around places of worship or town squares. $45 at Amazon $55 $39 at REI The best thing about being on a small ship is the access to lesser-trodden routes and the opportunity to hop on even smaller boats to quaint island hubs like Favignana in the Aegadian Islands off southern Sicily's Trapani or Lipari in the Aeolian Isles towards Naples. Often, the Variety Voyager will dock just far enough from land to swim off the deck, with a stack of SUP paddle boards and kayaks ready to go. This privacy and oneness with the deep blue feels very VIP yacht—and this sporty skort is excellent to wear over swimwear with its quick-drying fabric. $98 $49 at REI $98 at I've learned the pink and peeling way just how powerful the Mediterranean rays can be. June through August is roasting hot from Valletta through Naples, with the coastal breeze bringing some relief, but days on or in the water are deceptive to the UVA rays' potency. Now, I run no risks of sunburn during watersports or snorkeling adventures with this UPF 50+ rashguard from Vuori. The stretchy, moisture-wicking fabric was also great for hikes or cycling, or scooting around the likes of Vulcano or Palermo. Subtle pockets for glasses, sunscreen, or waterproof cameras are also nifty. $118 at Onboard the Variety Voyager, everything is air-conditioned, except for the top two decks where you can watch sunrise, practice yoga, sip cocktails, and enjoy dusk as you sail through the changing kaleidoscope of the Mediterranean from port to port. I particularly liked wearing these light-colored Vuori Mushroom Villa Pants to pull on quickly for sunrise or to dress up for barbeques on deck, smartening them up with a simple belt and flats. A simple tank or T-shirt pairs well with these, and the tapered waist with elastic allows for ample pasta sessions without the worry of tight waistbands. They were also ideal for tours to Pompeii or local villages to visit artisan studios or churches, where it's important to cover up. $100 at Zappos $100 at If you're a serious snorkeler with an aversion to flippers and a love for climbing over rocky terrain to get to the best reefs or caves, but also seek a shoe that's supportive enough for light hikes where your feet are likely to get splashed or slightly soiled with mud, moss, sand or pebbles, the Teva Hydratreks are the pair for you. I found them particularly handy when exploring the coves and bays of the Egadi archipelago and the pumice beaches and volcanic terrain of the Aeolian Isles, as well as paddling around the rocky bay in the cruise's start point of Valletta. With cut-out panels for breathability and flexibility, plus maximised surface area, these shoes really let water escape easily, through great engineering underfoot that disperses it evenly. Teva claims that they are built for high-adrenalin activity, with tree-frog and spider-inspired grip and stability. They're pretty stylish, so you can also wear them with your favorite cruise dress or outfit if you want to be comfy. For longer hikes and early morning port runs, I like my Salomon Speedcross Trail Shoes that are robust enough to handle dirt and sand but stay waterproof and breathable. They also have a "grippy connection to the ground and faster mud evacuation," and whilst I hope not to encounter much mud during a Med cruise, sometimes a little adventure off board is just what you need to escape the crowd and touch earth. However, if you're looking for something that looks more street-ready than trail-ready, I recommend the Salomon XT-4 OG Sportstyle Shoes, so they double as a pair of walking sneakers. Naples is also a great place for runs and long walks, though early in the morning or after dusk is more feasible during the summer months. I'm a baseball cap lover, but sometimes they don't provide enough coverage, or match the dress code. This classy small cruise called for sun accessories that were a little more elevated, which is why I brought my Madewell Lantern Straw Hat. This 100 percent raffia delight is entirely packable, so it won't crush or mess up in transit, and the various colors are equally timeless and adaptable to any muted and soft cruising wardrobe. It's a safer bet than a wide-brimmed, wind-unfriendly sun hat and a little more subtle, though it still has some stylish flair that dresses up anything from white shirts to flowy rompers. In my constant bid to move away from baseball caps but not lose hats to the ocean comes my attempt to revive headscarves, which I haven't worn since I was a pre-teen. My go-to Liberty London silk scarf did the trick with its oversized design, but you can achieve the same look for $15 with Amazon's Fonyve Mulberry Silk Scarf. When we docked in Palermo for two days, my headscarf saved my head from sunburn while searching for the perfect arancini. After swimming with a floating dry bag, which also serves as a safety float and spotting device, in the rivers and lakes of Basel, Geneva, Lausanne, and Zurich, I was changed forever. Now, everywhere I travel, I take this Stover Waterproof Backpack (it also comes with a waterproof phone case). It can feel curious at first to trust the bag with all your stuff, but it's incredibly freeing if you're in busy ports, bays, or beaches that make you uncertain about leaving your valuables ashore unattended. I went years winging it with wrinkle-free clothing, but one day I had to accept that not all creases could always be so easily bypassed. I can honestly testify that the Steamery Cirrus 3 travel steamer is head and shoulders above others I've trialled, and I like to minimize the onboard laundry teams' already mammoth workload (plus the hefty ship costs of laundering and pressing) by carrying my own steamer. What I love best about this Scandinavian-designed steamer are features like its auto-shut off, a featured hanging loop, and a long cord length. It also has limescale traps and a steaming pad, and both the steamer and iron functions work very effectively and quickly, too. As a carry-on-only traveler, keeping my toiletries simple and minimal at sea is vital. However, there's always room in my toiletry bag for some aloe vera in case I overdo it in the sun, whether it be from too many hours exploring underwater or sunning during hikes or tours on land. This 100 percent organic aloe vera from Seven Minerals comes in a handy TSA-friendly size and packs on the soothing moisturization when my skin needs it (pro tip: I like to keep it in the fridge in my stateroom for an extra cooling touch). $45 at Amazon $69 at Nordstrom $45 at Saving the most vital packing tip for any Med adventure and my most important cruise essential for last, a high-SPF sunscreen. This lightweight sunscreen face serum from Kiehl's protects your skin from the sun's harmful rays while enriching it with collagen-boosting peptides and other healthy ingredients. Beyond making an exceptional sunscreen, I love Kiehl's because you can also bet to find one at any duty-free store around the world. Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.
NBC News
5 days ago
- NBC News
Why the internet is still obsessed with Octavia E. Butler, years after her death
For pioneering science fiction novelist Octavia E. Butler, writing was more than a profession. It was a form of survival, resistance and reflection. In 'Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler,' author and college professor Susana M. Morris shares the quiet yet radical story of Butler's life, revealing how the worlds she imagined were shaped by the one that often shut her out. Going from a shy Black girl, born in 1947 and raised under Jim Crow, to a literary icon, Butler's path to success was not linear. She was told not to dream but to get a 'real' job. As she juggled temp jobs, financial anxiety and a society that resisted making room for her, Butler wrote genre-defining literature that has been adapted for TV and film in recent years, and has continued to go viral nearly two decades after her death in 2006 at 58. 'Positive Obsession,' named for a 1989 essay by Butler, pulls from journals, interviews and personal letters in Butler's public archives to illuminate the forces that shaped her, revealing an ambitious and meticulous writer. For most of her career, Butler woke up before dawn to write for hours ahead of what she once called 'lots of horrible little jobs.' As she toiled in factories and warehouses, washing dishes, inspecting potato chips and making telemarketing calls, Butler conjured characters from her everyday encounters. Morris told NBC that in sharing Butler's story now, 19 years after her death, she hopes to inspire artists who don't think they can afford to create to find the time. 'In this economic system that we're currently in, we are so crunched down trying to buy eggs or pay the rent,' Morris said 'sometimes we don't even feel like we can access art for art's sake. But through all the trials and tribulations, she was accessing it.' Butler's journals show how writing was her way of pushing back against racism, patriarchy and other norms that frustrated her and made her feel overlooked as a creative person and a public intellectual. She wrote because 'she had to,' Morris writes. She put pen to paper to make sense of the world and speak back to it. Beyond writing novels, Butler eventually became known for her direct and evocative engagement with readers, whom she pushed to think deeply about the world around them. She analyzed real-world dynamics and extrapolated them into prescient and cautionary fiction. She wrote stories that seem to have become only more popular as time has passed. Her novel 'Kindred' was reimagined into a TV series in 2022, and authors John Jennings and Damian Duffy won a Hugo Award in 2021 for their graphic novel reimagining of her book 'Parable of the Sower.' On social media, the '#OctaviaKnew' trend captures the ominous ways her words resonate in the present on issues like climate change, inequality and politics. Her ability, decades ago, to conjure how we live now gives Morris' students a feeling of connection to Butler's work today. In 'Parable of the Talents,' published in 1998 and set in the 2020s, Butler introduces a conservative presidential candidate who urges voters to join him in a project to 'make America great again.' The words on the page reverberated through Morris' classroom as she taught the book during Trump's first presidency. It's why many readers think Butler's work was nearly prophetic. 'Psychic? Maybe not,' Morris says. 'Prescient? Absolutely.' Morris uses the 1987 short story 'The Evening and the Morning and the Night' — about a community grappling with a fictional genetic disorder — to talk to students about the marginalization of people with disabilities. Butler's 1984 short story 'Bloodchild' pushes readers to rethink gender, reproduction and family. 'We're living in a moment that demonizes transness,' Morris said. 'But in 'Bloodchild,' men carry the babies. It complicates our idea of what bodies are supposed to do.' Butler's fiction never floated away from reality. It confronted it. And it continues to make readers question what they thought they understood. Though often shelved as science fiction, Morris says Butler's work transcends the label, and she instead classifies it as 'speculative fiction.' Morris' immersive portrait can at times feel like reading Butler's journal or listening to the innermost thoughts of a quiet and sometimes lonely person. 'She lived a life of the mind,' Morris said. Out of that life came work shaped by discipline, imagination and a kind of beautiful obsession — one that Morris hopes others might mirror in their own lives. 'I hope that in this world that is often devoid of beauty,' Morris said, 'that other folks can see her example and find the beauty in their own kind of practice.'
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Newsweek
Horror at What Cruise Passenger Spots From Deck: 'My Biggest Fear'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A video of a cruise passenger spotting someone's nightmare scenario—dropping a phone on the very edge of a ship at sea—unfolding aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise has gone viral on TikTok. The moment of the drop was witnessed by Abby Morris, a 24-year-old personal care assistant based in Michigan who is applying for medical school. Morris shared a video that showed a phone sitting on the ledge of a boat on her TikTok account @abbythepremedrunner. The clip has amassed 687,000 views since it was posted on July 18. Text overlaid on the clip says "Just hoping that whoever dropped their phone onto the ledge of this massive cruise ship see this," while a caption adds "sorry you're cooked bud." Morris told Newsweek that the footage was captured on July 18 on the Icon of the Seas cruise ship, which traveled to St. Thomas of the U.S. Virgin Islands, St. Martin, and CocoCay in the Bahamas from July 11 to 19. A screenshot from a viral TikTok video showing a phone that dropped onto the edge of a cruise ship. A screenshot from a viral TikTok video showing a phone that dropped onto the edge of a cruise ship. @abbythepremedrunner She said: "My cousins and I were sitting on the 12th floor balcony looking at the water and we saw it fall from a floor below us. We weren't sure which one." "It was on the absolute ledge of the ship below any of the balconies/rooms. We didn't see the person who dropped it, but we did let our cleaning person know about it," Morris noted. According to the poster, the phone was still there after dinner that day but they didn't check to see if it was still there the following day. Cruises are more popular than ever. Ocean cruise passenger volume hit a record 34.6 million travelers in 2024, marking a nine percent rise from 2023, according to a 2024 report by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). The CLIA noted: "Set against the backdrop of approximately 1.4 billion total international arrivals worldwide, the cruise industry accounts for less than 3 percent of global tourism, a focused yet powerful slice of the market." Viewers on TikTok could relate to the panic that the phone drop would have caused for the owner of the device. User @cr1sttianhart said it is "My biggest fear" and @warrior_princess_ simply wrote "Noooooo." User katlyn said: "That would quite literally ruin the whole trip for me.." and @bowiekion asked "are they lucky or unlucky." User @ wrote: "Omg my fight or flight response just kicked in." User @rango_7263 said: "My toxic trait is me thinking I could climb all the way down to it, put it in my pocket, and climb back up." Newsweek has contacted Royal Caribbean for comment via email. Do you have a travel-related video or story to share? Let us know via life@ and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
