Critics at Large | The New Yorker
The New Yorker
Critics at Large is a weekly culture podcast from The New Yorker. Every Thursday, the staff writers Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz discuss current obsessions, classic texts they’re revisiting with fresh eyes, and trends that are emerging across books, television, film, and more. The show runs the gamut of the arts and pop culture, with lively, surprising conversations about everything from Salman Rushdie to “The Real Housewives.” Through rigorous analysis and behind-the-scenes insights into The New Yorker’s reporting, the magazine’s critics help listeners make sense of our moment—and how we got here.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 12, 2026 • 53min
“Club Kid” and the New Fatherhood
Jordan Firstman’s “Club Kid” sparks a wide-ranging look at fatherhood in film, television, and literature. The discussion moves from Don Draper’s stern provider to Homer Simpson’s lovable incompetence, then to today’s more involved, friend-like dads. It also explores queer networks of care, the emotional labor of parenting, and why cooking and braiding hair have become modern fatherhood performances.
Nov 5, 2026 • 46min
The Cozy Conservatism of “The Gilded Age”
The lush world of “The Gilded Age” gets a sharp, lively dissection, from old-money rituals and ambitious social climbers to Peggy’s place in Black aristocracy. The discussion explores why leisurely, soapy drama feels comforting, how historical billionaires seem safer than modern moguls, and whether the series sanitizes the brutal realities of wealth and capitalism.
Oct 29, 2026 • 48min
Critics at Large Live: “I Need a Critic!”
A lively advice session ranges from introducing children to movie magic to escaping an over-optimized inner life through art, literature, and opera. The critics explore finishing a memoir, disagreeing with curiosity, reviving feminist anger, and finding humor in queer and feminist writing. They also discuss community, retirement, fractious sisters, and the elusive appeal of the straight male hero.
46 snips
Oct 22, 2026 • 54min
“You Can See Everything” and the Nathan Fielder Effect
Nathan Fielder’s deadpan persona meets Elizabeth Holmes in a documentary about performance, deception, and the elusive nature of truth. The discussion explores reenactment, secrecy, audience complicity, and the uncanny mirror between Fielder’s performed bluntness and Holmes’s constructed innocence. It also asks why Fielder feels so vital in an age of simulation, social confusion, and desperate faith in authenticity.
12 snips
Oct 8, 2026 • 50min
“The Social Reckoning” Shows How It All Went Wrong
A lively comparison of two films about Facebook’s rise and reckoning. The critics revisit the sleek betrayal drama of The Social Network, then examine a whistleblower’s disclosures, the Wall Street Journal investigation, and Facebook’s pursuit of engagement over safety. They also discuss Silicon Valley’s fall from hopeful innovation to villainous power, and why whistleblowers now occupy the role of cultural heroes.
26 snips
Oct 1, 2026 • 57min
Tom Cruise-a-Palooza
Tyler Foggatt, a senior editor at The New Yorker and devoted Tom Cruise admirer, charts the actor’s journey from heartthrob to prestige performer and stunt-driven action icon. The conversation explores Cruise’s magnetic screen persona, Scientology controversy, Oscar ambitions, and recurring savior roles. They also examine Digger, his daring turn as an aging oil tycoon, and whether he remains Hollywood’s last true movie star.
12 snips
Sep 24, 2026 • 50min
What Survival Stories Tell Us (and Should We Listen?)
Why do we love stories about people battling nature alone? From Robinson Crusoe and Cast Away to Survivor, Alone, and Apocalypse, the discussion explores wilderness myths, coming-of-age fantasies, practical survival skills, and the psychological cost of isolation. It also asks whether solitary heroics reflect real crises, where cooperation, community, and collective resilience matter most.
Sep 20, 2026 • 57min
Introducing: “The Journey,” from In the Dark
Ava Kofman, an investigative journalist at The New Yorker, introduces her probing audio investigation into a wealthy Los Angeles couple who obtained dozens of children through surrogacy. She recounts one surrogate’s journey from hopeful opportunity to alarm, as women uncover a secret agency, disturbing allegations, and 21 children placed in foster care. The story explores medical risks, emotional fallout, and a dangerously unregulated industry.
Sep 17, 2026 • 47min
That Back-to-School Feeling
As a new school year begins, three critics revisit the thrills and anxieties of classrooms. They field requests for literature that might rouse apathetic students, portray teaching’s emotional stakes, and make poetry feel urgent. Along the way, they explore teaching as performance and recommend books, films, television, and poems that turn education into art, connection, and discovery.
Sep 3, 2026 • 54min
Remembering Dolly Parton
Lauren Michele Jackson, a critic and professor; Amanda Petrusich, a music writer; and Pulitzer Prize winner Kathryn Schulz celebrate Dolly Parton’s life and legacy. They explore her songwriting, three essential tracks, entrepreneurial brilliance, philanthropy, Appalachian roots, and carefully crafted femininity. The conversation also examines her influence on working-class style, queer iconography, and generations of pop stars.
