Issue No. 02 | Female Trouble
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One of the biggest professional challenges a woman can face is finding the right mentor. We photographed six pairs of mentor/mentees to learn more.
Pairs253.7
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The Nib
Inside the mind of Trump’s most-forgotten daughter. Plus: It’s not illegal to say “abortion,” we’ll just take away your money and job if you do.
Wonders202.13
5 films | 26 min In this darkly comic new digital series, a young woman navigates her way around New York. It can be hard when you're looking at an Instagram that goes into the future, debating entering a portal into …
Off Topic
Scientists have been puzzling for years about why only three species in the animal kingdom are known to go through menopause. New research might hold the answer.
Hot Flashes 271.06
Taken from the true-life news stories that spawned many memes, Florida Man collects the crimes, misdemeanors, and bizarrely unclassifiable actions of denizens of the Sunshine State…
Light Bulb599.9
America was built in part by truckers, the people who move goods and products from place to place. Writer Mary Pilon explores the history of women whose contributions to the trucki…
Long Haul343.09
Potpourri 305.4
Mixtape
6 films | 1 hr 7 min A day in the life of a girl in Istanbul, a documentary about a gender-fluid child, a woman who gets off on public transit, the perils of social media, a cat lover with major issues, and Gaby Hoffmann.…
Monologue
Building sympathy for some of the most noxious characters appearing in motion pictures is director Todd Solondz’s speciality.
Divisive 791.43
A Taiwanese photographer’s husband cheated on her. In response, she began photographing her country’s trashy love motels.
Betrayal306.73
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Don’t miss the best of Topic
In El Salvador, abortion is totally banned, and women can be charged with murder for birth complications or miscarriages.
Witch Hunt 179.76
In this exclusive excerpt from an upcoming book, a woman waiting for her Prince Charming learns a tough lesson about love.
Underground 741.5
A look back at the tight-knit friendship and troubled adolescence of two teenage girls who went their separate ways—then found one another all over again.
Virtue304.2
Women’s public bathrooms are special places, sanctuaries where folks of all ages, colors, and shapes come together for conversation, relief, self-reflection, and respite from—or re…
Sanctum643.3
Female ambition is known to drop precipitously during middle school. We asked six girls about their future career plans, and photographed their answers.
Dreamz814.6
The wild story of one lawyer, two men and some very unlikely defenses for espionage against America.
Incognito 332.49
Reaction Shot
There’s something fascinating about looking at people looking at something out of view. In this case, it’s Old Faithful, one of the most photographed natural wonders in the United …
National Parks917.3
No one loves their pets more than Americans. An essay by Eileen Myles, with photographs from a dog spa in Florida.
Lavish636.7
The rise in mass shootings has not gone unnoticed by law enforcement. Hence, new training grounds that are particularly of this time: schools to prepare students, teachers, and pol…
Rage613.69
War doesn’t just impact the battlefield. In this essay, we look at seven sites within the U.S. where environmental damage has followed military build-up.
Disaster363.72
Office parks, island nations, private prisons—all immigrant detention centers. Here are six examples of how American government officials have been both metaphorically and literall…
Solitary 365
ASAP Fables
In this modern-day take on the old fable, a free-spirited grasshopper must decide if he’s cut out for the grueling life of a worker ant.
Get Ahead650.1
Podcasts
On February 15, 2014, fitness guru Richard Simmons disappeared. What happened? Filmmaker (and friend) Dan Taberski leads us down a winding road to find the star.
Perspiration613.7
Life in Los Angeles means waiting in line, either to serve or be served.
Hollywood979.49
Memorial Day is celebrated across the U.S. but it’s a particularly special day in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In some ways, it seems that the battle never ended.
Still Fighting973.73
The cracked vase. The peering eyes. Edward Gorey’s work is unmistakable. Enjoy five short animations using previously unpublished audio recordings of the late genius.
Spooksville823.08
You’ve heard of Little Italy in Manhattan or Chinatown in San Francisco. But what about Little India in Millbourne, Pennsylvania?
Generational 301.45
Cold Open
Begin this month’s issue with 1960 speech from a Canadian politician about cats, mice and reaching for more than the political hand that you’re dealt.
Vermin335.6
Divisions of Labor
One of the biggest differences between America’s political parties is the role of government. So it’s time to actually meet some public servants.
Civil Service353
Welcome to Topic.
Debut006.6
Think of this weekly podcast as your survival handbook to living in America in 2017. Featuring comedians W. Kamau Bell and Hari Kondabolu, it is both hilarious and cathartic.
Duos 220.7
The quintessential summer experience, melting in your hand.
Viscous 813.6
Our Town
In this series, we ask a photographer to turn the lens on her hometown. Visit a Northern California city with a suddenly hot real estate market.
Joneses720
From the genius political cartoonists at The Nib, an animated series attempting to make sense of our crummy times.
Funnies973.91
The city of Syracuse, New York, is divided, and not just metaphorically. Interstate 81 has carved the town in half, and the results are tragic.
Juxtapose625.8
The story of how this now-infamous photo is fascinating. And we’re not even talking about what the bird is doing in the picture.
Radioactive598.2
What do our parents give us? In this essay, writer Namwali Serpell tackles the particular legacy of her white father.
