Inside the Theater of Complicity
In SupremacyLand, visitors are forced to examine how they respond to overt expressions of racial bigotry.
One Last Decade
How the world has—and hasn't—changed since Pacific Standard's first Issue.
A Historian's Take on the Global Uprising Against Poverty Wages
Historian Annelise Orleck traveled to Mexico, Cambodia, and Bangladesh, plus all across America, to interview low-wage workers fighting for better conditions and pay.
PS Picks: Katie Watson's 'Scarlet A: The Ethics, Law, and Politics of Ordinary Abortion'
PS Picks is a selection of the best things that the magazine's staff and contributors are reading, watching, or otherwise paying attention to in the worlds of art, politics, and culture.
Artist Maria Qamar Blends South Asian Sensibilities With Pop Art
We spoke to Maria Qamar about what she recommends reading, watching, and listening to.
PS Picks: The 'Art in the Age of the Internet, 1989 to Today' Exhibition at the Institute of Contemporary Art
PS Picks is a selection of the best things that the magazine's staff and contributors are reading, watching, or otherwise paying attention to in the worlds of art, politics, and culture.
Sarah Jones' Theater of Resistance
The playwright and actress' one-woman shows are deeply political—but she isn't here to preach.
PS Picks: The Conversation Around the Gun-Toting Christian Extremists of Ubisoft's 'Far Cry 5'
PS Picks is a selection of the best things that the magazine's staff and contributors are reading, watching, or otherwise paying attention to in the worlds of art, politics, and culture.
Save American Poetry, Read a Cowboy
At the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, readers and writers celebrate the lyrical beauty of rural existence.
PS Picks: Black Panther's Hollywood Breakout
PS Picks is a selection of the best things that the magazine's staff and contributors are reading, watching, or otherwise paying attention to in the worlds of art, politics, and culture.
A New Book Explores the Commercialization of Far Right Youth Culture in Germany
Sociologist Cynthia Miller-Idriss argues how brands sneak past German laws against Nazi symbols while building a community among customers.
An Environmental Case for Biodegradable Bullets
The Pentagon has paid more than $42 billion to clean up contaminated sites—mostly to private contractors—with little evidence of improvements, a ProPublica investigation found.
How America Uses Digital Tools to Punish Its Poor
A new book argues that America uses digital tools to sequester and punish its poorest citizens. But can we really blame technology?
The Underground Punks of Yangon
In Myanmar, a thriving punk scene has emerged in response to an authoritarian government.
Musician and Professor Vijay Iyer on the Western Canon and the Future of Jazz
We spoke to Vijay Iyer about what he recommends reading, watching, and listening to.
The Life and Times of the World's Oldest Performing Drag Queen
Walter Cole has spent the past 50 years performing at his club in Portland. During that time he became an icon and leader in the community.
'A Fantastic Woman' Sets a Fantastic Example for Transgender Casting
Pacific Standard recommends Sebastián Lelio's new film, which features a remarkable performance by transgender actress Daniela Vega.
The Disneyland of Detroit
How an art installation created by a Ukrainian-American auto-plant worker has become a symbol for the hope and heartbreak of immigrants.
Morgan Jerkins on Intergenerational Trauma in 'This Will Be My Undoing'
Pacific Standard recommends the writer's new collection of essays, which takes an in-depth look at the social, cultural, and historical story of black female oppression.
The Radical Evolution of the Pirelli Calendar
What was once a medium for sexually exploitative imagery has been re-born into a progressive place for empowerment.
Focus Groups and the Culture of Consultation
Political writer Liza Featherstone uses focus groups as a lens on the past, present, and future of the American project.
The Hidden World of Police on Steroids
Professor John Hoberman turns his attention to cops.
Silicon Valley's Culture of 'Know-It-Alls'
Journalist Noam Cohen's new book argues that Silicon Valley is a social wrecking ball, but is that perspective enough to create change?
Spike Lee's Promising and Modern Netflix Reboot of 'She's Gotta Have It'
Pacific Standard recommends this television reboot, which promises to join others in a new wave of entertainment that shows black women negotiating their romantic lives on their own terms.