Patrick Radden Keefe on “London Falling,” His Book About a Teen-Ager’s Mysterious Life and Death

When Patrick Radden Keefe was living in London while shooting the TV adaptation of his book “Say Nothing,” he heard about a teen-ager who fell from a luxurious apartment tower in mysterious circumstances. As he looked into it, he learned that the boy, Zac Brettler, had assumed an alternate identity as the son of a Russian oligarch, and had connected with dangerous people—just as mysterious. His story in The New Yorker, “A Teen’s Fatal Plunge into the London Underworld,” became the basis of his new book “London Falling.” “It’s not crime, per se, that interests me,” Radden Keefe tells David Remnick, “but the intermingling of the licit and illicit worlds, and the ways in which people deviate from a kind of conventional morality by degrees—and then the stories that they tell themselves about doing that.” He shares recordings from Brettler’s parents of conversations that they had as they sought to uncover what had happened to their son.

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Sarah Longwell, a Former Republican, on “How to Eat an Elephant”

The political consultant Sarah Longwell runs focus groups of voters, and she has a lot of advice for Democrats seeking to wrest control of the government from MAGA. Longwell, a former Republican disaf...

4 Sep 27min

Gloria Steinem in Conversation with David Remnick, from 2015

Gloria Steinem, who died on September 2nd, at the age of ninety-two, was one of the most influential figures of our time in politics and feminism. Her work shaped the ideas of generations of Americans...

3 Sep 15min

Ian Frazier and Samy Burch on “Coyote vs. Acme”

In the film “Coyote vs. Acme,” which was released this week, the ingenious but unlucky Wile E. Coyote sues the Acme Corporation for damages caused by its malfunctioning merchandise. That is also the p...

1 Sep 16min

Kai Bird on Roy Cohn, a Founding Father of Donald Trump’s America

During the height of Roy Cohn’s friendship with Donald Trump, according to the historian Kai Bird, “they were on the phone with each other a dozen times a day.” Bird’s new book, “American Scoundrel,” ...

28 Aug 34min

Jessica Tarlov, a Lonely Liberal on Fox News’ “The Five”

Fox News’ “The Five” is the most-watched program on cable news. So there are millions of eyes on Jessica Tarlov, who occupies the liberal hot seat (alternating with Harold Ford, Jr.) on a panel featur...

25 Aug 22min

Jon Lovett Answers Your Questions

In the 2026 midterm elections, close finishes in crucial swing states have put a spotlight on the divide between the Democratic Party’s moderate and progressive wings. Jon Lovett straddles that divide...

21 Aug 28min

Erin Brockovich Takes on Data Centers

Since a famous case against a California utility, the name Erin Brockovich has become synonymous with a fighter taking on big polluters. Earlier this year, Brockovich began receiving e-mails from peop...

18 Aug 23min

Bernie Sanders Takes on Data Centers

The data centers that power artificial intelligence are being built at a rampant pace, and are spurring resistance all over the country. Apart from public concerns about A.I.’s impact on jobs, privacy...

14 Aug 26min