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This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

Defector

Jonah Walters

Arts And Culture

Stephen Fishbach’s Reality-TV Novel Is More Reality TV Than Novel

Jaya Saxena

Fair Pay Feels Good In A Place Like This

Kathryn Xu

A poster of the American animated movie "GOAT" displayed in a cinema in Yangzhou, Jiangsu, China.

This Is So Stupid

A Series Of Facts About ‘Goat,’ The Steph Curry Goat Movie

Kelsey McKinney

Michael B. Jordan kisses his oscar wearing a brown suit with three small broaches on the lapel.

Brooches Won The Oscars

Israel Daramola

Paul Thomas Anderson accepting an Academy Award

Paul Thomas Anderson Finally Gets His Coronation

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Pete Davidson sits in a garage on an armchair. There's a giant TV on a second armchair with an image of Jon Stewart calling in remotely,

Netflix Has Trapped Pete Davidson In His Garage

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<p>Robert Rubsam writes fiction and nonfiction. His work has appeared in the NYT Magazine, the Atlantic, the Washington Post, the Baffler, and Liberties. He is a contributing writer for Commonweal Magazine.</p>
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Robert Rubsam

Lewis Pullman and Danielle Brooks announce the nominees for Original Score

The Academy Missed Some Of 2025’s Best Film Scores

Luis Paez-Pumar

It’s Just Another Day In ‘Paradise’ Cover Song Hell

Barry Petchesky

WRITER DAN SIMMONS PUBLISHES 'FIRES OF EDEN'

Defector Reads A Book

Dan Simmons Is Dead, So It’s Time To Read ‘Hyperion’

<p>Flatbush Local, Culture Writer, Former Mayor of New York City.</p>


Abe Beame

Lost Recipes


<p><a href="https://twitter.com/petesegall?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pete Segall</a> lives in Chicago. His fiction has appeared in <em>The Bennington Review</em>, <em>Conjunctions</em>, <em>The Drift</em>, and elsewhere.</p>


Pete Segall

A collage featuring three of the different paperback covers for "Cleo Birdwell"'s 1980 novel Amazons.

Don DeLillo’s Funniest Novel Is A 1980 Hockey Sex Romp He Won’t Acknowledge

Patrick Redford

PARIS, FRANCE - MAY 11: Yoko Tawada, Japanese writer poses during portrait session held on May 11, 2006 in Paris, France. (Photo by Ulf Andersen/Getty Images)

Yoko Tawada Is A Genius In Any Language

<p>Erin Somers is the author of the novel <i>The Ten Year Affair</i>.</p>


Erin Somers

Interviews

Talking To A. Natasha Joukovsky About Men, Myths, And March Madness

Maitreyi Anantharaman

The cover of Rooting Interest, next to a jump ball in a WNBA game.

Women's Basketball

How Can You Not Be Romantic About Women’s Basketball? 

<p>Columnist. Author of many <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Drew-Magary/e/B001JS8R52/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1">fine works of literature</a>, including <em>Point B</em>. Handsomest man in the world.</p>


Drew Magary

Life Lessons

Confessions Of A Bookanizer

Rob Rausch in a western shirt sitting in a chair

The Greatest Traitor Of All Time

Nate Rogers

Jason Lee at Netflix and Shondaland's "The Residence" Los Angeles Premiere at The Egyptian Theatre

A Complimentary Profile Of Jason Lee That Was Surprisingly Difficult To Publish

Defector Staff

“Epic Party” – 24 returning players are abandoned on the islands of Fiji for a monumental 50th season, with the chance to win $1 million. The theme of the season, “In the Hands of the Fans,” quickly materializes as decisions from the fan vote swiftly and forcefully impact the game. Castaways reflect on how much they have changed since the last time they played the game. Then, an unforeseen injury during the first immunity challenge causes tribemates to rethink their attack strategy in order to support their team member, on the historic three-hour season premiere of SURVIVOR 50, Wednesday, Feb. 25 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on-demand for Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. Jeff Probst serves as host and executive producer. Pictured L to R. Tiffany Ervin, Dee Valladares, Ozzy Lusth, Joe Hunter, Angelina Keeley, Charlie Davis, Rizo Velovic, Christian Hubicki, Genevieve Mushaluk, Chrissy Hofbeck, Jenna Lewis-Dougherty, Emily Flippen, Kamilla Karthigesu, Savannah Louie, Kyle Fraser, Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, Rick Devens, Mike White, Cirie Fields, Aubry Bracco, Colby Donaldson, Jonathan Young, Q Burdette and Benjamin "Coach" Wade.

An Extensive And Exhaustive Player-By-Player Preview Of ‘Survivor 50’


<p>charismatic megafauna (they/them)</p>


Sabrina Imbler

a screenshot of an email exchange with "Elena Ferrante", which contains six back-and-forth emails out of an exchange of 12

Life's Rich Pageant

What I Learned From My Annoyingly Long Correspondence With “Elena Ferrante”

Is ‘Industry’ Losing Its Edge?

Hannah Seo

What Should Recorded Musicals Do?

Samer Kalaf

Cherien Dabis Discusses The Challenges Of Writing, Filming, And Distributing A Palestinian Movie

<p>Staff Writer</p>
<p>Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19</p>


Chris Thompson

Margot Robbie's mouth, with a hand over it.

Emerald Fennell Now Going Moor-To-Moor Trying To Shock People

Portrait of a beautiful young woman smiling and touching a lantern that illuminates her face.