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This blog is free to read.

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

<div>John is a history teacher, researcher, and writer. He lives in the D.C. area.</div>
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John Mohr

Artist Scott Adams, the creator the "Dilbert" comic series, poses with a cutout of his character in Dublin, Calif. on Feb. 7, 1996. (Photo by Michael Macor/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

I Watched The “Lost” Live-Action ‘Dilbert’ Pilot Episode, And It’s Clear Why It Didn’t Get Picked Up

Mychal Denzel Smith is the author of Stakes Is High, winner of the Kirkus Prize for Non-Fiction.

Mychal Denzel Smith

I Thoroughly Enjoyed Watching Michael Rapaport Eat Shit On ‘The Traitors’

Eli Cugini

Arts And Culture

Fanfiction’s Total Cultural Victory

Elon Green is the author of The Man Nobody Killed and Last Call.

Elon Green

Michael Connelly Should Stick To Fake Crime

David Roth

Tom Ley

We Live In The Bone Temple Now

James Webster

Elisa Shua Dusapin Is The Real Deal

Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.

Nicholas Russell

Interviews

Natan Last Has Thought A Lot About Crosswords

Barry Petchesky

‘The Disintegration Loops’ Are Music’s Loveliest Death

Israel Daramola

‘Industry’ Is As Beautifully Dumb As Ever

charismatic megafauna (they/them)

Sabrina Imbler

A self-portrait by Leonardo da Vinci in which he looks displeased, perhaps making the face he would make if he learned that scientists were trying to grind up some ancient hair to unlock a supervision gene

Leonardo da Vinci’s Legacy Won’t Be Found In His DNA

E.Y. Zhao is a writer and editor from St. Louis. Her debut novel, <a href="https://astrapublishinghouse.com/product/underspin-9781662603266/">Underspin</a>, set in the world of competitive table tennis, is out now. She holds a BA in history from Harvard College and an MFA from the University of Michigan.

E.Y. Zhao

‘Marty Supreme’ Bears Us Into The New World

Defector Staff

Year In Review

The Best Things We Read In 2025

Kelsey McKinney

Brandy Jensen

Some Thoughts On ‘Heated Rivalry,’ Including But Not Limited To: Ahhhh, Mmmm, And [Crying Emoji]

Eva Holland is a freelance writer and editor based in Whitehorse, Yukon. She&#8217;s a correspondent for Outside magazine and the author of the books Nerve and <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/no-sleep-til-fairbanks#/">No Sleep &#8216;Til Fairbanks</a>.

Eva Holland

‘Heated Rivalry’ Is Bringing Me Back To Hockey

The 2025 Hate List

Thomas A. Edison (1847-1931) experimenting with the first motion picture machine. B/W photo,1905.

The Best Things We Saw In 2025

Ray Ratto

a hand holds a framed photo of Zooey Deschanel, Charlie Cox, and a terrier mix played by Gus the Dog. Everyone is in christmas attire

Defector Watches A Christmas Movie: ‘Merv’

Lauren Theisen

A exterior view of the Palace Theatre at the opening night of "West Side Story" on Broadway at the Palace Theatre on March 19, 2009

The Best And The Most Of My 2025 In Theater

Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.

Dan McQuade

Corporate office, maybe mid-2010s style. Two women are walking in the background, and in front of them is a digital display about Charlie Duncan, case number 1016897, and how she's rude, deceptive, and a general menace.

Defector Watches A Christmas Movie: ‘She’s Making A List’

American Cant

American director, producer, and actor Rob Reiner gestures near a camera while crew members surround him outdoors on the set of his film, 'North.'