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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

Samer Kalaf

Ed Sheeran crying at his Philadelphia concert

Arts And Culture

Ed Sheeran Delivers Pointless Statement Then Cries During Latest Concert

<p>Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.</p>


Nicholas Russell

Interviews

China Miéville On The “Completely Defining” Book It Took 20 Years To Write

Justin Ellis

Brandy Jensen

David Roth

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


Chris Thompson

Alan Ritchson's Jack Reacher character glowers at a screaming man with his hand stuck in an industrial shredder during an episode from season four of Amazon's "Reacher." Reacher is wearing a t-shirt that says "Get Cracked In Philadelphia," and is huge.

He’ll Take The Elevator: Defector Reacher Creatures On ‘Reacher’ Season Four

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Giri Nathan

Kelsey McKinney

Annie Dillard receiving her 2014 National Humanities Medal

Annie Dillard Gave It All

<p>Grace Byron is a critic, reporter, and novelist based in Queens. Her writing has appeared in <em>The New Yorker</em>, <em>Granta</em>, <em>Bookforum</em>, and elsewhere. Her debut novel <em>Herculine</em> is out now.</p>


Grace Byron

A New Book Examines The Wickedness Of Trump. Sort Of.

Israel Daramola

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - OCTOBER 28: Lil Durk performs during iHeart Powerhouse 105.1 at Prudential Center on October 28, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey.

Listening Habits

Feeling Sad About Rap Again

Massive Own-Goal Scored By Ed Sheeran

Macklemore in a green fur coat poses on stage.

Robert Kraft Now Decides Who Tours With Ed Sheeran

The cover of Observer over a black-and-white photo of the Nevada desert.

Nicholas Russell’s Debut Novel Gets Weird In The Desert

Patrick Redford

Head coach Mike McDonald of the Seattle Seahawks celebrates with fans during the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl LX victory celebration and parade at Lumen Field on February 11, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

How NFL Teams Avoid The Great Big Middle


<p><a href="http://Feldman.cool" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brian Feldman</a> is a software engineer living in Brooklyn.</p>


Brian Feldman

New yorkers throw garbage at the green goblin from the Queensboro bridge

How An Unsubtle 9/11 Tribute Was Added To Sam Raimi’s ‘Spider-Man’

Laura Wheatman Hill

Emily St. John Mandel, author of Exit Party

Talking To Emily St. John Mandel About Revision, Timeline Corruption, And Living Without A Floor

Becca Young

‘Furious’ Makes You Face It

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<div>Abigail Segel is a contributing writer at Defector. She is also an editor for The IX Soccer and the Equalizer. Her work has been published in the Guardian and the Montreal Gazette.</div>
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Abigail Segel

Summer May Be Ending, But We’ll Always Have ‘Sterling Point’

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<div>Rena Behar is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor specializing in responsible travel and various international oddities.</div>
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Rena Behar

Fernando Romero’s “El Sol” exhibition

Art Can Be What You Smell

Vikram Murthi

‘It Ends’ Is The Gen Z Horror Movie Of The Year

Tennis

An Interview With A Biographer Of Renée Richards, An Actual Trans Pro Athlete

Joel Pinckney

What Do Booksellers Make Of “The End Of Reading”?

Rachelle Hampton

Dolly Parton stands alone on stage holding a microphone. She's wearing a flowy red top and black bottoms.

Dolly Parton Prepared Us For The End

Don’t Forget The Nails

<p>Peter Coviello is Professor of English at UIC. He writes about normal things: Walt Whitman, Mormon polygamy, stepparenthood, Prince.</p>


Peter Coviello

Dolly, Josephine, And Me

Kate Wagner

Reds Week

There Is Only One Lesson Of Red Vienna


<p><a href="mailto:tara@taraariano.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tara Ariano</a> co-hosts the podcasts <a href="https://www.extrahotgreat.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Extra Hot Great</a>, <a href="https://listentosassy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Listen To Sassy</a>, and <a href="https://www.againwiththis90210.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Again With This</a>. She is also the co-author, with Sarah D. Bunting, of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Very-Special-90210-Book-Absolutely/dp/1419747460?tag=decider08-20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>A Very Special 90210 Book: 93 Absolutely Essential Episodes From TV’s Most Notorious Zip Code</em></a>. Her byline has appeared in the <em>New York Times Magazine</em>, <em>GQ</em>, <em>Vanity Fair</em>, <em>New York</em>, <em>Slate</em>, Vulture, Salon, and The Awl, among many others. She lives in Austin.</p>
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