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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

Arts And Culture

Jules Boykoff’s ‘Kicking’ Is Clear-Eyed And Warm-Hearted

Alex Sujong Laughlin

Image of the cover of "Famesick" by Lena Dunham with cutouts of the pair of legs from the cover copied all around it.

Lena Dunham Can’t Help Herself

Brandy Jensen

American Cant

<p>Alex Shultz is a journalist based in Brooklyn. He&#8217;s a writer for <a href="https://www.hardresetmedia.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.hardresetmedia.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1763581679564000&amp;usg=AOvVaw07bi0TNndgTXDN2QH72s3J">Hard Reset,</a> a newsletter about tech, labor, and power.</p>


Alex Shultz

US Senator John Fetterman, Democrat of Pennsylvania, looks at his cellphone in between Senate votes to reopen the government on day 41 of the government shutdown at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, November 10, 2025. The longest-ever US government shutdown appeared headed Monday to an eventual resolution, after several Democratic senators broke ranks to join Republicans in advancing a compromise deal -- sparking intra-party backlash.

Politics

John Fetterman’s Memoir Is As Low-Effort As His Senate Tenure

Soraya Roberts

Hanif Kureishi attends the press night after party for "The Buddha Of Suburbia" at the Barbican Centre on October 29, 2024 in London, England.

Defector Reads A Book

Hanif Kureishi Writes Himself Anew In ‘Shattered’

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) speaks to press after voting on the nomination of Michael Duffey to be Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment on June 02, 2025 in Washington, DC. Senators returned to Capitol Hill on Monday after the Memorial Day Holiday recess.

Nobody Wants To Talk About John Fetterman And Buzz Bissinger’s Pricey Memoir Project

Niko Stratis

Jakob Dylan, in 1997, singing in front of a microphone. He has short curly hair, maybe has a little beard, and he's in a long sleeve collared button-front shirt. He's playing guitar. In the corner there's an image of a book cover: The Dad Rock That Made Me A Woman, by Niko Stratis

Book Excerpts That Don't Suck

Got To Be Something Better Than In The Middle

Aparna Nancherla speaks onstage during The 2023 New Yorker Festival at SVA Theater 1 on October 07, 2023 in New York City.

Aparna Nancherla Is My Favorite Impostor

Maria Bamford discusses her memoir "Sure, I'll Join Your Cult" with Phoebe Robinson at Symphony Space on September 05, 2023 in New York City.