In the latest installment of the Critics at Large advice series, Vinson Cunningham, Naomi Fry, and Alexandra Schwartz answer listeners’ questions about a range of conundrums. Some seek to immerse themselves in fictional worlds; others look for help with their own creative practices. Plus, the actor Morgan Spector (best known as Mr. Russell on “The Gilded Age”) calls in to ask the critics about poetry. “As always after we do this kind of show, my faith in humankind is restored,” Fry says. “Our listeners want to connect—they want to grow. They’re looking to pass through life not just on autopilot but to look to culture for meaning.”

Read, watch, and listen with the critics:

“Ethan Hawke: Give yourself permission to be creative” (TED)
The poetry of Diane Seuss
“Lilacs,” by Rainer Diana Hamilton
“The Wire” (2002-8)
“The Americans” (2013-18)
“Billy Joel: And So It Goes” (2025)
“The Good Wife” (2009-16)
“30 Rock” (2006-13)
“How a Billionaire Owner Brought Turmoil and Trouble to Sotheby’s,” by Sam Knight (The New Yorker)
“Lupin” (2021—)
“The First Wives Club” (1996)
“A Quick Killing in Art,” by Phoebe Hoban
“Where Have All My Deep Male Friendships Gone?” by Sam Graham-Felsen (the New York Times Magazine)
Aaron Karo and Matt Ritter’s “Man of the Year”
“The Archers” (1951—)
“How to Cook a Wolf,” by M. F. K. Fisher
“Home Cooking,” by Laurie Colwin
“Fresh Air with Terry Gross”
“What Was Paul Gauguin Looking For?,” by Alexandra Schwartz (The New Yorker)
“Wild Thing,” by Sue Prideaux
“Mr. Turner” (2014)
“Topsy-Turvy” (1999)
“The Work of Art: How Something Comes from Nothing,” by Adam Moss
Suzan-Lori Parks’s “Watch Me Work”

New episodes drop every Thursday. Follow Critics at Large wherever you get your podcasts.

Critics at Large is a weekly discussion from The New Yorker that explores the latest trends in books, television, film, and more. Join us every Thursday as we make unexpected connections between classic texts and pop culture.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices