Welcome back to the Weekend Press! Today, Eli Lake has two drinks with Ben Shapiro. Bernard-Henri Lévy is starring in a new play about the Dreyfus Affair, which may be more relevant now than ever. Nicholas Delbanco on overcoming the genius’s curse: early death. Plus: Don’t miss Suzy Weiss’s sit-down with Scooter Braun. And more!
But first: a school’s-out special.
Summer is fast approaching, which means parents across the country will be faced with the age-old question: What are your kids going to do when the school year ends?
Gone are the days when children played outside until dusk, left to fend for themselves in the great outdoors. In its place has come hypervigilant parenting: chaperoned play dates, cell phones tucked into summer camp bags, and endless résumé-building activities. At the other extreme, some parents opt out of oversight altogether: handing their children an iPad and letting them scroll the days away.
It’s not hard to see how we got here. A world saturated with technology and alarming headlines can make real life feel riskier than anything behind a screen. The problem is: That perception is entirely backward. Screen time makes kids depressed and anxious, while micromanagement leaves them with no independence at all.
So, what’s a modern parent to do? Today, we bring you two pieces answering that question.
For years, NPR reporter Michaeleen Doucleff struggled to pry her daughter away from screens as bedtime approached. Eventually, she hit a breaking point, and two summers ago, she eliminated screens entirely—hiding devices and steering her daughter toward biking, crocheting, and other hands-on activities. The results, she writes, exceeded her wildest expectations. Read her piece on how her family embarked upon a screen-free summer—and how you can, too.
As for those risk-averse parents who can’t stop micromanaging, primary care physician Charlotte Grinberg has some news for you: If you think a sheltered child is a safer child, think again. “Modern parenting seems saturated with the language of safety and the avoidance of immediate risk,” she writes. But allowing kids to encounter everyday messiness—from scraped knees to shared germs—is the key to building resilience that lasts a lifetime.
If you ask New York magazine, Ben Shapiro’s “media empire is collapsing.” If you ask Megyn Kelly, his business is “hemorrhaging.” And if you ask some parts of the MAGA coalition, the conservative political commentator should be kicked out of their orbit. But when Eli Lake sat down with Shapiro in Boca Raton, Florida, on Thursday, the man he met seemed utterly unbothered. Shapiro talks with Eli about what’s really happening at The Daily Wire; his falling-out with Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson; why the new right has a “conspiracy problem”; and his affinity for Jerusalem martinis. “My usual strategy when ordering is to ask them to just bring me the girliest drink they can find, because I have the palate of a child.”
Live fast, die young—that’s the story of many of history’s greatest artists. From Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to George Gershwin to Jimi Hendrix, early death seems all too often to be the price exacted by greatness. But for others, the story lives on far longer than that—take, for example, saxophonist Sonny Rollins, who died this week at 95. In this week’s Ancient Wisdom, writer Nicholas Delbanco reflects on why an artist’s greatest magic may come in his twilight years: “There’s no self-evident reason an older creative artist can’t replace lost energy with expertise, or ambition with wisdom.”
There is no single explanation for the resurgence of antisemitism, yet its presence is unmistakable: on our streets, in classrooms, and across social media. It recalls some of history’s darkest eruptions of prejudice—including one at the center of Jean-Claude Grumberg’s 1974 play, “Dreyfus in Rehearsal,” centered on a troupe of actors staging the infamous Dreyfus affair. In this week’s Things Worth Remembering, Bernard-Henri Lévy reflects on Grumberg’s masterpiece, and on its new adaptation, now on stage in New York. The play, he writes, “is neither an exercise in theater nor in memory”; it is a mirror to reality. Read his piece; then go see Lévy perform in the production on June 2 and 3.
Second Thought
This week, Suzy sat down with Scooter Braun, once one of music’s most powerful kingmakers, who helped define pop culture in the internet age. He reflects on discovering Justin Bieber, discusses how Kanye West’s antisemitic spiral ended their relationship, and reveals exclusive new details about becoming the villain in Taylor Swift’s fairy tale: “I legitimately don’t know her,” he said. And wait till you hear what he says about his new girlfriend.
Listen to the episode wherever you get your podcasts, or watch the YouTube vid below. And if you want to keep up-to-date with everything Suzy does, don’t miss her newsletter!
Knock Knock, It’s Cupid!
A new batch of ads from single Free Pressers is live on our site. Click here to meet a cello-playing Southern belle in Philadelphia; an espresso-making Rolling Stones fan; or a Hawaiian Israeli who has dual citizenship and three cats! If you’d like to take a chance at Free Press love, write a short paragraph that defines you, including your age, where you live, and what you’re looking for, and send it over to Cupid@TheFP.com.
We’ve published plenty of other excellent culture pieces this week, including Caitlin Flanagan on Pratt Daddy’s revenge, Alex Sasse on how her father, Ben Sasse, raised her, and Kat Rosenfield on why Belle Burden’s fan base isn’t going anywhere . . .
How should you spend your weekend? We asked Free Press fellow Tanner Nau for his recommendations . . .
🚶Walk . . . to a park. I’ve never fancied myself a walker, but late afternoon and early morning strolls have become a godsend for me. It’s the best way to clear a busy or worried mind and prepare for the week ahead. Living in Washington, D.C., I am fortunate to have dozens of parks, but if you don’t have one close by, walk to the closest patch of open grass or bench. My thoughts are clearer when I’m breathing fresh air, taking in the sun (or sunset), and listening to birds chirping. Bring a book, too, preferably a novel. (I just finished Norman Mailer’s An American Dream after reading it during my visits to Lincoln Park just east of the U.S. Capitol.)
🎵 Listen . . . to one of my favorite non-Free Press podcasts, How I Write, with David Perell. Tom Segura—arguably the funniest person in the world—joined the show last week to talk about the craft of comedy, and how random observations about day-to-day life are typically the genesis of his best jokes. It’s fascinating to see how he does it, and, of course, the episode is full of classic Segura wit.
🚗Ride . . . in a Waymo, or any other self-driving car, to mark National Autonomous Vehicle Day on Sunday. The (real, I promise) holiday comes as self-driving taxis expand into large cities around the country—and soon the world. Kick back, relax, and let a robot take the wheel.
Last but not least: Feast your eyes on one of Hilma af Klint’s greatest creations . . .
That’s all, folks! Have a great weekend.
I don’t watch many long interviews. I was intrigued with the Scooter Braun interview. I only knew about him as a tabloid character. But man, am I glad I watched it. Great work! And some good life lessons.