Christopher Beha

Sep 11, 2023 | harpers.org | Amir Ahmadi Arian |Christopher Beha

Isolated for years by strict censorship laws, community infighting, and language barriers, the writer Amir Ahmadi Arian often turned to Hamed Esmaeilion’s work for solace. In addition to authoring short stories and two novels, Esmaeilion chronicled mundane moments with his family on a blog that resonated deeply with Arian, someone of the same generation also working and living in the Iranian diaspora.

Sep 5, 2023 | harpers.org | Adam Kirsch |Christopher Beha

Reading Zadie Smith’s 'The Fraud' as Gen X literature Reviewing Zadie Smith’s The Fraud for the latest issue of Harper’s Magazine, Adam Kirsch takes stock of Generation X as a literary phenomenon. He finds “Gen X lit” to be composed of two distinct waves, between which Smith is caught.

Jul 31, 2023 | harpers.org | Jason Blakely |Christopher Beha

In his August cover story for Harper’s Magazine, Jason Blakely argues that an overreliance on scientific authority, or “scientism,” only furthered the divide between those who adhered to and those who disobeyed public health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of engendering legitimacy through dialogue, Blakely says, policymakers passed down “neutral” doctrines in the name of science and often at the expense of other social values.

Jul 24, 2023 | harpers.org | Krithika Varagur |Elena Saavedra Buckley |Christopher Beha

An estimated one out of every four Nigerians is a silent carrier of sickle cell disease, a hemoglobin disorder that can cause serious health problems and even death. With recent advancements in genetic testing, many Nigerians won’t take the risk of reproducing with other silent carriers or people with the disease. But, as Krithika Varagur reports, love doesn’t always accord with the Punnett square.

Jun 6, 2023 | harpers.org | Christopher Beha