Critics at Large | The New Yorker

Episode: I Need a Critic: One-Hundredth-Episode Edition
Date: January 22, 2026
Hosts: Vinson Cunningham, Nomi Frye, Alexandra Schwartz
Special Guest: David Remnick

Overview

For their momentous hundredth episode, the Critics at Large celebrate with cake, confetti, and—most importantly—their listeners. This special edition of their recurring “I Need a Critic” format focuses on listener-submitted cultural dilemmas. The panel dispenses advice on everything from building a teen’s record collection to bridging cultural boycotts, all while reflecting on the quirks and communal experiences of being a critic and a fan. Guest appearance from The New Yorker's editor David Remnick brings extra festivity and insight, and the episode closes with the critics posing their own dilemmas for the audience to solve.

Key Discussion Points and Listener Questions

1. The Teen Record Collection Dilemma (04:48)

Listener: Andrea from the Hudson Valley
Question: What records should I add to my 12-year-old daughter’s new collection? She has Taylor Swift and even Huey Lewis, but what else?

• Nomi Frye shares her hands-off, discovery-driven approach:

  “If I push too hard towards something, my daughter will probably be like, ‘No, thank you.’ So I try to be a little hands off and just let her kind of explore on her own.” (05:24)

• Alex Schwartz suggests classic “starter pack” picks:

  “Definitely a Billie Holiday album, maybe Body and Soul. I would do Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan, for sure. Probably Blue by Joni Mitchell.” (07:00)

• Vinson Cunningham recommends using records as a chance to converse:

  “The sort of buying of records is just a great way to get into a rhythm of a certain kind of conversation… a one-for-one exchange that might formalize itself in the form of buying a record.” (07:29) He also notes contemporary picks, like Icelandic singer LÁLFA (Laufey):
  “She has this, like, silky way of bringing bossa nova into her music… there’s new music that comes out on vinyl.” (08:30)

2. Getting Non-Readers to Read (09:21)

Listener: Maxwell from Washington State
Question: What book do you give someone who doesn’t read, to start them reading?

• Vinson Cunningham: "Memoir really does work well… I regret almost everything by Keith McNally." (10:04)

• Alex Schwartz: Endorses the audiobook, noting actor Richard E. Grant’s memorable reading style. (11:08)

• Nomi Frye: Advocates for short, accessible novels, suggesting Gwendoline Riley:

  “If you feel intimidated… pick a book that’s a relatively easy lift. I’m thinking about the novels of Gwendoline Riley… they’re all quite short, pretty sparse.” (11:21)

• Alex Schwartz (to Maxwell, about finding community):

  “I think you need some new friends. They are out there—join a book group...you deserve it, Maxwell.” (12:28)

3. Special Guest: David Remnick Joins (13:10)

David Remnick arrives with cake, confetti, and two burning questions:

a) What to Watch in Espionage Entertainment? (14:19)

• David Remnick: Asks for spy/espionage TV recommendations.
• Vinson Cunningham: Praises HBO’s Task starring Mark Ruffalo:

  “Ruffalo—he’s had a horrible family tragedy. Now, he’s leading a small field office filled with pain… the pain is visceral. He drinks vodka every day out of a child's plastic cup.” (15:16)

• Panel: Affirms Task is a strong, character-driven recommendation.

b) How to Read in a Distracted World? (15:55)

• Alex Schwartz: Endorses Opal, a paid app for blocking distractions:

  “You can block various apps on your phone using Opal.” (16:21)

• Nomi Frye: Goes for social media “cleanses” (deleting Instagram for months):

  “That helped me read a lot more and concentrate.” (16:57)

• Vincent Cunningham: Mentions “Brick,” a gadget that physically disables apps. (17:07)

• Remnick: Jokes about reading during Knicks games, sound off.

• Vinson Cunningham: “I don’t think David Remnick needs to be more productive. Maybe you need to be on your phone a little bit.” (17:29)

• Panel: Reminds Remnick, and themselves, to enjoy and not self-flagellate.

4. Naming Future Children (19:12)

Listener: Annie
Question: How do you choose a baby name with all the cultural baggage and trends attached?

• Nomi Frye: Values names pronounced the same across languages:

  “I wanted the name to be pronounced the same in every place and language… For some reason, that universality was really kind of like, I wanted it to be easy for her.” (19:57)

• Alex Schwartz: Chose “Benjamin” for tradition; notes that even unique names can become generational trends:

  “There’s always a category of distinctive names… and then it just turns out, that’s the name of the generation.” (22:07)

• Vinson Cunningham: Likes names that reflect a personal moment in the parent’s life:

  “The name has to inspire that same rush of affection and gratitude and, importantly, memory. My younger daughter’s name, Luz, means light. I named her at a time when I really wanted a light in my life.” (23:02)

5. Not Liking What Everyone Else Loves (24:40)

Listener: Emily from Vermont
Question: The world adored Die My Love, but Emily found it heavy-handed. Are there cultural moments where you’re out of step with consensus?

• Nomi Frye:

  “I am with you, my friend. You will never walk alone as far as it concerns me and the movie Die my Love. Absolutely unmoved.” (25:39) “I do believe in my taste. …just like on a visceral level. And just be proud of that. Your taste is what creates you, partly.” (26:13)

• Vincent Cunningham: Recently felt this with the band Geese’s album Getting Killed:

  “I listen to it… okay… but there is a consensus around this album I can’t feel my way into. …I've learned a new facet of my own taste in this negative way.” (27:38)

6. Reading in a Second Language (29:05)

Listener: Elsa
Question: How do you fall in love with reading in a foreign language? It feels like work, not pleasure.

• Alex Schwartz: Validates the difficulty:

  “I love speaking French… but I don’t love reading in French… I feel like I’m reading through basically, like, Vaseline, fogged glasses.” (29:03)

• Vinson Cunningham: Recommends poetry in the new language:

  “One lyric poem might take you a long time, but every time you do that, you’re learning.” (30:17)

• Nomi Frye: Suggests scheduled, “choreographic” reading:

  “It’s okay if something needs to be a little bit of homework… not necessarily fun, but useful.” (30:43)

7. The Road Trip Playlist Conflict (31:37)

Listener: Isa
Question: My partner and I have totally different musical tastes. Any advice for road trips? Songs, playlists, even audiobooks or podcasts?

• Vinson Cunningham: Turn it into a creative, collaborative challenge:

  “Making the playlist is an answer to the question, what does Bad Bunny have to do with Taylor Swift? …Start with three for you, three for him, and find songs in the conversational air between your songs and his.” (33:07)

• Alex Schwartz: Suggests pivoting to shared podcasts, specifically What Went Wrong (about movie mishaps then movies themselves):

  “Look for some movies that you’ve both seen, and it could become like a kind of playlist as you drive.” (34:45)

8. Europe Boycotting American Culture (35:49)

Listener: Astrid from Copenhagen
Question: With friends and neighbors boycotting American products and culture due to politics, how do we fall back in love? Do you miss Europe as much as we miss you?

• All: Express deep longing and regret over the rift:

  “We miss you, Astrid. I think we miss you to the extent of, like, wanting to move in with you.” – Nomi Frye (37:13)

• Nomi Frye: Recommends Linklater’s Before Sunrise trilogy:

  “A loving depiction of the love and compassion… between the American protagonist and the French protagonist.” (37:30)

• Vinson Cunningham: Suggests reading Henry James’s The Ambassadors:

  “The sort of change in perception that overcomes an interested and open American upon reaching Europe… a kind of diplomacy of the heart.” (38:43)

• Alex Schwartz: Recommends facing American energy head-on with Marty Supreme:

  “A hustler who only cares for himself, who’s like, in many ways the worst aspect of the society, but… also the best aspect of the society. …Brush up against that absolute, frenetic…American energy.” (39:11)

Special Segment: Critics Need Critics

In a twist, the hosts pose their own dilemmas for listeners’ advice (41:16):

• Vinson Cunningham: How do parents fit all the art and culture they want to engage with into the short hours after a child’s bedtime? (41:57)
• Alex Schwartz: What great art or literature about sports should she dive into next? (43:11)
• Nomi Frye: Is there a book/movie/album out there that offers both relaxation/comfort and intellectual enrichment? (43:51)

“Help us, help us.” – Alex Schwartz (41:32)

Listeners are invited to send responses to themail@newyorker.com (subject line: Critics).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On making it to Episode 100:

  “It’s not every day that a podcast celebrates its hundredth episode.” – Nomi Frye (02:09)

• On naming children:

  “You want the name to be as much of a, I don’t know, carrier of hope and joy as the child is.” – Vincent Cunningham (23:02)

• On not loving the consensus pick:

  “Be proud of your own taste. …Your taste is what creates you partly.” – Nomi Frye (26:13)

• On art as bridgework in partnerships:

  “The playlist that you make is…a syllabus of your joint enjoyments. It’s going to make you and him better.” – Vincent Cunningham (33:07)

• On international rifts and longing:

  “We want to be where you are for us over here at Critics At Large HQ. You know, much love to Europe.” – Alex Schwartz (37:20)

• On the heart of criticism:

  “We help you, we hope. Now we need your help.” – Alex Schwartz (41:34)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:48] — Advice for a tween's first record collection
• [09:21] — How to get non-readers into reading
• [13:10] — David Remnick joins: cake, confetti, TV requests, and attention spans
• [19:12] — How to choose a baby name
• [24:40] — Not liking “must-see” culture
• [29:05] — The challenge of reading in a second language
• [31:37] — The ultimate road trip playlist dilemma
• [35:49] — Europe–America culture rifts: can arts reconnect us?
• [41:16] — Critics turn to listeners for advice

Tone & Style

The conversation is affectionate, self-deprecating, and inviting—full of both erudition and warmth. The critics mix pragmatic advice with deeper reflections on taste, art, and the mysteries of culture, always keeping the listener in mind. Their banter celebrates both dissent and shared obsession, and the episode foregrounds community in art and criticism.

Takeaway

This centennial episode is both a celebration of the show's ongoing dialogue with its listeners and a deft miniature of what makes the show special: critical generosity, curiosity, and delight in pop culture and the arts—and in each other.

For more, listen to full episodes of Critics at Large at newyorker.com or wherever you get your podcasts.