CATEGORIES

Stories That Singe

Our world is stranger than fiction but not George Saunders's fiction. In Liberation Day, his first collection of short stories in nearly a decade, the Booker Prize winning author of 11 previous books tees up nine genrebending tales of hell-themed amusement parks and brainwashed protesters for hire. In a world getting weirder every day, these stories are the medicine we need. Saunders sat down with Esquire to take us inside his creative process.

Am I a Superhero to My Sons?

Raising kids in my hometown means that my past and present are always colliding especially at the movies. I'd like to think my own story will have a heroic ending.

John Grisham – What I've Learned

John Grisham Writer, 67, Charlottesville, Virginia

Aldis Hodge Was Built for This

The actor, producer, and, incredibly, watchmaker has been carefully constructing his career for years. Now he's ready for his superhero moment, playing Hawkman opposite the Rock in DC's upcoming Black Adam. Soon you won't be able to look up without seeing him, whether he's wearing Hawkman's wings or the season's coolest coats.

It's Not a Watch. It's a Reminder.

Yes, it tells the time, but it's really a way to keep hold of the good times

MY NEW PERFECT SUIT

Our editor at large went hunting for a suit that's a step up (or two) from what's already in his closet. He got more than he expected.

Boots Built for Battle

The burly Desmond lace-up is steeped in functional style and its fair share of military history

Remaking a Revolutionary

The fifth-generation Range Rover, the original prestige SUV, doubles down on the art of subtle luxury

The Last Great Insult

There is one four-letter word you can still hurl at someone that will sting. Deploy it frequently and ruthlessly.

watches rock

Nobody needs a wristwatch. But it's the things we don't need that we covet most and watches certainly fit the bill. They can be talismans of success, conversation pieces, expressions of taste, or simply good investments. In 2022, a banner year for top-notch releases, these twelve new watches were all of the above. That they also happen to tell us the time without reminding us of all our unread emails is really a bonus.

What I've Learned - Gabby Giffords

Activist, Former Congresswoman, 52, Tucson

Your Personal Item, Upgraded

Prada's sophisticated carryall is the in-flight companion you'll want to have with you well after touching down

Happy 80th, Senator!

Time to go. We’ve always had a minimum age to serve in Congress. How about a max?

The Case for Actual Dad Shoes

Just like the old man himself, the New Balance 990 deserves a round of applause

Confessions of a Male Model

With my rock-hard abs and "main-character energy," I thought I'd be showered in women's attention. Fifteen years later, I'm burying Don Juan for good.

Winter Is Coming

If you're on the hunt for a truly special coat like, say, one of the three standouts you'll see here time is of the essence

A Novelist Walks into a Bar...

If you want to write a novel, start with what baffles you like bellying up to the bar in Alabama

Kid Cudi – The Kid Stay in the Picture

Not so long ago, everything was fucked for Kid Cudi. What a difference a few years make.

A Filthy Good Time

The long-misunderstood dirty martini is back to earn your respect. And to party.

Back to the Future

The Vacheron Constantin 222 was groundbreaking in 1977. It's just as sexy today.

The Strong, Silent Type Will Not Shut Up

My dad's chair, of all things, might be the secret to our culture-wide freak-out about men

Keep Americana Weird

Since 2009, Stag has been a go-to menswear destination for those seeking a contemporary take on classic workwear through a distinctive Austin lens

Ride the Waves

Even in the age of streaming music, radio is alive and well. And it might be the best way to discover that new track.

Jeff Tweedy – Hope Sings

After Covid wiped clear its concert calendar and a creative shift forced its members to abandon plans for an art-pop record, Wilco is back with a brand-new album the rootsy Cruel Country, out now and frontman Jeff Tweedy's got a whole new outlook on life

Two fathers

Their sons were among the sixteen people who were killed in a bus accident on a cold afternoon in Saskatchewan. Chris Joseph and Scott Thomas lost their sons in the same way, but in grief, their roads diverged.

The best Bars

It May Have Been a While Since You Put on a Pair of "nice pants" to go to a bar, but when that very 2022 confluence of joie de vivre and pandemic ennui begins to stir and you hear about a new piano bar with red booths or a semisecret room with Kubrick-level design details or a place that has the best damn Sazerac in the world, you put one leg in after the other and you order yourself a Lyft.

The Follower

When he was nineteen, Jeff Gross fell under the sway of the charismatic, fifty-one-year-old Mildred Gordon. She offered him guidance on life, spiritual fulfillment, and sex. With a handful of others, they started Ganas, an "intentional community" on Staten Island. The world's leading cult deprogrammer calls it something else. Jeff spent more than half his life under Mildred's spell. Today he lives in hiding. For the first time, Jeff tells his extraordinary story about life inside Ganas and how he ultimately escaped.

Got to Get Your Z

The Nissan Z, one of the first affordable two-seat sports cars, is back. And you can buy it in a manual. But with all things going electric and the market for approachable speedsters shrinking, will this be the last of its kind?

The Pop Your Summer Needs

The best way to boost your warm-weather style without piling on the layers? Sling a pendant necklace or two around your neck.

Bloody Good Shoes

Looking to stand apart from the pack? A pair of oxblood loafers or oxfords, or derbiesis exactly what you need.