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Contents Winter 2023 REGULARS p. 3 Editor’s Note p. 6 The Q&A Navalny is Putin’s main opposition, but is he the dissident Russia needs? p. 10 Witness Compiled by our team p. 71 Crossword Set by Chaliapin p. 73 Brainteaser Set by Chris Maslanka COLUMNS p. 8 Soapbox Rubens, Hals, Gentileschi: new exhibitions challenge how we look at women By Samira Ahmed p. 16 Cosmos On the bright future of neutrino astronomy By Marcus Chown p. 70 In a word “Ivory tower” By Michael Rosen p. 74 Shapchat Let’s rekindle the old art of talking to strangers By Shaparak Khorsandi Robin Sheeran on ending religious segregation in Northern Ireland’s schools (page 38) FE ATURE S p. 18 Politics Alex Soros has taken on his father’s philanthropy – and his many enemies By Mike Rothschild p. 22 Science Let’s stop the war on antidepressants. As a psychiatrist, I can see it’s hurting the most vulnerable By Carmine Pariante p. 26 Inter view Dolly Parton on music, #MeToo and her personal philosophy By Graeme Green p. 30 Reportage Why Italy is at the centre of Europe’s “gender wars” By Gabriele Di Donfrancesco p. 34 Rights Celebrating a decade of same-sex marriage By Rachael Lennon p. 38 Society How do we end segregation in Northern Ireland’s schools? By Robin Sheeran p. 42 Technology Will sex have a role in the future of reproduction? By Pavan Amara CULTURE p. 48 Art Philip Guston’s retrospective is finally on, after years of controversy By David McAllister p. 52 Literature A tribute to Larkin’s most twisted poem. Why do we still love it? By Fiona Sampson p. 56 Television Food dramas like Lessons in Chemistry and The Bear need to bring more to the plate By Caroline Crampton A L A M Y ST O C K P HO T O 4 New Humanist | Winter 2023
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Contributors p. 60 Food We need honest labelling to tell us how our meat is produced By Nicola Cutcher BOOKS p. 64 Entertainment A new history of British drag By Juliet Jacques Reviews p. 66 Andrew Heavens on a stolen Ethiopian prince p. 67 David Baddiel’s fight to resist the comforts of religion p. 67 Ann-Helén Laestadius’s novel on the struggles of the Sámi p. 68 Martha Hodes remembers being hijacked by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine IA C O RT E I L LU ST R AT IO N B Y M A R C OV E R p. 69 Rebecca Smith explores the lives of the rural working class POETRY p. 51 Maitreyabandhu p. 55 Fiona Sze-Lorrain p. 59 Kevin Cantwell p. 63 Mark Dow Samira Ahmed is a journalist and broadcaster who presents Front Row on BBC Radio 4 and Newswatch on BBC1 Pavan Amara is a freelance health journalist Robert Ashby is doing a PhD on the evolution of religion. He was chair of Humanists UK until 2016 Jem Bartholomew is a freelance reporter. He has two chapters in the book Broke: Fixing Britain’s Poverty Crisis Marcus Chown is the author of The Magicians: Great Minds and the Central Miracle of Science Caroline Crampton is the author of the forthcoming book A Body Made of Glass Nicola Cutcher is an investigative journalist, writer and documentary filmmaker Gabriele Di Donfrancesco is an Italian journalist based in Rome Jonathan Egid is a writer, editor and teacher of philosophy Graeme Green is a journalist, photographer and editor Juliet Jacques is a writer and filmmaker based in London. She has published five books, most recently Monaco Shaparak Khorsandi is an award-winning comedian and author and vice president of Humanists UK Rachael Lennon is a curator and historian. Her latest book is Wedded Wife: A Feminist History of Marriage Chris Maslanka is the author of several puzzle books David McAllister is associate editor at Prospect Andrew Mueller is a contributing editor at Monocle. His latest book is Carn, on Australian Rules football J. P. O'Malley is a literary critic and interviewer Carmine Pariante is professor of psychiatry at King’s College London and an officer of the British Association for Psychopharmacology Lucy Popescu is a writer, editor and arts and literary critic with a background in human rights Michael Rosen is a poet, broadcaster and winner of the 2023 PEN Pinter Prize. his most recent book for adults is Getting Better Mike Rothschild is a journalist and author. His newest book is Jewish Space Lasers: The Rothschilds and 200 Years of Conspiracy Theories Fiona Sampson is an award-winning British poet and poetry editor of New Humanist Robin Sheeran is a former BBC journalist who works in political communications New Humanist, ISSN 0306-512X, is published four times a year by the Rationalist Association © 2023 New Humanist Printed by Blackmore Ltd, Dorset The views expressed in New Humanist are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Rationalist Association New Humanist | Winter 2023 5

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Contents Winter 2023

REGULARS

p. 3 Editor’s Note p. 6 The Q&A Navalny is Putin’s main opposition, but is he the dissident Russia needs?

p. 10 Witness Compiled by our team p. 71 Crossword Set by Chaliapin p. 73 Brainteaser Set by Chris Maslanka

COLUMNS

p. 8 Soapbox Rubens, Hals, Gentileschi: new exhibitions challenge how we look at women By Samira Ahmed p. 16 Cosmos On the bright future of neutrino astronomy By Marcus Chown p. 70 In a word “Ivory tower” By Michael Rosen p. 74 Shapchat Let’s rekindle the old art of talking to strangers By Shaparak Khorsandi

Robin Sheeran on ending religious segregation in Northern Ireland’s schools (page 38)

FE ATURE S

p. 18 Politics Alex Soros has taken on his father’s philanthropy – and his many enemies By Mike Rothschild p. 22 Science Let’s stop the war on antidepressants. As a psychiatrist, I can see it’s hurting the most vulnerable By Carmine Pariante p. 26 Inter view Dolly Parton on music, #MeToo and her personal philosophy By Graeme Green p. 30 Reportage Why Italy is at the centre of Europe’s “gender wars” By Gabriele Di Donfrancesco p. 34 Rights Celebrating a decade of same-sex marriage By Rachael Lennon p. 38 Society How do we end segregation in Northern Ireland’s schools? By Robin Sheeran p. 42 Technology Will sex have a role in the future of reproduction? By Pavan Amara

CULTURE

p. 48 Art Philip Guston’s retrospective is finally on, after years of controversy By David McAllister p. 52 Literature A tribute to Larkin’s most twisted poem. Why do we still love it? By Fiona Sampson p. 56 Television Food dramas like Lessons in Chemistry and The Bear need to bring more to the plate By Caroline Crampton

A L A M Y ST O C K P HO T O

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New Humanist | Winter 2023

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