Variety to Host Inaugural True Crime Summit at SXSW

Hip-hop legend Gucci Mane was allegedly held at gunpoint in a Dallas recording studio on January 10 where prosecutors say Pooh Shiesty forced him to sign papers voiding his 1017 Records contract. Eight men, including Shiesty and his father, were arrested across Texas, Tennessee, and Georgia.

With Survivor 50 at its halfway point, critics debate the Blood Moon twist, Jeff Probst’s meta antics, and whether returnee seasons can still deliver strategic gameplay. Four Defector writers weigh in on standout moments, unforgivable twists, and their bold predictions for the season finale.

Ben Lerner’s novel 'Transcription' reimagines autofiction with tender introspection, blending family trauma, digital dependence, and pandemic-era realities. The book’s three-part structure weaves interviews, memorials, and a child’s eating disorder into a meditation on storytelling’s role in process