Novocain Nation

On Novocain

Michael Clune | Paris Review | 6th March 2023

Recovering addict, having been clean for 17 years, is prescribed opiates for a dental procedure. The presence of drugs in his life puts him into the grip of what he terms the "Pain Medication Paradox". Should addicts be denied pain relief, because it increases the chance of relapse and, ultimately, death, even though to make people suffer when an easy solution exists seems horribly inhumane? (2,634 words)

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Sainsbury's Packaged A Nation’s Dreams

Ruby Tandoh | Vittles | 6th March 2023

When the British grocery chain Sainsbury's switched in 1950 from old-fashioned counter service to the "less theatrically deferential way of selling food" that persists today, design suddenly became a crucial part of shopping. It was no longer enough for food to be packed safely, it needed to be packaged cleverly to feed the consumer's aspirations of fresh food and a fresh start after WW2 (2,580 words)