A solitary person stands in the center of an expansive, undulating desert landscape dotted with sparse vegetation and carved with winding patterns.

Hannah Long / June 20, 2026

Steven Spielberg’s Disenchantment

The growing alienation of E.T.’s creator.

A still from 'Disclosure Day.' (Photo courtesy of © Universal Studios.)

When Steven Spielberg was a boy, his dad woke him up in the middle of the night and dragged him out to the car. Blearily, Steven demanded to know what it was all about. His father only said, “I have a surprise for you.”

They drove for 30 minutes before pulling to a stop on a remote hillside. As they stepped out, Arnold Spielberg pointed up.

Hannah Long

Hannah Long is an Appalachian writer living in New York City. Her writing has appeared in Angelus News, The Bulwark, First Things, and Plough Magazine.