Short List
What to read this week, from a history of a secret Nixon meeting to an exploration of French colonialism in Congo and a look back at Bernini’s Rome
The Week That Was in 30 Minutes
If you haven’t heard our podcast, you don’t know what you’re missing
Opera Non Buffa
Opera is back with the summer festivals of Salzburg, Bayreuth, and Aix-en-Provence, but it’s as bleak as Mozart’s Requiem
Alive and Well
If you’ve missed going to concerts as much as we have, this collection of live tracks will get you excited for all the shows ahead
Nana Mensah
The Ghanaian-American screenwriter, filmmaker, and actress is adding humor to the African-immigrant experience
The Light at the End of the Tunnel
How did a few German students manage to dig a tunnel under the Berlin Wall?
An Icelandic River Runs Through It
Forget polo: salmon fishing in the North Atlantic, a favorite of Eric Clapton and Prince Charles, is the real sport of kings
The Cult of Kahlo
Despite inspiring books, movies, and movements, the unibrowed Mexican painter Frida Kahlo remains elusive. A striking new volume adds to the allure
Opera Pick of the Week
Stone Age Mozarteans up in arms about Munich’s new-school Idomeneo will still surrender to the incandescent Emily D’Angelo
Betting the Farm
Can we change our approach to agriculture before it’s too late?
Short List
What to read this week, including a personal history of a publishing duo that fled Nazi Germany; a searing memoir; and an ode to trees
A Day in the Life of Leila Slimani
The Moroccan-French author, whose latest book, a novel about a woman navigating an inter-racial marriage, is out now, explains how the magic happens
Beyond the Infinite—and Back
How 2001: A Space Odyssey’s long-lost lunar lander found its way to L.A.’s new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
The King of Comedy
Eight questions with David Steinberg, director of Seinfeld, Friends, and Curb Your Enthusiasm, whose new book looks back at the last five decades of comedy
Backside Bash
Ride the wave to high summer with tunes from Allah-Las, Tortoise, Brant Bjork, and more
