Lost in Translation
The moment Japan opened its doors to the West, in the late 1800s, was the moment many of its traditions disappeared. A new volume brings them back
Opera Pick of the Week
Yuval Sharon’s Twilight: Gods crunches Richard Wagner’s four-night “Ring” cycle into a 60-minute crawl through a parking garage
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 Light at the End of the Tunnel
How did a few German students manage to dig a tunnel under the Berlin Wall?
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 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
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 Week That Was in 30 Minutes
If you haven’t heard our podcast, you don’t know what you’re missing
Nana Mensah
The Ghanaian-American screenwriter, filmmaker, and actress is adding humor to the African-immigrant experience
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?
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
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
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
A Busy Week of Bad Behavior
From Andrew Cuomo to British grifters to sexcapades at country estates, we cover it all in this week’s podcast
