Annette Gordon-Reed
The historian and author of On Juneteenth recommends the best books to read about the state where it all went down: Texas
Louisa May Alcott’s Little Cis Women
Imagine what might happen if the wokerati decide to retitle other great books, plays, and movies
The Little-Known Genius Behind Midnight Cowboy and Coming Home
Jerome Hellman was at the vanguard of Hollywood’s 1970s creative rebellion
Vaxxed and Waxed and Looking for Trouble
From New York to L.A., it seems everyone’s making mischief. Or scandal
Classical Music’s Underdog
The 24-year-old violinist Randall Goosby has shot to fame on an instrument he named “LeBron”
Opera Pick of the Week
The Opéra de Paris comes back to life with The Satin Slipper, Marc-André Dalbavie’s epic of thwarted desire
Short List
Books to read this week, from a history of extinct countries to fresh looks at Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood and New York City’s most eccentric street names
Aide-Mémoire
Long-hidden memos between Jimmy Carter and his most trusted confidant, Charlie Kirbo, shine new light on the former president
Sophie Cookson
The British actress got her start in Kingsman when she was just 22. Her latest is a Mark Wahlberg–produced thriller
The Name Game
Sometimes, musicians make it personal. Herewith, tracks from Joni Mitchell, Elton John, Dave Edmunds, Chuck Berry, and more
The Not-So-Secret Garden
Buckingham Palace’s royal garden, home to the Queen’s famed garden parties as well as thousands of species of flower and tree, is ready for its close-up
“Have You Seen the House Whip?” D.C.’s Kinky Side
In a town that loves a sex scandal, so much happens underground. Way underground
Pippa Latour de Force
She tricked Nazis into spilling their secrets by posing as a chatty teenage soap saleswoman and just celebrated her 100th birthday
Every Trick in the Book
The magician, professional gambler, and sometime fraudster Steve Forte is spilling his secrets
The See-and-Be-Seen Hotel
London’s Savoy hotel welcomed glamorous Hollywood actors, top-brass politicians, and its fair share of intrigue. Who was behind it all?
