An Empress in Code
She was known for her three-hour hairstyling sessions, but Elizabeth of Austria also provided key, secret support to her husband, the Habsburg emperor
Heart On His Sleeve
Following a new Otello that streamed to thousands, the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino’s Alexander Pereira on directing opera mid-pandemic
Christmas Scamp
Martin Jarvis records Richmal Crompton’s “Just William” stories as the young hero makes a mockery of holiday merriment
All Hail the Queen
Tina Turner is still rocking and rolling at 81
Yuval Noah Harari
The author of Sapiens recommends three books for developing our sense of perspective
Are Harry and Meghan Copying the Obamas?
It certainly seems like it. Listen for yourself, and decide
Father of the Blues
August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom soars in a new film adaptation with Viola Davis, bringing the playwright’s voice to a whole new generation
Breaking Out Is Hard to Do
The director of The Queen’s Gambit reveals which songs he plays when the well seems to have gone dry
Loading the Dice
Before the world praised Picasso and Duchamp, a 1913 alphabet book skewered the Cubists and futurists in a series of hilarious illustrations
Back in the U.S.S.R.
A new book peels back the Iron Curtain with nostalgic photographs of life in the Soviet Union
Good Pluck
The Israeli mandolinist Avi Avital is gaining world recognition for his delightful mastering of the string instrument
Doctors’ Orders
The story of two pioneering women doctors and the London hospital they founded amid the turmoil of World War I
Short List
What to read this week, from Roger Rosenblatt’s new essays to books on Venice and the origins of humankind
French Leave
Nearly ten years ago Dominique Strauss-Kahn was accused of rape but managed to avoid jail. A new documentary recounts the incident and its aftermath