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A Present-Day 1984

Mother Superior

Little Woman

Florence Pugh is a kick playing the least likable March sister in Greta Gerwig’s film adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s novel

Every Tongue Shall Confess

Pre-War Prima Donna

EPISODE V: “Nothing Ever Changes in Palm Beach”

A little more correspondence from Lansy Everett, formerly of the New York Herald Tribune, Vanity Fair, Esquire, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar

Impeachment-Palooza

With disequilibrium the order of the day, some podcasts make smart, entertaining sense of it all

Prima Time

Francesca Hayward arrives in Cats, Coppélia, and Romeo and Juliet: Beyond Words

Apollonia Poilâne

The woman behind the legendary Paris bakery recommends the best cookbooks

Why Are We Still Loving Friends?

It’s the most streamed show on Netflix. Teenagers quote its jokes—even though it is 25 years old. So what explains its appeal?

The Panto Season ‘Tis upon Us

The British pantomime is noisy, camp, and a complete hoot

Music to Festoon By

Jollity and beauty from Joni Mitchell, Lena Horne, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Louis Armstrong, the Pogues, Eartha Kitt, and more

The Eyes and Ears of Expressionism

Master and Commander

The U.S.S. Lincoln projects American sea power on a small speck off the coast of Newfoundland

Cathy Graham’s Sketchbook

America’s Next Top Model

Now in its 23rd year, this American city is ready for its close-up—as is its surprise builder!

EPISODE IV: “The Clue Lay in the Outsider Art!”

Still more correspondence from Lansy Everett, formerly of the New York Herald Tribune, Vanity Fair, Esquire, Vogue, Worth, and Harper’s Bazaar

Murder, They Wrote

Home Improvement

Donald Trump’s Completely Unverified London Diary*

The “stable genius” becomes a laughingstock

Once More unto the Holidays

Reliably spirited tracks from David Bowie, Prince, Dire Straits, XTC, Talking Heads, Ice Cube, Buzzcocks, the Clash, and more

B. J. Novak

So much more than a children’s book: on metafiction for kids

First Love

Little-known correspondence from Elizabeth Bishop offers a glimpse into the poet’s romantic life

Sometimes, Bigger Is Better

Never-before-seen Avedon, a Trump-free Palm Beach, Helmut’s nudes: everyone loves a beautiful coffee-table book, and this year options abound