The Secret Life of James Dean
Never-before-seen correspondence sheds fresh light on the 1950s Hollywood heartthrob’s long-speculated-about sexuality
Welcome to Trumpomuskovia!
Timothy Snyder, the author of the best-selling On Tyranny, discusses the new era of American oligarchs and explains why Trump is little, while Musk is big
Mona Pirnot
The playwright dishes on how she got David Greenspan to act in her one-man show about, well, David Greenspan
On a Wing and a Prayer
The Pope’s cheery, conciliatory memoir won’t quell the battle between the Catholic Church’s factions, but it could eclipse recent offensive remarks made by Francis sotto voce
Hidden Figures
Historically overlooked, the works of Japanese female photographers from the 1950s to today are celebrated in a new coffee-table book
The Two Donalds
A coffee-table book on Mickey Mouse’s Disney rival and his place in the culture reveals an uncanny similarity to the duck’s 21st-century namesake: our future president
Once upon a Time in Ukraine
A new documentary looks at Russia’s brutal invasion from the eyes of the children living through it
Deadly Pleasures to Read and Listen To
Courtroom dramas in the form of Scott Turow’s latest novel and a true-crime podcast are this month’s best mysteries
A New Direction for Sesame Street?
As the classic children’s television program seeks a new home, a streaming-era makeover could be coming
A Fairly Mixed-Up Young Man
In 2015 (ages before Rivals!), Alex Hassell grabbed the brass ring as Shakespeare’s Henry V
Silvia Tcherassi’s Guide to Cartagena
The Colombian fashion designer shares her favorite spots in the port city
Car Trouble
Written by Ian Fleming with a screenplay by Roald Dahl, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang remains a strange yet scrumptious children’s classic—but it barely made it to the screen
When Film Set the Fashion
Theadora Van Runkle—the costume designer behind Bonnie and Clyde, Bullitt, and The Thomas Crown Affair—defined Hollywood cool
Grit and Glam
From tabloid shots in New York to portraits of Hollywood stars, the Ukrainian photographer Weegee did it all
The Kid Stays Out of the Picture
In a secluded monastery perched high above the Pacific, one writer discovered the monk’s greatest gifts: Bob Evans and getting away from it all
A Champion for Clara
Alexandra Dariescu makes a specialty of the other Schumann piano concerto
Where to Escape from 2025
On this week’s podcast, Pico Iyer discusses his favorite retreat in the world and the power of reflection
Of Course It Kills Them
The secret inspiration for Ernest Hemingway’s greatest novel
Bunkers on Broadway
The playwright Patrick Marber has long struggled with tackling the Holocaust onstage. But now he’s happily directing a revival of Mel Brooks’s The Producers—complete with high-kicking storm troopers
How Two Cops in 80s Miami Set the Mold for The Sopranos
On this week’s podcast, Josh Karp looks at Miami Vice on its 40th anniversary, and how it changed TV
