The Rules of the Dame
Helen Mirren may have turned 80, but she’s still acting—and aging—gracefully. Just don’t call her feisty
What Could Possibly Go Wrong?
This week in American health: coronavirus-vaccine bans, C.D.C. firings, measles’ return, and the No. 1 cause of child deaths (now, officially, firearms)
A Library Grows in Tuscany
Beatrice Monti della Corte has been welcoming writers to her villa outside Florence for years. Now she’s unveiling a two-story library next door
A Very British Scandal—and Why It Could Cripple The Washington Post
On this week’s podcast, Nick Davies reveals new discoveries about the phone-hacking scandal that has rocked the U.K.—and why Jeff Bezos might soon find himself in an awkward position
The Zone of Beauty
A stunning new documentary on Karl Lagerfeld reveals how the clothes made the man
Hold the Mayo
There is no such thing as a safe lunch
Don’t Believe Everything You Read About Amelia Earhart
Silk slippers, a fake license, and the branding of an American icon
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
A new book traces the tumultuous history of man and wolf—and debunks the myth of the “alpha” once and for all
Marcantonio Brandolini d’Adda’s Guide to Venice
The Italian glassware designer shares his favorite spots in his hometown
Picture This
A new coffee-table book collects Martyn Goddard’s photographs of Blondie, capturing the pop-punk band at their peak in the hot New York summer of 1978
R. F. Kuang
At 29 years old, the Chinese-American author of the best-selling novel Yellowface is getting ready to publish her sixth book—and complete her fourth degree
The Echo of Art Deco
The architectural style was born 100 years ago. Its influence remains undiminished
Star Turn
After decades of character roles, Paul Guilfoyle, a CSI alumnus, plays the lead in a bittersweet film about the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art heist
Billionaires Behaving Badly: The Summer Edition
On this week’s podcast, William D. Cohan reports from Nantucket
Force of Nature
An exhibition of still-life paintings by Rachel Ruysch goes up in Boston, honoring the Dutch artist whose fame in the 18th century rivaled that of Rembrandt
Blame Canada
The Toronto International Film Festival has propelled the Hollywood hype machine for the past 50 years. Here are the newest causes for excitement
Deadly Pleasures to Read and Watch
A tartan noir for our times, and an excellent new British heist drama
The Man Behind the Alien Mask
Bolaji Badejo was a six-foot-10-inch Nigerian graphic-design student in London until a chance pub encounter made him Ridley Scott’s most elegant monster
Inspired by a Double Bagel
How the most one-sided defeat of Carlos Alcaraz’s life paved the way for his ascent to the top of the tennis world—and his moneymaking drop shot
