Back to Basics
Sixty years on, Lincoln Chase and Shirley Ellis’s hit song “The Nitty Gritty” remains a lesson in style
Editor’s Picks
This week, don’t miss the story of a couple’s quest to visit every Costco, a retelling of Roman history through its Popes, and a look at life in East Germany
The Oligarch, a Broken Heart, and a London Bank Scandal
On this week’s podcast, Joseph Bullmore takes us inside his report on Putin’s banker and a London socialite
The Enforcer and the Maestro
In an excerpt from his new book, Rich Cohen reveals the closer-than-blood relationship forged between Michael Jordan and Charles Oakley
Pop Goes the Lichtenstein
The actor, writer, musician, director, and comedian (running out of space!) Steve Martin remembers his friend Roy Lichtenstein, the Pop-art master whose centenary is being honored with an exhibition curated by Irving Blum
A Bigger Splash
A new coffee-table book explores the design and history of the world’s most stunning seawater pools, ranging across South Africa, Australia, and Scotland
Assignment: Sinatra
Part II
While he waits for an opening into the singer’s inner circle, Gay Talese acquaints himself with “the unhappy ones”
Jean-Pierre Villafañe
The Puerto Rican artist’s bacchanalian paintings of New Yorkers go on view at the Armory Show
Ticket to Telluride
America’s most highbrow—and low-key—film festival turns 50
Murder, They Wrote
Underdogs dominate this month’s best mystery books
The Value of Tolkien
Having spent the majority of his life as a struggling academic, J. R. R. Tolkien, who died 50 years ago, would never have dreamed of the influence of The Lord of the Rings
Estates of Confusion
A new book celebrates the madcap magic of artist Hunt Slonem’s homes
The Golden Years
An homage to the expansive and hilarious world The Golden Girls offered during the buttoned-up Reagan era
Editor’s Picks
This week, don’t miss a delicate exploration of privilege, a dissection of Russian writers’ tendency to write about existential questions, and a gossipy account of the publishing world
Lunch with Patricia Clarkson
On this week’s episode of Table for Two, the actress recalls her early, struggling days, from living in the Upper West Side Y.M.C.A. to seeing Dreamgirls on Broadway 12 times …
True Lies
Beware of the quotes on the backs of books, as publishers play fast and loose with critical reviews
Barbie Ruins the World
After watching Barbie make its billions, all the toy brands—from Hot Wheels to Play-Doh—want a piece of the action
Buckle Up
A new TV series about the short-lived supersonic Concorde is full of crazy twists, turns, and espionage
Assignment: Sinatra
A legendary editor. A recalcitrant writer. And a subject that was both man and myth. The story behind the writing of what became known as the greatest magazine profile ever
