The Weidenfeld Way
A new biography tells the story of the famed publisher George Weidenfeld, of London’s Weidenfeld & Nicolson, an uproarious character who stood at the meeting point of the literary and society worlds
The Longest Day
In an exclusive excerpt from an upcoming history of The New York Times: how 9/11 tested the paper’s newsroom—and fueled a wildly successful transition online
Cast to the Rescue
Salzburg’s latest crack at The Marriage of Figaro
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
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
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
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
Murder, They Wrote
Underdogs dominate this month’s best mystery books
Estates of Confusion
A new book celebrates the madcap magic of artist Hunt Slonem’s homes
Jean-Pierre Villafañe
The Puerto Rican artist’s bacchanalian paintings of New Yorkers go on view at the Armory Show
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
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
Ticket to Telluride
America’s most highbrow—and low-key—film festival turns 50
Assignment: Sinatra
Part II
While he waits for an opening into the singer’s inner circle, Gay Talese acquaints himself with “the unhappy ones”
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
True Lies
Beware of the quotes on the backs of books, as publishers play fast and loose with critical reviews
