The Godmother of the French New Wave
The first major biography of Agnès Varda traces her path from occasional movie watcher to pioneering director
The Artful Dodger
In his early 20s, Orlando Whitfield befriended Inigo Philbrick, an ambitious young art dealer. Over the next 15 years, his pal defrauded clients to the tune of $86 million
Devil’s Bargain
A 2004 visit with the future Nobel laureate Alice Munro left me with a slightly uneasy feeling. Now I know why
From Pomp to Purity
A new book collects images of 18th-century French furniture, interiors, architecture, art, and fashion, celebrating the period’s timeless influence
Literary Blockbuster
In an interview, Keanu Reeves discusses teaming up with novelist China Miéville to write The Book of Elsewhere, a science-fiction epic
Editor’s Picks
This week, don’t miss a riveting exploration of refrigeration and 50 years of Seamus Heaney’s letters
The Other Royal Family
A new, unauthorized biography of the Beckhams mocks their gaucheness and condemns their collusion with the media—but it can’t deny their power
Let the Games Begin
A century ago, hundreds of American athletes descended upon Paris for the Summer Olympics. Booze, baguettes, brawls—and an epic Opening Ceremony—ensued
Murder, They Wrote
This month’s best mystery books, films, and podcasts
Editor’s Picks
This week, don’t miss a biography of Ayn Rand, a murder mystery set in the Deep South, and a collection of Ernest Hemingway’s letters
Poster City
A new book collects a century of posters and advertisements that shaped New York City’s rise as the cultural capital of the world
The Making of a Movement
In the 1960s and 1970s, women’s liberation transformed America. Voices from that time tell how it came to be
Editor’s Picks
This week, don’t miss a modern twist on King Arthur’s court, a look at the women who shaped the ancient world, and a history of World War I’s Eastern Front
Cooked in the Books
When it comes to literary hit jobs, no public figures—from the Beckhams all the way to Mother Teresa—are safe from merciless biographers
It’s Complicated
A former PBS producer who was sexually harassed by her then boss, Charlie Rose, reflects on what #MeToo got wrong about women in the workplace
