Scaling Mount Whitman
Through years of research and introspection, an author asks, How did Walt Whitman write the poetry that we remember him by?
Ripley’s Match
Richard Bradford’s new biography of Patricia Highsmith evokes a flawed genius who bridged crime writing and high literature
75 Years of Ebony
Magazine covers spanning 1945 to today celebrate the community that gave us Jackie Robinson, M.L.K., Aretha Franklin, and Oprah
Space Odyssey
A book of photographs offers new ways of looking at architecture, its influence, and its surroundings
Biting Back
A German publisher is finally relinquishing rights to a best-selling cookbook, stolen from a Jewish family and republished under an Aryanized name
Blood Sport
An activist reveals the shocking truth behind big-game hunting, and the moneyed interests (with the U.S. government in their pocket) that are making sure things don’t change
The Talented Mrs. Highsmith
One hundred years after Patricia Highsmith’s birth, the Talented Mr. Ripley author’s life and work remain as appealing as ever. What’s her secret?
Big Little Life
Fans remember him as the boisterous R&B singer. But Little Richard had a complicated personal life—and leaves a profound legacy
Short List
What to read this week, including new books from Joan Didion and George Saunders, and a 1500s polar adventure gone wrong
The Nanny Diaries
Kiley Reid worked as a babysitter in New York before fictionalizing her experience for the page. The resulting novel explores racism and liberal hypocrisy
Race Against the Clock
The story behind J.F.K.’s 1960 victory is inextricably tied to M.L.K., his imprisonment, and the Kennedy team that helped free him
Short List
Books to read this week, from histories of China and Hitler’s warships to an investigation into U.S. involvement in Afghanistan
