Bugsy Siegel, Thespian
The notorious mobster behind the modernization of the Las Vegas Strip had a hidden ambition: to become a Hollywood star
Time Regained
Publishing next month, the long-lost writings of Marcel Proust promise a window into the mind and work of the French writer
Heart of Darkness
It was only after Robert Maxwell’s death that the world realized how far his criminality extended. Yet the riddle surrounding his final moments endures
Sounds of Silence
A collection of photographs captures the calm that has given Venice room to breathe and its treasures a chance to shine during the coronavirus pandemic
Record High
How did Warner Bros. Records land the Grateful Dead, Fleetwood Mac, and Prince?
David Mamet
With theaters shut, read what the playwrights are reading. In Mamet’s case, this means William Bolitho (introduced to him by Shel Silverstein), Christopher Hollis, and Pierre Berton
All in the Family
Like his daughter Ghislaine, the notorious British media baron Robert Maxwell was a monster. How did it all start?
Heroes and Villains
Stan Lee’s final days were as tragic and conflict-filled as his career was momentous. The comic-book legend’s biographer reveals the roots of his undoing
Future Shock
Eight questions with Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Sixth Extinction, whose new book contemplates the earth’s precarious future
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
