The Dickens of Appalachia
In an interview, Barbara Kingsolver discusses her little-known first book, the inspiration behind Demon Copperhead, and what J. D. Vance gets wrong about the rural South
The Living-Room M.F.A.
As the cost of graduate writing programs goes up and the degree’s perceived value declines, alternatives are springing up far from campus
Rosario Candela’s New York
The Jazz Age architect invented penthouse living, remaking the city’s skyline—and attracting buyers including Jackie O—along the way
Theft on the Nile
How a pair of intrepid, 19th-century British women smuggled an ancient coffin right out from under the noses of Egyptian site guards
The Invisible Man
Accompanying a retrospective in Barcelona, a new book collects more than 150 photographs by Louis Stettner, who captured the trials and triumphs of the 20th century’s working class while remaining virtually unknown
Not So “Easy Peasy”
Although commonplace in American and British jargon today, the origins of this popular phrase remain nebulous
Editor’s Picks
This week, don’t miss a window into the inner workings of Fleetwood Mac, a compelling history of the C.I.A., and a chronicle of the first pilots to circle the globe
On the Scent
During World War II, spies had a little-suspected weapon: perfume. It was used for everything from building an undercover alias to making covert correspondences seem like love letters
The Sally Rooney Effect
Writers, editors, and booksellers weigh in on the new book by the world’s most talked-about young novelist
Design Within Reach
Lamps, teacups, ashtrays … A new coffee-table book traces the life and work of the Italian designer Piero Fornasetti
His Back Pages
AIR MAIL Co-Editor Graydon Carter’s upcoming memoir, about the glory days of magazines, recounts his travels among the famous, the infamous, and the not really famous at all
Editor’s Picks
This week, don’t miss a journey into the S&M underworld, a look at the Chinese education system, and a chronicle of Scotland Yard’s deadliest cases
Malcolm XYZ
Malcolm Gladwell discusses his latest book, Revenge of the Tipping Point, misconceptions about his work, and his penchant for universal laws
Deadly Pleasures to Read and Watch
This month’s best mystery books and TV shows
The Garden of Heathens
Between the turmoil of the World Wars, a few Europeans settled on a desolate Galápagos island. The experiment quickly descended into chaos
