October 14, 2023 – Air Mail

THE CON, THE GRIFT, AND THE TWIST

It’s a story as old as the Internet: an exotic beauty rips off an unassuming man of apparent means—until, suddenly, he turns on her, and it’s impossible to tell who the bigger grifter is …

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

The Mossad was thought to be one of the world’s most sophisticated intelligence agencies until last Saturday’s attack on Israel. The ongoing question rattling Israelis: How did Hamas outwit them?

RUMOR CAMPAIGN

Jeffrey Toobin digs into R.F.K. Jr.’s troubled past and finds that the conspiracy-theorizing presidential hopeful once tried to frame two innocent men for murder …

GOLDEN CALVES

When it comes to idol worship, Arnold Schwarzenegger stays true to himself. In his new self-help book, the former Governator reveals the secret to looking beyond a tarnished past …

THE END OF THE AFFAIR

On the occasion of a new biography and an Errol Morris–directed documentary on John le Carré, Lea Carpenter asks: What was more formative for the spy novelist—his romantic liaisons or his troubled childhood?

HOT CHOW!

After Thursday night’s premiere of AKA Mr. Chow, a new film on Michael Chow, directed by Nick Hooker and executive-produced by AIR MAIL Co-Editor Graydon Carter, the great and the good gathered to celebrate the inimitable restaurateur at—where else?—Mr. Chow …

BLIND DRUNK

Bats and tequila have a complicated relationship. Deep in the agave fields of Mexico, a superhero (called “Bat Man”) is on a mission to preserve the crop, the creatures, and the liquid courage …

BUT, WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

Trump could lose his golden toilet … hip-hop’s voice is stronger than ever … the black magic behind the Nobel Prize in Literature … The Washington Post’s tech reporter, Taylor Lorenz, lives the life of a war correspondent … Linda Wells writes in praise of bare-naked ladies … and democracy only works if you hit the polls and vote for the Attention Whore of the week!

Issue No. 222

The View from Here Israeli intelligence officers saw signs that Hamas was doing something at the Gaza border. They chose to ignore them

By Yossi Melman and Dan Raviv

Read On

The Grift, the Prince, and the Twist A wealthy Indian prince got taken for a ride by a glamorous Swedish grifter. But who was fooling who? A shocking twist lies within this shifting tale of identity

By Hannah Ghorashi and George Pendle

Read On

Original Spin How R.F.K. Jr. tried to frame two innocent men for murder

By Jeffrey Toobin

Read On

A Fine Art

As the art world descends on London for Frieze, let the right side of your brain go wild with our curation of studio supplies and gallerist-approved ensembles

Shop

Photo: courtesy of Everett Collection (Taylor and Johnson)

My Favorite Things The Paris-based creative director known for his work with fashion’s finest houses, from Chanel to Comme des Garçons, shares his display-worthy must-haves

By Ezra Petronio

Shop

Photo: Maria Ziegelboeck (Petronio)

Rule of Three Go from shoddy to well shod with a pair of adult shoes! Spend an evening at the movies (but not in a multiplex)! And more, in our column on how to live …

By George Hahn

Read On

Eye of the Beholder What’s a beauty-lover to do when the hottest trend at the Paris shows was—wait for it—not even a single swipe of concealer? As pioneered by Pamela Anderson, the barefaced look is the one that everybody is talking about. Our beauty-and-wellness columnist ponders what it really means to strip down

By Linda Wells

Read On

The Attention-Whore Index Donald Trump goes all Smokey Bear, George Santos rears his ugly head (again), and the My Pillow founder loses his legal cushion. C’mon, put your faith in AIR MAIL’s electoral college and vote already!

Read On

You Only LIV Once! In light of the P.G.A. Tour’s merger with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, a brand-new set of rules and regulations for players—and their wives!—is announced

By Bill Scheft

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHOP CHOPPISH SHOP

Read On

Arnold’s Fourth Act “Calves are the biceps of the legs!”—and other pearls of wisdom from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new self-help book

By Stuart Heritage

Read On

Read Francesca Amfitheatrof: Fantastical Jewels A new book unveils Francesca Amfitheatrof’s bewitching…

Shop Rentrayage Look, I love fashion and clothing, but I’m just going to say it: one of the best collections I saw at this most recent New York Fashion Week was…

Hail Pet Cab NYC There comes a day in every pet owner’s life when certain thoughts begin to enter the consciousness: “I wish Mitzy could take herself…

Wear Prada They’re here! They’re here! They’re here! (And they’re already almost sold out!) Prada’s fall collection was all about the white skirt…

Apply Hermès Hermès, how do you manage to turn the most quotidian products into objects of desire? Those creative wizards have now set their sights on…

Stomp Lucchese Everyone from Gucci to Ganni is trotting out cowboy boots this season. Some are adorned, others are color-blocked, and they look…

Read Francesca Amfitheatrof: Fantastical Jewels A new book unveils Francesca Amfitheatrof’s bewitching…

Shop Rentrayage Look, I love fashion and clothing, but I’m just going to say it: one of the best collections I saw at this most recent New York Fashion Week was…

Hail Pet Cab NYC There comes a day in every pet owner’s life when certain thoughts begin to enter the consciousness: “I wish Mitzy could take herself…

Wear Prada They’re here! They’re here! They’re here! (And they’re already almost sold out!) Prada’s fall collection was all about the white skirt…

Apply Hermès Hermès, how do you manage to turn the most quotidian products into objects of desire? Those creative wizards have now set their sights on…

Stomp Lucchese Everyone from Gucci to Ganni is trotting out cowboy boots this season. Some are adorned, others are color-blocked, and they look…

Master of None Amid his battle to take back the White House, Donald Trump is in danger of becoming towerless and losing the Manhattan building that made him a star

By Hugh Tomlinson

Read On

Shouting the Odds Taylor Lorenz, a culture-and-technology writer in Los Angeles, receives constant death threats and harassment and has been stalked and humiliated—all for just doing her job

By Charlotte Lytton

Read On

The Final Debrief Who was John le Carré? A new documentary and book uncover fresh clues

By Lea Carpenter

Read On

The Shock of the Old An exhibition of 28 nearly 400-year-old paintings was the global cultural event of 2023. Why?

By Benjamin Moser

Read On

A Night Celebrating Michael Chow After Thursday night’s premiere of AKA Mr. Chow, a documentary directed by Nick Hooker and executive-produced by AIR MAIL Co-Editor Graydon Carter, guests including Victor Garber and Griffin Dunne gathered to celebrate the inimitable restaurateur at—where else?—Mr. Chow

By Nathan King

Photographs by Daniel Paik

9

*Top,* Nick Hooker and Michael Chow; *above,* China Chow.

*Top,* Jeffrey Deitch; *above,* the scene at the *AKA Mr. Chow* premiere.

*Top,* Bob Colacello, Jonathan Becker, and Beth Kseniak; *above,* Nick Hooker and Alex Timken.

*Top,* Michael Chow and Anna Carter; *above,* Arki Busson, Graydon Carter, and Shawn McCreesh.

*Top,* Adriana Berenson, Diane Moy Quon, and Arielle Friedman; *above,* Juli Weiner and Dana Brown.

*Top,* Hoo Jung Lee and Sunny Levine; *above,* Griffin Dunne, Jean Tsien, and Lisa Heller.

*Top,* Brian Murati; *above,* Juli Weiner, Michael Grynbaum, and Anna Carter.

*Top,* Graydon Carter, Louise Grunwald, and Victor Garber; *above,* Maximillian Chow.

*Top,* Karen Beckmann, Vanessa Chow, and Jean Kouri; *above,* Michael Chow.

Read On

The Inside Story on the Craziest Grifter Story Ever Listen to the editor of “The Grift, the Prince, and the Twist” as he reveals how he uncovered the con

Read On

Sam Wasson On

Hollywood and the Movies of the Fifties: The Collapse of the Studio System, the Thrill of Cinerama, and the Invasion of the Ultimate Body Snatcher—Television

by Foster Hirsch

Read On

Evan Thomas On

Judgment at Tokyo: World War II on Trial and the Making of Modern Asia

by Gary J. Bass

Read On

A Closed Book With its opaque criteria and global purview, judging literature’s prestigious Nobel Prize is often a thankless task

Read On

Hip-Hop and Happening Three new coffee-table books celebrate hip-hop—which originated in New York’s South Bronx 50 years ago—as a musical genre and cultural movement

By Timmhotep Aku

16

Sean “Puffy” Combs, photographed by Peter Spirer.

Salt-N-Pepa with Spinderella (center), in jackets designed by Dapper Dan, photographed by Janette Beckman in New York in 1988.

The Notorious B.I.G., photographed by Spirer.

At Rock ‘N’ Will’s, on 125th Street, in Harlem. In the early days of mixtape popularity in New York, this was one of the first places fans could go to find the hottest new tapes.

Dr. Dre, photographed by Jonathan Mannion in Los Angeles in 2004.

Nas, Jungle, and Wiz, photographed by Spirer.

*Top,* leaders of the New School, photographed by Beckman on Long Island in 1991; *above,* ladies listening to hip-hop, photographed by Adama Delphine Fawundu in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, in 1995.

Dapper Dan, photographed by Beckman in Harlem in 2021.

LL Cool J in a custom-made Dapper Dan jacket, photographed by Drew Carolan in New York in 1988.

*Top,* the Wu-Tang Clan, photographed by Spirer; *above,* LL Cool J, photographed by Danny Clinch in Harlem in 1991.

Mary J. Blige on the set of her “What’s the 411” music video, photographed by Michael Benabib in New York in 1993.

Busta Rhymes, photographed by Beckman in New York in 1991.

DoItAll and DJ Lord Jazz, photographed by Spirer.

*Top,* Goodie Mob (from left, Big Gipp, T-Mo, CeeLo Green, and Khujo Goodie) at the soul-food restaurant Chanerelle’s, in Atlanta, photographed by Diwang Valdez in 2009; *above,* Nas, photographed by Atsuko Tanaka in New York in 1996.

Read On

Charlotte Colbert The multi-media artist’s Alice in Wonderland–inspired exhibition brings a trippy perspective to Frieze London

By Bridget Arsenault

Read On

The Trouble with Tequila Its explosive popularity has disrupted the delicate relationship between agave plants and the bats that pollinate them. But scientist Rodrigo Medellín is here to help

By Mark Ellwood

Photo Illustration by Chop Choppish Chop

Read On

Double Coronation Jake Heggie opens new seasons at the Met and in Houston with Dead Man Walking, his first opera, and Intelligence, his 10th

By Matthew Gurewitsch

Read On

Kids These Days A delightful new picture book explores one of children’s favorite pastimes: speculating about the future

Read On

Tim Wakefield The pitcher for the Boston Red Sox left his mark on the sport with a perfect knuckleball and profound relatability

By Jack Sullivan

Read On

Daniel Humm

The chef and restaurateur behind Eleven Madison Park answers 51 of life’s most pressing questions

Read On

Is Edited By

Graydon Carter and Alessandra Stanley

Creative Director

Angela Panichi

Deputy Editors

Ashley Baker Ash Carter Chris Garrett Nathan King Julia Vitale

Chief Technology Officer

John Tornow

Editor at Large

George Pendle

Books Editor

Jim Kelly

Arts Intel Report Editor

Laura Jacobs

Senior Editors

Elena Clavarino Jensen Davis

Photo Director

Ann Schneider

Copy Editor

Adam Nadler

Research & Legal Editor

Matt Kapp

Production Editor

H. Scott Jolley

Associate Editors

Carolina de Armas Lucy Horowitz Clara Molot Paulina Prosnitz Jack Sullivan

Art Director

Paloma Huerre

Photo Editor

Emine Gözde Sevim

Designer

Zoé Gillette

International Editor

Isabelle Harvie-Watt

London Editor

Bridget Arsenault

Communications Director

Harrison Vail

Columnists

Cazzie David Lisa Henricksson Walter Isaacson
Pico Iyer Rachel Johnson John Lahr
Jonathan Margolis Linda Wells James Wolcott

Writers at Large

Lili Anolik Johanna Berkman Joseph Bullmore Vassi Chamberlain William D. Cohan Rich Cohen Michael Hainey Stuart Heritage George Kalogerakis Sam Kashner James Kirchick Alexander Lobrano Alexandra Marshall Daphne Merkin

Contributing Artists

Monica Ahanonu Barry Blitt André Carrilho Paul Davis David Downton Andrea Ferolla Josh Gosfield Cathy Graham Eric Hanson Angelica Hicks Pip Johnson Hilary Knight Danielle Kosann Michael Lindsay-Hogg Ross MacDonald Joe McKendry James McMullan Donald Robertson Charles Dare Scheips Grant Shaffer Ed Sorel Ralph Steadman

Contributing Photographers

Jonathan Becker Justin Bishop Alex Board James Emmerman Marcos Fecchino Daniel Paik Art Streiber Sharon Suh Justin Weiner

Architectural Consultant

Basil Walter

Head of Audience Development

Rachel LeSage

Audience Growth Manager

Merritt Johnson

Cartoon Editor

Bob Mankoff

Music Supervisor

Randall Poster

Technology

Brooks Oakley Justin Rubaloff Sade Singleton

Intern

Gasper Tringale-White

OUR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AND CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER ARE

Bill Keenan and Emily Davis

Air Supply General Manager and Brand Partnerships

Anjali Lewis

Advertising Director

Michael Pescuma

European Sales Director

Selim Mataraci

Financial & Business Operations

Marc Leyer

Account Manager

Dillon Freeman

Chief Strategy Adviser

Adam Mendelsohn

AIR SUPPLY

Chief Merchant

Jennifer Noyes

Shop Editor

Zoe Ruffner

E-Commerce Manager

Isaac Metlitsky

E-commerce Associate

Lilly Schoenbaum

In Memoriam

Peter Bogdanovich Duncan Hannah Douglas McGrath Richard David Story André Leon Talley

The View from Here Israeli intelligence officers saw signs that Hamas was doing something at the Gaza border. They chose to ignore them

The Grift, the Prince, and the Twist A wealthy Indian prince got taken for a ride by a glamorous Swedish grifter. But who was fooling who? A shocking twist lies within this shifting tale of identity

Original Spin How R.F.K. Jr. tried to frame two innocent men for murder

As the art world descends on London for Frieze, let the right side of your brain go wild with our curation of studio supplies and gallerist-approved ensembles

My Favorite Things The Paris-based creative director known for his work with fashion’s finest houses, from Chanel to Comme des Garçons, shares his display-worthy must-haves

Rule of Three Go from shoddy to well shod with a pair of adult shoes! Spend an evening at the movies (but not in a multiplex)! And more, in our column on how to live …

The Attention-Whore Index Donald Trump goes all Smokey Bear, George Santos rears his ugly head (again), and the My Pillow founder loses his legal cushion. C’mon, put your faith in AIR MAIL’s electoral college and vote already!

You Only LIV Once! In light of the P.G.A. Tour’s merger with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, a brand-new set of rules and regulations for players—and their wives!—is announced

Arnold’s Fourth Act “Calves are the biceps of the legs!”—and other pearls of wisdom from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s new self-help book

Master of None Amid his battle to take back the White House, Donald Trump is in danger of becoming towerless and losing the Manhattan building that made him a star

Shouting the Odds Taylor Lorenz, a culture-and-technology writer in Los Angeles, receives constant death threats and harassment and has been stalked and humiliated—all for just doing her job

The Final Debrief Who was John le Carré? A new documentary and book uncover fresh clues

The Shock of the Old An exhibition of 28 nearly 400-year-old paintings was the global cultural event of 2023. Why?

The Inside Story on the Craziest Grifter Story Ever Listen to the editor of “The Grift, the Prince, and the Twist” as he reveals how he uncovered the con

A Closed Book With its opaque criteria and global purview, judging literature’s prestigious Nobel Prize is often a thankless task

Hip-Hop and Happening Three new coffee-table books celebrate hip-hop—which originated in New York’s South Bronx 50 years ago—as a musical genre and cultural movement

Charlotte Colbert The multi-media artist’s Alice in Wonderland–inspired exhibition brings a trippy perspective to Frieze London

The Trouble with Tequila Its explosive popularity has disrupted the delicate relationship between agave plants and the bats that pollinate them. But scientist Rodrigo Medellín is here to help

Double Coronation Jake Heggie opens new seasons at the Met and in Houston with Dead Man Walking, his first opera, and Intelligence, his 10th

Kids These Days A delightful new picture book explores one of children’s favorite pastimes: speculating about the future

Tim Wakefield The pitcher for the Boston Red Sox left his mark on the sport with a perfect knuckleball and profound relatability

The chef and restaurateur behind Eleven Madison Park answers 51 of life’s most pressing questions

Is Edited By

Creative Director

Deputy Editors

Chief Technology Officer

Editor at Large

Books Editor

Arts Intel Report Editor

Senior Editors

Photo Director

Copy Editor

Research & Legal Editor

Production Editor

Associate Editors

Art Director

Photo Editor

Designer

International Editor

London Editor

Communications Director

Columnists

Writers at Large

Contributing Artists

Contributing Photographers

Architectural Consultant

Social Media Manager

Head of Audience Development

Audience Growth Manager

Cartoon Editor

Music Supervisor

Technology

Intern

OUR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AND CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER ARE

Air Supply General Manager and Brand Partnerships

Advertising Director

European Sales Director

Financial & Business Operations

Account Manager

Chief Strategy Adviser

Chief Merchant

Shop Editor

E-Commerce Manager

E-commerce Associate

In Memoriam