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December 9, 2023
The Best
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No. 230
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In This Week’s Issue
AN IVY LEAGUE OF ITS OWN

Harvard’s administration is teetering as anti-Semitic attacks, pro-Palestinian die-ins, and accusations of hate speech rock the campus. Johanna Berkman reports from Cambridge …

RUSSIAN HOARDS

Andrew Ryvkin reveals that the greatest heist of the 21st century is taking place right now, as Russia plunders Ukraine’s museums, galleries, and historical sites of their gold and relics …

DEATH IN VENICE

In Italy, the murder of a female student has resulted in protests up and down the country. Elena Clavarino asks: Will a rising generation be able to stop violence against women?

TALK TO THE HAN

Despite the drumbeating from China, Taiwan doesn’t seem too bothered by reports of war, writes Peter Osnos, who finds the country’s population united by its spectacular cuisine—and unwilling to discuss the future …

PUCKING HELL

When the owners of the Pittsburgh Penguins attempted to rebuild Russia’s storied Red Army hockey team, they found their arena overtaken by mobsters and their players murdered. Bill Keenan rewinds to 1993 …

The Invisible Chef

Ignacio Mattos is responsible for some of New York’s most acclaimed restaurants—Estela, Altro Paradiso, Corner Bar—and counts the Obamas among his many satisfied customers. Michael Hainey uncovers the man behind the dish …

ZIGMAN FREUD

When writer’s block appears or an agent stops returning calls, authors turn to Laura Zigman, a best-selling novelist who uses her own publishing-world battles to help others, says Judith Newman …

BUT, WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

The $59 million wedding of the year! … the Italian countess who became Europe’s first major female film producer … a fraternity crime story … Mumbai’s food is astonishing … Swiss watchmaker F. P. Journe opens a restaurant … Diane von Furstenberg will not travel with makeup … What on earth has Melania Trump been up to? … The Attention-Whore Index needs your vote!

But First …
Issue No. 230

The View from Here Under China’s darkening shadow, Taiwan survives on a cocktail of caution and muted defiance

By Peter Osnos
Read On
Barry Blitt’s Sketchbook
School for Scandal

The Trenches of Academe Allegations of anti-Semitism have students, faculty, and donors at Harvard in an uproar—and the university’s new president is caught in the middle

By Johanna Berkman
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY CHOP CHOPPISH SHOP
Read On
Gift Guide

Our Kids’ Gift Guide Is Here!

Restaurateur Ryan Hardy, children’s connoisseur John Brodie, illustrator Joana Avillez, and others help you find the best gifts for kids of all ages
Read On
Marriage, Texas–Style

The Whole $59 Million Yards Dress by Dior and music by Maroon 5—yes, the viral “wedding of the century” was between a car dealer’s daughter and her 29-year-old groom facing serious jail time

By Will Pavia
Read On
Air Supply

Gifts for Kids of Every Age

From baby blankets and colorful crafts to a pen-pal kit that may even earn you a handwritten thank-you, this AIR SUPPLY gift guide has been carefully curated to win over the pickiest tots and teens alike
Shop
Photo: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp./Photofest (The Sound of Music)
Rolling Plunder

Putin’s Gold Rush Russian archaeologists are looting Ukrainian museums of gold, artifacts, and weapons that the Kremlin says prove that Russia is an ancient civilization many thousands of years old. (It’s not)

By Andrew Ryvkin
Read On
Small Talk
“Oh, no, you read it right—the sign said ‘matinee,’ but also, it’s in manatee.”
“Oh, no, you read it right—the sign said ‘matinee,’ but also, it’s in manatee.”
T.G.I.S.

The Attention-Whore Index So-called racist royals and a disloyal ambassador vie with Donald Trump and his recurring dishwasher obsession. Who is demanding the most of your attention? Plus: the world’s strangest stories, collected for you!

Read On
Best
Read Good Scammer Generally speaking, to be a “scammer” is to be deceitful, corrupt, and malicious. In other words: a thief… Watch Better & Payback On most crime series, women are criminals, victims, or avenging investigators. Lately, though, some excellent shows offer heroines… Read :10 Seconds to Air When J.F.K. was assassinated, in Dallas, in 1963, Don Mischer was a college kid attending the University of Texas in Austin… Sparkle Platinum Born Until recently, platinum wasn’t a fixture when it came to everyday jewelry, relegated instead to simple wedding bands and… Look “Garbo Talks” After globe-trotting architect Lee Mindel moved into an apartment in Tribeca’s towering Herzog & de Meuron–designed 56 Leonard,… Look Drawbertson: Sofa King Great Some might know Donald Robertson as the “Andy Warhol of Instagram,” and it’s an accurate… Read Good Scammer Generally speaking, to be a “scammer” is to be deceitful, corrupt, and malicious. In other words: a thief… Watch Better & Payback On most crime series, women are criminals, victims, or avenging investigators. Lately, though, some excellent shows offer heroines… Read :10 Seconds to Air When J.F.K. was assassinated, in Dallas, in 1963, Don Mischer was a college kid attending the University of Texas in Austin… Sparkle Platinum Born Until recently, platinum wasn’t a fixture when it came to everyday jewelry, relegated instead to simple wedding bands and… Look “Garbo Talks” After globe-trotting architect Lee Mindel moved into an apartment in Tribeca’s towering Herzog & de Meuron–designed 56 Leonard,… Look Drawbertson: Sofa King Great Some might know Donald Robertson as the “Andy Warhol of Instagram,” and it’s an accurate…
Cherchez Les Femmes

The Not-So-Dolce Vita In Italy, the murder of a female university student has riled up women of all ages. Are the protesters reacting to the killing or something deeper?

By Elena Clavarino
Read On
On Thin Ice

When the Penguins Went Red Thirty years ago, the owners of the Pittsburgh Penguins decided to bet big on Moscow’s legendary Red Army hockey team. What came next was both a miracle and a nightmare

By Bill Keenan
Read On
The Restaurant Life

The King of New York Ignacio Mattos has silently ruled over the city’s dining scene for a decade. Now the chef is opening up about his upbringing, his love life, and his burning passion for good food

By Michael Hainey
Read On
Small Talk

Guess What Melania Trump Is Up To Bet-makers weigh in on how the elusive former First Lady has been whiling away the hours since leaving the White House

By John Ficarra
Read On
Shelf Help

Get Out of Your Head! Novelist Laura Zigman is using lessons learned from her own struggles in publishing to provide talk therapy to other writers

By Judith Newman
Read On
The Watchman

Time Served F. P. Journe is a watchmaking phenomenon, but his new restaurant in Geneva is helping him become a lifestyle brand

By Nicholas Foulkes
Read On
Adventures in Mystery

His Last Bow Much to his annoyance, Basil Rathbone became inseparable from his on-screen Sherlock Holmes. Now he’s back, reimagined as the debonair protagonist of a new novel

By Isambard Wilkinson
Read On
Food

The Heat Is On From fine dining to sweets shops, there’s never been a better time to eat your way through Mumbai. Our peripatetic omnivore relishes every bite

By Christine Muhlke
Read On
Small Talk
“Hey, let’s mix it up a bit today and have you be the bad cop.”
“Hey, let’s mix it up a bit today and have you be the bad cop.”
Listen

Life Lessons from an Italian Countess On this week’s podcast, Bob Colacello shares what he learned from Marina Cicogna

Read On
Book Reviews
David Yaffe On

Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture—and the Magic That Makes It Work

by Jesse David Fox
Read On
Sarah Weinman On

Among the Bros: A Fraternity Crime Story

by Max Marshall
Read On
Small Talk
Close-up

Carly Mark How the designer quickly took over the fashion world with her irreverent brand, Puppets and Puppets

By Nicolaia Rips
Read On
Film

A Feminist Frankenstein Director Yorgos Lanthimos and screenwriter Tony McNamara discuss their new film, Poor Things, starring Emma Stone as a child-woman like no other

By Graham Fuller
Read On
Art
Masterpieces by the overlooked artist Francesco Pesellino, including his epic The Story of David and Goliath panel (1444–55), are on view in London.

The Best Renaissance Artist You’ve Never Heard Of

For 160 years, London’s National Gallery has been hunting down fragments of a rare altarpiece. The monumental panel, called The Pistoia Santa Trinity Altarpiece, was commissioned in 1455 and is the only surviving documented work by the greatest Renaissance artist you’ve probably never heard of: Francesco Pesellino. READ ON

Read On
Open Book

Where the Wild Things Are A new book of images by more than 90 wildlife photographers raises awareness of the dangers faced by leopards right now

13
An African leopard carries its cub. Photograph by Federico Veronesi.
Dusk on the plains, by Marc Mol, top, and Hannes Lochner, above.
An Amur leopard, by Matthew Roper, top, and a snow leopard, by Abdul Rashid, above.
An African cub, by Rot Toft.
Top, an African leopard, by Richard Guijt; above, a Sunda clouded leopard, by Sebastian Kennerknecht.
Top, an African leopard, by Paolo Torchio; above, a cub, by Lance van de Vyver.
An African leopard, by Paul Goldstein.
African leopards on the hunt, by James Gifford, top, and Ben Cranke, above.
An Indian leopard, by Marius Coetzee, top, and an African leopard, by Art Wolfe, above.
A cub, by Heinrich Neumeyer.
Although leopards tend to be solitary animals, they can sometimes be found playing together. Photographs by Yashas Narayan, top, and Trish Hennessy, above.
Unlike most cats, leopards are strong swimmers. Photographs by Paras Chandaria, top, and Volodymyr Burdock, above.
An African Cape leopard, by Steve Winter, top, and a black leopard, by Will Burrard-Lucas, above.
Read On
Great Lives

Marina Cicogna The Italian countess transcended her gilded background to become Europe’s first major female film producer

By Bob Colacello
Read On
Small Talk
The Seasoned Traveler

Diane von Furstenberg The legendary fashion designer and businesswoman reveals her travel routine

Read On
Tanu Vasu’s Sketchbook
New York City during the holidays is spectacular, full of glamour and whimsy—it’s my favorite time of year! I painted this magical essence with skaters swiftly gliding around Wollman Rink, in Central Park, surrounded by Gilded Age architecture adorned with colorful seasonal décor. This artwork is now on display on the seventh floor of Bergdorf Goodman.
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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 Sam Wasson

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OUR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AND CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER ARE

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In Memoriam

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

Issue No. 230
December 9, 2023
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Issue No. 230
December 9, 2023
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