The Story of Willie
Nashville rejected him as a singer, but he turned out to be one of the best songwriters in history. This is how Willie Nelson—poet, author, activist, cowboy, outlaw, outcast, misfit, and everyman—became the enduring face of American music.
Cracking the Code to Pynchon
His new post-9/11 novel is messy, funny, sad, and consoling all at once.
Rediscovering Dylan’s ‘Self Portrait’
The musician’s most recent bootleg installment, 'Another Self Portrait,’ brings Bob the man—and his much derided album—into focus.
Color Comes to Life
An iPad app lets you interact, literally, with Josef Albers’s theories of color.
5 Armchair Getaways
Is winter weather keeping you inside? From the Pacific Islands to the American West, these books will take your far, far away.
Just Play It
David Byrne has been performing all his life, so why not write about it? He talks to Malcolm Jones about 'How Music Works.'
2012 Best New Books
From the real Putin to a hedge-fund thriller, forthcoming books not to miss.
Stephen Sondheim's Master Class
The composer talks about musical theater, the expectations of audiences, and putting it all together in songwriting.
10 Must-Read Summer Books
Nazis. Wonder drugs. Uzi-toting mothers. Here’s what to pick up this season.
Cary Grant's Daughter's New Memoir
Cary Grant’s daughter has a new memoir that reveals him to be a doting mensch at home.
A New Civil War Book Makes History Feel Fresh
The last time the United States observed a major anniversary of the Civil War, the centennial celebration in 1961–65, things quickly fell apart. When the Civil War Centennial Commission held a national convention in Charleston, S.C., where the war began with the firing on Fort Sumter in April 1861, it denied a black delegate admission to the convention’s segregated hotel.
Kodachrome Comes to an End
After 75 years, a poignant moment for film enthusiasts has come. But it’s duffers like me who did it in in the first place.
Did You Know That 'True Grit' Is a Book Too?
When Charles Portis published 'True Grit' in 1968, the novel became a critically praised bestseller. Then a year later the movie, starring John Wayne, came out, and after that no one even remembered there was a book.
Can Laura Hillenbrand Top 'Seabiscuit'?
Laura Hillenbrand stumbled upon Olympic runner Louis Zamperini in the course of researching "Seabiscuit," her debut book about the celebrated racehorse. “Louie and Seabiscuit were famous runners at the same time in the ’30s,” she says. “They were both at their peak and both in California.”
Lawrence of Arabia Was Too Big for Just a Movie
Hollywood mythologized him as "Lawrence of Arabia," but the real T. E. Lawrence was bigger than that. In fact, he may have been the original worldwide media celebrity.
Music Even Bristol Palin Can Dance To
In the 1960s, a loose confederation of young artists, poets, and musicians gave their native Brazil’s culture a near total overhaul. The movement was called Tropicalia.