Sophia Smith Galer first understood language loss as a sound coming from upstairs. Her 93-year-old nonna was in bed in north London, speaking al dialët, the family’s regional language from northern Italy, with Galer’s mother. Galer could understand much of it, but she couldn’t answer in it. “I remember going home afterwards and feeling real … Read more
The ferry broke down at exactly the wrong moment for everyone except Henry Ford. On June 8, 1909, two stripped-down Ford Model Ts rolled onto a little wooden ferry at Glasgow, Mo., and crossed the Missouri River. The cars were filthy, the men inside them were running on fumes, and a Boston-built Shawmut was closing … Read more
Living in Vermont, science and nature writer Rowan Jacobsen noticed the effects the seasons had on him. Summers were gorgeous, but the grey winters were brutal and left him lagging. “I felt as if my cells didn’t work,” he writes in his new book, “In Defense of Sunlight, The Surprising Science of Sun Exposure” (Scribner). … Read more
Frank Lloyd Wright was never a modest man. Praised frequently as the greatest architect in American history, he would parry “Why limit it to America?” During his long life — he died in 1959 at the age of 91 — he married three times, sired seven children, infuriated clients, ran up debts he couldn’t pay. … Read more
Chess champ Magnus Carlsen, 32, lost to 19-year-old Hans Niemann at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup, sparking Carlsen’s cheating claims. Niemann, who admitted to prior online cheating, faced a wild “anal beads” theory for his win that went viral. Niemann’s $100 million defamation lawsuit against Carlsen and Chess.com was dismissed, leading to a confidential settlement. In … Read more
Cameron West, who lives with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), revealed childhood sexual abuse by his grandmother. Rikki, West’s wife, helped manage his breakdown and supported their family through his 24 alters. West’s 1999 book, “First Person Plural,” a bestseller, is reissued with a new epilogue. Cameron West’s eyes go somewhere else for a moment. He’s … Read more
He saved her life — now her mission is to save his legacy. Nikki Goldstein doesn’t remember the first time she met Rabbi Eli Schlanger in September 2022. She was comatose in a Sydney, Australia, ICU, battling pneumonia and failing lungs. Doctors didn’t think the 57-year-old would live to see the next day. Moments after … Read more
A former Navy SEAL and elite sniper instructor, Brandon Webb has jumped out of planes, raced cars, seen combat in Afghanistan and the Middle East, and trained people to shoot to kill. A bestselling author, he’s written about his exploits in books such as “Mastering Fear: A Navy SEAL’s Guide” and “The Killing School: Inside … Read more
Journalist Isaac Fitzgerald’s new book, “American Rambler,” details his quest to walk Johnny Appleseed’s trail. The book reveals Johnny Appleseed’s trees were for hard cider, not the wholesome eating apples we know today. Fitzgerald’s journey concludes with reflections on his mother’s death in February 2024. The Johnny Appleseed Trail of North Central Massachusetts — named … Read more
Jon Krakauer, 30 years after surviving Everest’s deadliest day, still worries about the climbing season. Everest’s season is off to a “terrible start” due to a Khumbu Icefall closure, delaying acclimatization. Krakauer’s bestselling memoir, “Into Thin Air,” about the 1996 tragedy, has a new edition. It’s been 30 years since Jon Krakauer survived one of … Read more
Bestselling author Kathryn Stockett’s new novel, “The Calamity Club,” was inspired by a photo of an oyster shucker girl. The novel centers on 11-year-old Meg, an orphan at a Mississippi orphanage where the older girls are shipped off to work in Biloxi canneries. Stockett’s book delves into Mississippi’s bleak history, including sterilization laws targeting women. … Read more
Journalist Mary Lisa Gavenas’ new book details cosmetics titan Mary Kay’s rags-to-riches story. Born in Hot Wells, Tex., Mary Kay Ash overcame early hardship to build a billion-dollar empire. Her company, Beauty by Mary Kay, went public in 1968, a first for a woman-chaired firm on NYSE. A new biography of Mary Kay — the … Read more
Caroline Bicks, Stephen E. King Chair, got unprecedented access to Stephen King’s archives. Her new book reveals King’s meticulous crafting of fear, like in “Pet Sematary,” and his inspirations. King revealed “The Shining” was shaped by a Shakespearean tragedy, but it wasn’t “Macbeth.” Every morning during her sabbatical year serving as the Stephen E. King … Read more
Millennials and Gen Z are swapping wild party weekends for quiet reading retreats. Mackenzie Newcomb, founder of Bad Bitch Book Club, says people seek community at these popular getaways. Prominent literary figure Zibby Owens also hosts sold-out retreats, often with authors discussing books. Travel is booked. In the latest sign that younger generations are opting … Read more
Mommy influencers are shamelessly exploiting their kids’ most private, distressing moments for online content. Author Fortesa Latifi’s new book reveals sick or sad children’s content often earns parents the most money. Past scandals, like the Stauffer family’s adoption reversal, highlight the ethical minefield of child exploitation. “Something’s off with our son, something’s office with our … Read more
Lexicographer Kory Stamper’s new book, ” Truel Color,” was inspired by the wild, poetic color definitions in Webster’s Third Dictionary. These unique definitions were crafted by scientists I.H. Godlove and his wife Margaret Godlove. The US sought color standards after WWI, leading to a “color boom” and dictionary inclusion. It was the third definition of … Read more
FICTION Tana French (Viking) In the final installment of French’s acclaimed Cal Hooper trilogy, a girl who was set to marry into a powerful family goes missing in a small Irish village and is found dead in a river. As Hooper — the former Chicago detective who moved to Ireland to supposedly retire and relax … Read more
A few years back, Andrew McCarthy was having a conversation with his then 20-year-old son, Sam, who was telling him a funny story about a buddy’s dating life. Then the boy made a comment that struck a nerve. “You don’t really have any friends, do you, Dad?” In the days that followed, McCarthy — who rose … Read more
With her new book, history professor Helen Zoe Veit tackles a fraught, emotionally charged, controversial subject: kids being fussy eaters. The prevailing modern wisdom is that “children have biologically keen taste buds, that children are naturally sensitive to texture and color, and that children are evolutionarily cautious about new things,” she writes in “Picky: How … Read more
On August 7, 1963, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis delivered her youngest child via an emergency caesarean section at an Air Force Base Hospital in Massachusetts. Baby Patrick was five and a half weeks premature, and doctors immediately knew there were problems with his labored breathing. “The infant had a translucent grapelike coloring, warning of … Read more