Remembering Jack Kerouac
A friend of the author of "On the Road," published 50 years ago this month, tells why the novel still matters
View ArticleFive Fake Memoirs That Fooled the Literary World
Fiction was stranger than truth in these examples of authentic autobiographies that were anything but that
View ArticleThe Trouble With Autobiography
Novelist and travel writer Paul Theroux examines other authors' autobiographies to prove why this piece will suffice for his
View ArticleA New Look at Anne Frank
Two comic book veterans—who authored the graphic adaptation of the 9/11 Report—train their talents on the young diarist
View ArticleForty Years of Philadelphia Sound
Songwriters Leon Huff and Kenneth Gamble composed tunes with political messages for chart-toppers like the O’Jays and Billy Paul
View ArticleLong Overdue, the Bookmobile Is Back
Even in the age of the Kindle and the Nook, the library on wheels can still attract an audience
View ArticleBroadway’s Top Ten Musical Flops
With the imminent re-opening of Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark, we look back on some of the most memorable failures in musical theater history
View ArticleQ and A with Eddie Van Halen
The rock guitarist talks about his custom-made Frankenstein 2 that is now in the collections of the American History museum
View ArticleThe Top 10 Moments of Bob Dylan’s Career
In honor of the folk singer’s 70th birthday, we have selected 10 of the many pivotal events that have shaped his tumultuous life
View ArticleHow E.B. White Wove Charlotte’s Web
A new book explores how the author of the beloved children’s book was inspired by his love for nature and animals
View ArticleLevon Helm’s Rocking Rambles
The '60s rock great died today. Last July, our writer visited Helm for one of his famous Saturday night music throwdowns
View ArticleKen Kesey’s Pranksters Take to the Big Screen
It took an Oscar-winning director to make sense of the drug-addled footage shot by the author and his Merry Pranksters
View ArticleThe Cowboy in Country Music
In his new book, music historian Don Cusic recounts the enduring icons of western music and their indelible mark on pop culture
View ArticleBlack Like Me, 50 Years Later
John Howard Griffin gave readers an unflinching view of the Jim Crow South. How has his book held up?
View ArticleThe Top 10 Books Lost to Time
Great written works from authors such as Shakespeare and Jane Austen that you'll never have a chance to read
View ArticleJoe Temperley’s Ageless Sax
The Scottish baritone saxophone musician recalls his 60-year career and the famous singers he’s accompanied
View ArticleGoing Mad for Charles Dickens
Two centuries after his birth, the novelist is still wildly popular, as a theme park, a new movie and countless festivals attest
View ArticleDickens' Secret Affair
Biographer Claire Tomalin's literary sleuthing revealed the untold story of the famed author's "invisible woman"
View ArticleThe Essentials: Charles Dickens
What are the must-read books written by and about the famed British author?
View ArticleA James Brown Biography and Other Must-Read Books
This vivid new book charts the dazzling contradictions in the life of the Godfather of Soul
View ArticleFive New Books That Will Rock You Like a Hurricane
The '70s music scene is being reexamined in these books by and about the major players of rock 'n' roll
View ArticlePete Seeger: Where Have All the Protest Songs Gone?
Listen to an exclusive live stream of Seeger's new album filled with early versions of the songs that would make him famous
View ArticleThe Banana King, Surviving K2, the Allure of America and More Recent Books
The man who helped make the banana an American favorite also mercilessly used his company’s power to topple foreign governments
View ArticleRosanne Cash and the Many Meanings of Love
One of the most gifted singer-songwriters of our time talks love, science and the deep space between men and women
View ArticleLoving Elephants, the Meaning of Life, a London History and More Recent Books
A pioneering elephant rescuer looks back on the loves of her life and a collection of essays investigates the history of happiness
View ArticleLISTEN NOW: Wu Man Brings East and West Together in New Album
In Borderlands, the Chinese musician highlights the culture of the Uyghur people
View ArticleAn Opera for an English Olympic Hero
Lal White was forgotten by many, even residents of his small English factory town, but the whimsical Cycle Song hopes to change that
View ArticleA Lincoln Novel, Native Poetry, Marie Curie and More New Recent Books
In a new alternative history, The Great Emancipator lives to fight a second civil war
View ArticleAs Long As Books Have Existed, Invisibility Has Been a Dream
We just have to look to literature to learn that there’s always been a real danger to the prospect of being invisible
View ArticleD-Day Spies, Lost Antarctica, Eating Dirt and More Recent Books
A new history blows the cover on British spies in World War II
View ArticleMartin Amis Contemplates Evil
England’s most famous living novelist has moved to America—and tilted the literary world
View ArticleWhat's the Perfect Book to Get Over a Breakup?
Alain de Botton has provided a valuable service: giving reading prescriptions for a "shelf-help" approach to everyday problems
View ArticleHow Do Our Brains Process Music?
In an excerpt from his new book, David Byrne explains why sometimes, he prefers hearing nothing
View ArticleDavid Byrne Offers Advice on How to Enjoy Music
What is it about place that makes music special? The rock star dissects what he enjoys about what he hears, from opera to jazz to radio hits
View ArticleThe Next Pandemic, the End of Men, Edward Curtis and More Recent Books Worth...
The scariest thing about deadly diseases is how little we know about them
View ArticleTen Famed Literary Figures Based on Real-Life People
Who were the sources for characters such as Robinson Crusoe or Dorian Gray?
View ArticleLISTEN: The Freewheeling, Foot-Stomping Dust Busters
The Brooklyn string band brings it all back home
View ArticleLewis Lapham’s Antidote to the Age of BuzzFeed
With his erudite Quarterly, the legendary Harper’s editor aims for an antidote to digital-age ignorance
View ArticleWho Are the Geniuses Behind Your Favorite Poems?
A new exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery unmasks the titans of modern American poetry
View ArticleListen to the Elizabeth Mitchell Experience
Listen to the Elizabeth Mitchell Experience
View ArticleThe History of Cooking and Other New Books, Reviewed
Why should we consider the fork? And a new biography of the ill-fated George Armstrong Custer
View ArticleWhat Do Alicia Keys, the Boss and Wagner Have in Common?
From the classical era to modern music, flames have lent a spark to some of the greatest tunes of all time
View ArticleEsperanza Spalding Took on Bieber, Now Takes on Jazz
The innovative bassist and winner of the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award for performing arts is taking jazz to a whole new place
View ArticleThe History of Mapmaking, Jared Diamond’s Latest and More Recent Books Reviewed
Also on the docket, travelling by fire and understanding the concept of “antifragility”
View ArticleLISTEN: Stephen Wade’s Banjo Diary
The roots music expert’s latest album is finger-picking good
View ArticleA Nike Shoe, Now a Part of the Smithsonian
The Flyknit racer is currently in the collections of the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
View ArticleListen to Doc Watson Picking Away at his Banjo
A new release from Smithsonian Folkways highlights the talent of a bluegrass master
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