18.05.12: ‘Home,’ a Novel by Toni Morrison
In Toni Morrison’s novel, a traumatized soldier returns from the Korean War to his segregated hometown in Georgia.

20.05.12: By The Book: Hugh Dancy
Hugh Dancy, currently on Broadway in “Venus in Fur” and in the film “Hysteria,” wishes David Mitchell would match Philip Roth’s output.

18.05.12: ‘This Will Be Difficult to Explain,’ by Johanna Skibsrud
Whether in Paris or the Great Plains, failures to communicate fray the relationships in these tales.

18.05.12: ‘The Lower River,’ a Novel by Paul Theroux
In Paul Theroux’s novel, an American seeks a fresh start in Africa after a 40-year absence.

18.05.12: ‘The Cause,’ by Eric Alterman and Kevin Mattson
Eric Alterman’s history of liberalism from the New Deal to the present concentrates on the men and women who have defined it.

18.05.12: ‘The Tyranny of Clichés,’ by Jonah Goldberg
Jonah Goldberg accuses liberals of lazy thinking and worse.

18.05.12: ‘Horseshoe Crabs and Velvet Worms,’ by Richard Fortey
The paleontologist Richard Fortey searches out species that have endured hundreds of millions of years of planetary turmoil.

18.05.12: ‘Wichita,’ a Novel by Thad Ziolkowski
Fleeing the pressures of academia, Thad Ziolkowski’s Midwestern hero is sucked into his family’s schemes and strife.

18.05.12: ‘Farther Away,’ Essays by Jonathan Franzen
Jonathan Franzen’s essays express his love of birds and of writers, especially his friend David Foster Wallace.

18.05.12: ‘Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,’ by Ben Fountain
A firefight with Iraqi insurgents is caught on tape and turns a band of soldiers into media heroes in Ben Fountain’s satire.

18.05.12: ‘Chasing Venus,’ by Andrea Wulf
With a Venusian transit imminent, 18th-century astronomers risked their lives for a chance to measure the solar system.

18.05.12: ‘Oblivion,’ a Memoir by Héctor Abad
Héctor Abad creates a sociopolitical portrait of Colombia through the telling of his family’s story.

18.05.12: Poems and Stories by Lucia Perillo
Lucia Perillo’s two collections, poems and stories, draw upon her experiences in a world that often hurts her.

18.05.12: Up Front
Phillip Lopate on the transitional moment for essays.

18.05.12: Inside the List
Toni Morrison, whose novel “Home” enters the hardcover fiction list at No. 9 this week, remembers being confronted by a stark image of race relations as a freshman at Howard University.

18.05.12: Editors’ Choice
Recently reviewed books of particular interest.

18.05.12: Paperback Row
Paperback books of particular interest.

17.05.12: Letters: ‘The Passage of Power’
Readers respond to Bill Clinton’s recent review of Robert Caro’s latest book about Lyndon Johnson.

17.05.12: Letter: Anne Tyler’s Cosmos
A reader responds to a recent review of Anne Tyler’s “The Beginner’s Goodbye.”

17.05.12: Letters: ‘Turing’s Cathedral’
Readers respond to a recent review of George Dyson’s “Turing’s Cathedral.”

20.05.12: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, German Baritone, Dies at 86
Mr. Fischer-Dieskau’s beautiful voice and mastery of technique made him the 20th century’s pre-eminent interpreter of art songs.

19.05.12: An Appraisal: Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau’s Incomparable Voice
For countless listeners, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, with his vocal beauty and directness, was their first guide to the art of the song.

19.05.12: Music Review: Cecil Taylor at Harlem Stage Gatehouse
The pianist performing at the Harlem Stage Gatehouse on Thursday night.The jazz pianist Cecil Taylor played a solo concert at the Harlem Stage Gateheouse on Thursday night, part of a larger series celebrating his influence and legacy.

19.05.12: Music Review: Emanuel Ax in Recital at Carnegie Hall
The pianist, at Carnegie Hall on Thursday night, gave a recital of theme-and-variations works by Copland, Haydn, Beethoven and Schumann.The pianist Emanuel Ax, in recital at Carnegie Hall, reveals some surprising connections among theme-and-variations works from three centuries.

18.05.12: ArtsBeat: Van Halen Postpones 30 Dates on Its Tour
The band offered no explanation for the decision, saying it will put off indefinitely all tour dates after a June 26 show in New Orleans, including shows in Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, Salt Lake City and El Paso.

18.05.12: ArtsBeat: Lady Gaga Shows Prompt Protest in Philippines
Scores of Christians objected to her sexually charged lyrics and skimpy costumes.

18.05.12: ArtsBeat: Kanye West and Marilyn Manson Take Films to Cannes
Marilyn Manson will appear in Quentin Dupieux's "Wrong Cops Chapter One," which is being presented as part of the Director's Fortnight at Cannes, while Kanye West plans to present a short film called "Cruel Summer" at the festival.

20.05.12: Memories of Donna Summer From Her Disco Days
Disco-era players remember a time when romance was just a dance partner away.

19.05.12: Regina Spektor Has Piano, Will Travel
How the Soviet-born pop star’s shortcomings as a classical pianist turned her into a songwriter.

19.05.12: Nina Stemme, in a Rare New York Visit, Takes on ‘Salome’
Nina Stemme, who is making a brief, and rare, visit to New York to sing in Strauss’s “Salome,” is considered the world’s reigning dramatic soprano.

19.05.12: Freiburg Baroque Consort: Johann Heinrich Schmelzer
The Freiburg Baroque Consort play a variety of dance suites and sonatas by the Austrian composer Johann Heinrich Schmelzer.

19.05.12: Bethany Cosentino With New Sound on ‘The Only Place’
Bethany Cosentino is no longer hiding on the new Best Coast album “The Only Place.”

20.05.12: Playlist: New CDs: the Royalty, Espinoza Paz, Josh Abbott Band
New music by the Royalty, Espinoza Paz and Josh Abbott Band.

19.05.12: Inon Barnatan: ‘Darknesse Visible’
Each of the pieces on “Darknesse Visible,” a new recording by the brilliant pianist Inon Barnatan, was inspired by a literary work.

20.05.12: Herbert Breslin, Pavarotti Publicist and Manager, Dies
Mr. Breslin was the brash publicist and manager of the tenor Luciano Pavarotti who described his philosophy this way: “Marketing an artist is basically like marketing a bar of soap.”

20.05.12: Classical: Vivaldi’s ‘Teuzzone’
Jordi Savall conducts his ensemble, Le Concert de Nations, in a recording of Vivaldi’s “Teuzzone.”

20.05.12: Diplo, D.J., Musician and Star of ‘128 Beats per Minute’
Diplo is a ubiquitous musician, D.J. and advertising star, and an artist who brings different worlds of music together.

18.05.12: Echoes of Tiananmen, on Film, Face Hurdles in China
A film on Cui Jian, the rock musician whose songs embodied the spirit of hope and protest among young people in China in 1989, faces obstacles in getting distributed.

18.05.12: Music Review: Brian McKnight and Duke Ellington Orchestra at Blue Note
On Wednesday, during the later of two sets with the Duke Ellington Orchestra at the Blue Note, Brian McKnight was in scholar mode, tackling classics from the Ellington catalog and happily turning them into McKnight songs.

18.05.12: Chuck Brown, Godfather of Go-Go, Dies at 75
Mr. Brown became a local hero in Washington for creating a strutting funk variant that is the city’s signature dance genre.

20.05.12: Charlie Sheen

A leading man who has displayed a knack for action, comedy, and dramatic roles, "Charlie Sheen" is nearly as well known for his offscreen exploits as for his acting, though after suffering through scandals that would have ended many performers' careers, he overcame bad press and bad habits to enjoy a major comeback on television in the late '90s. "Charlie Sheen" was born Carlos Irwin Estevez to actor "Martin Sheen" (born "Ramon Estevez") and his wife, Janet Templeton, in 1965. By all accounts, young... [more]

20.05.12: Kim Kardashian

Kim Kardashian, the wealthy daughter of the high-powered defense attorney Robert Kardashian and Kris Kardashian (and the stepdaughter of Olympic athlete Bruce Jenner), grew up in Beverly Hills, CA, and attended an exclusive all-girls Catholic high school in the City of Angels. As a young woman, Kardashian worked at her father's music marketing firm, Movie Tunes, then parlayed her entrepreneurial instincts into a successful career as a wardrobe stylist for television programs, magazine photo layouts, and... [more]

20.05.12: Reese Witherspoon

As one of the most impressively talented members of the emerging New Hollywood of the early 21st century, "Reese Witherspoon" has proven that she can do far more than just pose winsomely for the camera. Born March 22, 1976, in Nashville, TN, Witherspoon was a child model and acted in television commercials from the age of seven. She had a part in the 1991 Lifetime cable movie "Wildflower" before making her 1991 film debut in the coming-of-age story "The Man in the Moon" (1991). The 14-year-old Witherspoon made... [more]

20.05.12: Lindsay Lohan

Child actress "Lindsay Lohan" was already an experienced performer when she made her feature debut in the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap. Born in New York City, Lohan began modeling at age three. After appearing in numerous TV commercials, Lohan moved to series TV with a role on the soap operaAnother World from 1996 to 1997. Cast as The Parent Trap's scheming twin sisters after a six month search for just the right girl, Lohan succeeded in filling "Hayley Mills"' shoes, winning over audiences with her pert... [more]

20.05.12: Angelina Jolie

Next to "Liv Tyler", "Angelina Jolie" is the only actress of her generation who can thank her famous father for the lips that have become her trademark. The actress was born Angelina Jolie Voight to the pillow-lipped "Jon Voight" and actress Marcheline Bertrand on June 4, 1975, in Los Angeles.

Raised mostly by her mother after her parents divorced while she was still a baby, Jolie moved around a lot with her mother and brother. She also did a fair amount of traveling as a professional model, living in such... [more]

20.05.12: Robert Pattinson

London-born Robert Pattinson found his acting niche almost instantly, kicking off his career with a string of fantasy roles. After catching the acting bug through amateur theater, the young thespian made his first film appearance at the age of 18, appearing in 2004's Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King, based on a Nordic legend. He followed this up by joining the Harry Potter franchise the following year, playing Cedric Diggory in Goblet of Fire, as well as the subsequent movies. Having captured the hearts of many... [more]

20.05.12: Natalie Portman

With an Oscar before the age of 30, repeated comparisons to "Audrey Hepburn", and the drool of a thousand critics at her feet, "Natalie Portman" has emerged as one of the most promising actresses of her generation.

Born in Jerusalem on June 9, 1981, to an artist mother and doctor father, Portman moved to New York when she was three. Raised on Long Island, she was discovered by a modeling agent who signed her on the spot. Her modeling stint led to an audition for "Luc Besson"'s "Leon" (or "The... [more]

20.05.12: Sandra Bullock

Giving new meaning to the term America's Sweetheart, "Sandra Bullock" won over scores of filmgoers and critics with her wholesome, exuberant portrayals of ordinary women in extraordinary circumstances. Since her breakthrough role as "Speed"'s unwitting heroine, Bullock has enjoyed the type of popularity that was in the past reserved for actresses along the lines of "Mary Pickford" or "Shirley Temple".

Born in Washington, D.C., on July 26, 1964, Bullock was the elder daughter of a vocal coach dad and an... [more]

20.05.12: Jennifer Love Hewitt

Personifying the type of teen spirit most commonly found in Noxzema ads and pep-squad meets, actress "Jennifer Love Hewitt" has brought new meaning to the word "effervescent." The '90s saw Hewitt go from relative obscurity to a bona fide teen queen, to say nothing of one of the most frequently enshrined actresses on the internet.

Hewitt was born on February 21, 1979, in Waco, TX. She made her first appearance on television in 1984 in the show Kids Incorporated (which, coincidentally, once guest-starred... [more]

20.05.12: Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston makes a good case for proving that acting talent can be absorbed by osmosis. From her father John Aniston's stardom on Days of Our Lives to her godfather Telly Savalas, the actress was surrounded by plenty of inspiration from an early age. As Aniston attended the Rudolph Steiner School as a child, she was interested in many forms of art and proved to be a talented painter, eventually having one of her pieces displayed at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. Acting also appealed to her, and... [more]

20.05.12: Miley Cyrus

The daughter of country-music superstar Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus got her start in the entertainment industry on an episode of her father's PAX TV medical series Doc before appearing in Tim Burton's fantastical 2003 adventure Big Fish. A fateful appearance as the character Hannah Montana in the Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack and Cody followed in 2006, and her character proved so popular that a spin-off series called Hannah Montana was launched shortly thereafter. In the series, Cyrus portrayed... [more]

20.05.12: George Clooney

As the son of broadcast journalist Nick Clooney and the nephew of chanteuse "Rosemary Clooney", "George Clooney" entered the world with show business coursing through his veins. Born May 6, 1961 in Lexington, Kentucky, the future "E.R." headliner appeared at the tender age of five on his father's Cincinnati talk program, The Nick Clooney Show. In his youth, Clooney honed a sharp interest in sports - particularly baseball - but by adulthood, Clooney launched himself as an onscreen presence, seemingly... [more]

20.05.12: Kristen Stewart

A fervent surfer who bears a striking resemblance to the young "Jodie Foster", "Kristen Stewart" was poised to become a preteen star with her role opposite Foster in "David Fincher"'s atmospheric thriller "Panic Room" (2002). A resident of Los Angeles, Stewart's nascent acting career got off to a promising start when she was cast in two vastly different films. Eschewing fluffy kids' movies, Stewart played troubled single mother "Patricia Clarkson"'s tomboy daughter in independent film darling "Rose Troche"'s... [more]

20.05.12: I'll Have Another targets Triple Crown
I'll Have Another wins Preakness, is one from elusive Triple Crown.

20.05.12: Durant, Westbrook lead Thunder rally
Durant's 3 lifts Thunder to 3-1 lead after another late Lakers collapse.

20.05.12: Durant talks about big 3-pointer
Durant talks about big 3-pointer

20.05.12: Johnson wins third all-star race title
JJ storms to third all-star win in convincing fashion.

20.05.12: NASCAR 2012 Sprint All-Star Race Charlotte coverage
Who is taking control in All-Star Race?

19.05.12: Chelsea, Bayern battle for Champions League title
Chelsea wins Champions League final over Bayern in PKs.

20.05.12: Highlights from Champions League final

19.05.12: UFC champ Jones faces DWI charge
Jon "Bones" Jones, the UFC's light heavyweight champion, was charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI) early Saturday after the car he was driving struck a utility pole, police said.

19.05.12: Spurs rally to stun Clips, take 3-0 lead
Furious comeback gives Spurs commanding lead over Clippers.

20.05.12: Facebook Gold Rush: Fanfare vs. Realities
The small gain for Facebook's stock on its first day of trading suggests that many professional money managers viewed all the hype as just that.

20.05.12: Facebook Builds Network of Friends in Washington
Over the last five years, Facebook employees have met with members of Congress and walked them through ways to best to use the Web site.

20.05.12: It's Not Dick Tracy's, but It Can Screen Your Messages
A new generation of watches connects with smartphones and other devices to offer news feeds and e-mail, text and other alerts.

20.05.12: Before Leaping, Listen to a Giant
To Harry Markowitz, the father of modern portfolio theory, the Facebook stock hubbub is a yawn. He'd rather focus on a rigorously diversified mix of stocks and bonds.

20.05.12: The Undoing of Scott Thompson at Yahoo — Common Sense
A faked résumé led to a victory for an activist shareholder, and an enduring mystery about Scott Thompson's departure from Yahoo.

20.05.12: Mark Zuckerberg Ties the Knot
On Saturday, Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, announced that he had married his longtime girlfriend, Priscilla Chan. The announcement was made, of course, on Facebook.

19.05.12: Facebook Buys Karma, a Gift-Giving App
Shortly after the market closed on Friday, Facebook said it had bought Karma, a beautifully designed social gift-giving app. Facebook has been on the prowl for companies that could bring it more clout in the mobile space.

19.05.12: Joy, Hacking and Nostalgia on I.P.O. Day
What did Facebookers do to celebrate their successful I.P.O.? Why, take to Facebook and post photos and comments, of course. We present a sampling of some of them.

19.05.12: Scuttlebot Special Edition - Facebook I.P.O.
With Facebook trading for the first time, the technology reporters and editors of The New York Times found an abundance of items about the company on the Web on Friday, including photos of the company's hackathon, how its shares traded on a private exchange before it went public and celebratory songs and videos.

18.05.12: Eduardo Saverin's Billionaire Blues
When you have been very close to something that changed the world, it is not easy to make the rest of your life align with that experience. And for more than one billionaire, the money only complicates things. As Eduardo Saverin says, "You are always afraid."

18.05.12: The Biggest I.P.O. Disruption: Rank-and-File Riches
Mark Zuckerberg gets the billions and the headlines, but an even bigger effect from offerings like Facebook's is the many who score enough wealth to cover their worries, then go take risks. In the next few years, there could be tens of thousands of them.

18.05.12: Facebook vs. Twitter
In the world of social networks, Facebook and Twitter can be compared to the old children's story "The Tortoise and the Hare." But this race is not judged by speed but by the long-term relationship with users and their privacy.

18.05.12: Facebook vs. Start-Ups
Will Facebook's debut on the Nasdaq have a ripple effect among start-ups, particularly those that are built on top of the social infrastructure established by the company?

18.05.12: Facebook Wins Oregon Tax Break
Facebook's successful I.P.O. wasn't the only good news for the company. Oregon's governor just signed a law that eases tax worries for Internet companies that operate big data centers there.

18.05.12: A Facebook Drop for Zynga, Other Social Stocks
On the day of Facebook's initial public offering, when the glow of social networking is everywhere, why are Facebook's peers getting punished in the stock market? Zynga and LinkedIn both saw their shares tumble after Facebook's debut.