Why the World Loves Mellody Hobson
Meet the woman who inspired Sheryl Sandberg to write ‘Lean In’.
Days of Rage
How Ron Fliegelman became the Weather Underground’s bomb guru.
The True Story of Pretty Woman’s Original Dark Ending
Pretty Woman‘s original script was far darker than the romantic comedy millions of us have seen. Vanity Fair talks to the filmmakers about how the movie got its happy ending.
The Suspects Wore Louboutins
Nancy Jo Sales on the real life “Bling Ring,” a group of fame-obsessed L.A. teens who burglarized celebrity homes in search of jewelry, designer clothing, and proximity to stardom. This article was the basis for Sofia Coppola’s 2013 movie The Bling Ring.
The Fugitive Heir
A 2002 profile of real estate scion and alleged murderer Robert Durst. Durst has been the subject of a documentary miniseries airing on HBO called The Jinx.
The Prep School And The Predator
A viral story helps expose a predatory teacher’s abusive history at an elite all-girls private school in Los Angeles.
The Henry Ford of Books
A profile of James Patterson, the world’s best-selling author, who has an army of co-writers and television deals in the works, but many detractors as well.
War of Words
“What if all the publishers pulled all their books from that fucking idiot device? Then what would you read on your silly Kindle?” Keith Gessen on book publishers’ complicated history with Amazon.
In a Bookstore in Paris
A profile of George Whitman, the eccentric deceased founder of cult bookstore Shakespeare and Company, and his daughter and successor, Sylvia.
The Stradivarius Affair
Buzz Bissinger reports about the case of the stolen Lipinksi Stradivarius violin last winter, which was recovered by the Milwaukee Police Department and FBI after they tracked down its thief, a street criminal who had allegedly dreamed of stealing one in prison.