'People' Names Sandra Bullock, 50, World's Most Beautiful Woman
The actress is the oldest person to head the annual list. But as Clinton and Bush race for the White House, the news seems like deja vu — a vision from 1992.
Arts
'I Regret Everything': Toni Morrison Looks Back On Her Personal Life
"It's not profound regret," Morrison tells Fresh Air. "It's just a wiping up of tiny little messes that you didn't recognize as mess when they were going on." Her latest book is God Help the Child.
Toni Morrison's New Novel Is Best Read With Her Backlist In Mind
The Nobel Prize winner has become a giant in the literary world, but reviewer Saeed Jones says that her latest novel can only stand with confidence when it has the idea of the author as its spine.
Teaching Students To Hear The Music In The Built World
Cooper Union architecture professor Diana Agrest has influenced generations of accomplished architects. Agrest was one of the first women to teach in the largely male-dominated field.
After 20 Years On The Job, NYC Police Officer Tells His Intense Stories
"Your heart is pounding; your adrenaline is shooting out of your ears," Steve Osborne says. "And you got one second to get it right." He retired from the force in 2003. His memoir is called The Job.
Revisiting A Suburbia-Gone-Sour In Ross Macdonald's Crime Fiction
A reissue of four of the detective writer's 1950s novels excavates the dark depths of California's suburban decay. Maureen Corrigan praises Macdonald's "psychological depth" and "penetrating vision."
No Demons, No Angels: Attica Locke Aims For Black Characters Who Are Human
In her new novel, Pleasantville, and on TV's Empire, Locke does her best to avoid simple stories. "You do some good stuff and you do some bad stuff," she says. "We exist in the middle."
'One Of Us' Is A Difficult, Unforgettable Look At Tragedy
Journalist Åsne Seierstad's new book retells the story of Norway's Anders Breivik, from his troubled, violent childhood to his 2011 killing spree. Critic Michael Schaub calls it a painful masterpiece.
'Tangerines': Enemies On Neutral Territory In A Time Of War
The surprise Oscar nominee for Outstanding Foreign Film tries to speak to common humanity even in situations of high conflict, but it struggles to make its themes feel real.