A list of good reads
- New York Times (splainer gift link) has a must-read on the magical rise of a self-described ‘wizard’ in the Trump world—incoming FBI chief Kash Patel.
- Esquire offers an eye opening read from former journalist Patrick Fealey, who provides a firsthand account of being homeless in the US.
- Financial Times (splainer gift link) has a sharp opinion piece on why it’s bananas to consider art as an investment, in light of Maurizio Cattelan’s banana art selling for $6.2 million.
- The Conversation uncovers how research on AI language models could hold the key to deciphering the language of aliens.
- The Guardian has a bizarre story from freelance journalist Andrew Lloyd on how he stumbled upon a catfish account—using his identity and face to lure victims.
- BBC News lays out the ‘overlooked benefits’ of real Christmas trees.
- Scroll has a brilliant essay on a painting of Mughal emperor Jehangir’s turkey—which traces the culinary exchange between the Old and New World.
- Washington Post (splainer gift link) reports on Y2K-era ‘heartthrob’ TV show actors like Joshua Jackson, Adam Brody and Josh Hartnett—who have found a new lease of life in the streaming age.
- Hollywood Reporter India celebrates the enduring popularity of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’ soundtrack, in light of its re-release in theatres.
- The News Minute has a lovely oral history of ‘All We Imagine as Light’, as director Payal Kapadia talks about her success at Cannes, her film’s politics, the complexities of its Mumbai setting, and more.
- Sticking with ‘All We Imagine As Light’, TM Krishna in The Telegraph pens a passionate defence of slow-paced ‘art films’ as counter-points to mainstream culture.
