From Padma Lakshmi's new cookbook to Sarah Jessica Parker's Booker Prize judging experience, and various new book reviews, the literary world is buzzing with fresh narratives and even bookstore-led community food drives.

• ‘I Want It to Be Real’: Padma Lakshmi on Food TV and Her New Cookbook — New York Times Books -
• Sarah Jessica Parker Describes Her Year as a Booker Prize Judge — New York Times Arts -
• Bookstore Food Drives Help Food Stamp Recipients — New York Times Arts -

• Book Review: ‘Fateful Hours,’ by Volker Ullrich — New York Times Books -
• Book Review: ‘The Slip,’ by Lucas Schaefer — New York Times Books -
• College Romance Books That Will Make You Swoon — New York Times Arts -
• Book Review: ‘Terry Dactyl,’ by Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore — New York Times Books -

Sting's "The Last Ship" moving to the Met Opera, the Hollywood Bowl dedicating its stage to John Williams, and James Gaffigan's return to lead the Houston Grand Opera mark significant shifts and honors in the classical and contemporary music scene.

• Sting to Bring ‘The Last Ship’ to the Met Opera — New York Times Arts -
• Hollywood Bowl Names Its Stage for John Williams — New York Times Arts -
• The American James Gaffigan Comes Home to Lead the Houston Grand Opera — New York Times Music -

• Huang Ruo’s ‘The Monkey King’: A Shape-Shifting Hero for a Third Culture Opera — New York Times Arts -
• How ‘The Disintegration Loops’ Saved William Basinski’s Life — New York Times Arts -

Broadway's "Oedipus" stars going head-to-head, the live adaptation of "The Hunger Games", and Ariana DeBose's return to the New York stage in "The Baker's Wife" showcase dynamic new and revived theatrical experiences.

• Watch Lesley Manville and Mark Strong of Broadway’s ‘Oedipus’ Go Head-to-Head — New York Times Arts -
• Getting Into the Arena as ‘The Hunger Games’ Goes Live — New York Times Arts -
• ‘The Baker’s Wife’ Review: Ariana DeBose Returns to New York Stage — New York Times Arts -

• Lea Michele and Her ‘Chess’ Co-Stars Know the Score — New York Times Arts -

Guillermo del Toro narrating a "Frankenstein" scene, Claire Danes' new series "The Beast in Me", and HBO Max's "The Seduction" offer viewers a range of cinematic and small-screen entertainment, including Josh Johnson's political commentary on "The Daily Show."

• ‘Frankenstein’ | Anatomy of a Scene — New York Times Movies -
• In ‘The Seduction,’ a ‘Dangerous Liaisons’ for This Moment — New York Times Arts -
• Claire Danes Finds New Things to Stress About in ‘The Beast in Me’ — New York Times Arts -

• Josh Johnson Isn’t Sold on Trump’s 50-Year Mortgage Plan — New York Times Arts -

The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art setting its 2026 opening date signals a major new cultural landmark, while discussions around **a company selling $1 billion in art investments** raise questions about transparency in the art market.

• Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles Sets 2026 Opening Date — New York Times Arts -
• Honoring a Sassy, Hammer-Wielding Nun — New York Times Arts -
• A Company Sold Investors $1 Billion in Art. Did it Paint Too Rosy a Picture? — New York Times Arts -

• Does This $1 Billion Art Collection Paint Too Rosy a Picture? — New York Times Arts -

The arts community mourns actress Sally Kirkland, poet Hal Sirowitz, and Jimmy Kimmel's bandleader Cleto Escobedo III, remembering their significant contributions to film, literature, and television.

• Sally Kirkland, Scene-Stealing Actress, Dies at 84 — New York Times Arts -
• Hal Sirowitz, Poet Who Mined His Mother’s Worry With Wit, Dies at 76 — New York Times Arts -
• Cleto Escobedo III, Jimmy Kimmel’s Bandleader, Dies at 59 — New York Times Arts -

Premieres at the Paul Taylor Dance Company are explored, alongside a review of Rennie Harris's "American Street Dancer" at the Joyce Theater, highlighting diverse contemporary dance expressions.

• Premieres at the Paul Taylor Dance Company Lose the Taylor Thread — New York Times Arts -
• Review: Rennie Harris’s Jam Session of American Street Dance — New York Times Arts -