Issue: January/February 2021
More sad than naughty
A BDSM book by a group keen to challenge gender norms is oddly conventional
Surviving the straits of hell
An old press cutting provided the key to a defiant tale of life after Auschwitz
Peculiar world of a singular talent
Highsmith was a great writer, with a moral vision bracing enough to clarify the terrors of the twentieth century
The final frontier
Christopher North says bullfighting thrives in a culture where death is discussed, not hidden
Evolution of a master
Davey’s selection has given us a deeper understanding of the value and practice of drawing
The triumph of the Trump doctrine
An appraisal of the President’s foreign policy would find he was consistent, traditional, multilateral – and highly successful
High priestess of a new morality
At times Portrait of a Muse feels like a Julian Fellowes soap opera where we see this woman of extraordinary vivacity making great men go weak at the knees
Kisses in the dark
Choose ambience over aphrodisiacs for Valentine’s Day says Felipe Fernández-Armesto
Fundragers splash the cash
The money being poured into US elections is soaring – but it’s often wasted
The cacophonous Mr Chips
A good field guide, but it won’t make you fall in love with the gull next door
