The Rich Fabric of Invention

"The Overcoat," by Russian novelist Nikolai Vassilyevich Gogol, is a tale that's weathered the test of time.

Is Rio's Win Chicago's Gain?

The Olympics' urban legacy is surprisingly mixed, says Julie Iovine.

Smaller-Scale Saint-Gaudens

The Metropolitan Museum of Art provides a context for Augustus Saint-Gaudens's monumental sculptures.

How Teachers Unions Lost the Media

Richard Whitmire and Andrew Rotherham explain how teachers unions have been taken to task by the New York Times, the Washington Post and even The New Yorker.

Starbucks Goes Instant

In his De Gustibus column, Eric Felten explains why Starbucks, which used to emphasize the ritual of making coffee, is now offering instant.

The Polanski Hypocrisy

Directors like Pedro Almodóvar have signed a petition to free Roman Polanski. But their own work shows the extreme trauma that crimes like Mr. Polanski's can cause their victims.

Revelation Revised

Religion professor Stephen Prothero examines Royal Skousen's new edition of the Book of Mormon to see what has changed.

Serious Entertainment, Chicago-Style

From the Windy City to the Great White Way, two plays that represent Chicagoland theater at its gritty, no-nonsense best.

'More Than a Game' Got Game

He wasn't always the steady, charismatic player who dominates the NBA today. A look at how LeBron of Akron became King James.

• Film Clip: 'More Than a Game'

Waking Up a Tired Genre

Two of the best offerings from this new television season, both from ABC, revive the family sitcom, writes Dorothy Rabinowitz.

Williams's Long, Rocky Road

Lucinda Williams is stubborn and wise and can write a song to break your heart. It's those qualities that have helped her survive in the music business for 30 years.

An Art Comes Into Its Own

The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston dispells the myth that Vietnamese art did nothing more than absorb Chinese and Indian models.

• Photos: Ancient Figures