Arts and Culture

Bare-Bosomed Women Brewed Beer for Soused Pyramid Builders: Lewis Lapham “The mouth of a perfectly contented man is filled with beer,” according to the ancient Egyptians, and on that basis it was a happy society.

Sarah Ruhl's Flighty `Vibrator Play' Lives Up to Good Buzz: John Simon Wonders will never cease. Sarah Ruhl, whose previous work I execrated, has written a smart, charming, iridescently funny-serious jewel, “In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play.”

Jeanne-Claude -- Christo's Dynamic, Red-Haired Muse: Manuela Hoelterhoff Like the projects she created over the decades with her husband, Christo, Jeanne-Claude is no longer here, but the memory of her will linger.

Wall Street Supermen Salvage Downtown Dance Maker's Nietzschean Tribute When New York dancer-choreographer Carrie Ahern had a falling out with the academics who’d offered to support her work, the market came to the rescue: Capstone Equities provided free rehearsal space in an underground bank vault near the New York Stock Exchange.

Christie's Saint Laurent Sale Makes Double-Estimate $13.4 Million in Paris Christie’s International’s four-day sale of the remaining collection of the late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Berge ended today in Paris, having raised double its estimate.

London Eateries Slash Wine Prices; Haggis Dim Sum Honors Burns: Food Buzz Le Bouchon Breton has joined the ranks of London restaurants lowering the price of fine wines to draw in customers and to get us all drinking again. Among the bargains: La Tache, Domaine de la Romanee Conti 1995, down to 1,293 pounds ($2,150) from 3,900 pounds, and Charmes-Chambertin, Domaine Perrot-Minot 2001, cut to 105 pounds from 220 pounds. Let’s hope our employers appreciate the effort that is being made. Just think: The more you drink, the more you save.

Saudi Filmmakers Win Prizes, Prince's Investment to Defy Movie Theater Ban Waleed Osman, a 21-year-old Saudi film director, almost got arrested when he shot his award- winning movie “The Revenge” on the seafront corniche in the Red Sea port of Jeddah.

Gordon Ramsay's Right-Hand Chef Mark Sargeant Steps Down After 13 Years Mark Sargeant, who joined Gordon Ramsay 13 years ago and worked his way through the kitchens to become one of the chef’s closest friends and allies, has resigned and will join another restaurant company next month.

`Twilight' Heroine Woos Buff Werewolf; Homeless Football Star: Rick Warner Poor Bella Swan. The heroine of Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight” series can’t catch a break with her favorite monster men.

Top Five Nonfiction Books, Marc Rich to Ayn Rand: The Bloomberg Muse List With so many books in the stores, we’re often asked for recommendations. Here’s a list of recent nonfiction books.