Contents

18

Vanities

18 / Opening Act

Damson Idris takes the wheel.

23,24 / Trending

Olympic fashion; royal inspirations.

31 / Music

The Velvet Underground's John Cale remains on the cutting edge.

32,39 / The Gallery

Loro Piana reimagines wicker; Audemars Piguet's fresh face.

34 / Travel

At Le Sirenuse, the pool becomes fine art.

38 / Books

Page-turning takes on the American fever dream, where wealth and weirdness abound.

40 / My Stuff

A chic hotelier's must-haves, from silk pocket squares to Creed Aventus cologne.

Columns

42 In Praise of Alternate Endings

After 10 years back in the public eye, the writer takes stock of what's changed since her Dark Decade— and what hasn't.

By Monica Lewinsky Photograph by Ryan Pfluger

44 Chicago Blues

Assessing Grant Park's complicated legacy on the eve of the Democratic Convention.

By Douglas Brinkley

46 Scare Tactics

A second Trump administration could spell McCarthy-era-like disaster for political writers.

By Molly Jong-Fast Illustration by Celina Pereia

48 Swift 101

The professor who taught the Taylor Swift class at Harvard shares her thesis.

By Stephanie Burt

14 Editor's Letter

16 Contributors

134 Proust Questionnaire

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The Summer Issue /No. 760

Features

50 A Royal Challenge

Palace insiders weigh in on the health battles and family drama plaguing a fragile British monarchy.

By Katie Nicholl

58 No Nonsense

How Sabrina Carpenter won the summer with her infectious hit "Espresso." By Savannah Walsh Photographs by Emma Summerton

74 Haute Auteur

A sneak peek at How Directors Dress, a new book that flips the lens on the styles behind the camera.

By Adam Wray

92 Crossing Over

America's southern border has become an entry point for desperate people from all around the world. Photo portfolio by Go Nakamura Essay by Dara Lind

PAGE 68

"They are beginning to do what they need to do to energize the base."

—THE REV. AL SHARPTON

68 The Raee of His Life

Yes, they've seen the polls—and they're sticking with the plan. Inside Joe Biden's sophisticated outof-the -spotlight reelection campaign.

By Chris Smith

84 The Are of Hope

A decades-long effort by urban planners to imagine a revitalized West Bank and Gaza has become all the more urgent in light of the war and its tragedies.

By Marie Brenner

106 Suspicious Minds

Welcome to the annual CrimeCon, a mecca fortrue-crime enthusiasts that's exactly as unnerving as it sounds. By Kathleen Hale Illustrations by Yvan Guillo

114 The Red Queen in Exile

Amid a series of scandals, Louise Blouin wound down her art-publishing empire and lost her storied Hamptons estate. But the businesswoman is throwing punches, and she swears she's not broke. By Jennifer Gould

120 The Abyss

One year later, revisiting the unprecedented rescueand-recovery mission to find the Titan submersible.

By Willem Marx

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