Two new graphic books by Charles Burns capture the pleasures and discomforts of human connection and self-expression.

The director Pascale Bodet works wonders in “Vas-Tu Renoncer?,” based on the relationship of Édouard Manet and Charles Baudelaire.

The Smithsonian’s dynamic leader is dredging up slave ships, fending off culture warriors in Congress, and building two new museums on the National Mall.

From her home base in London, the “Girls” creator is working on a new semi-autobiographical TV series and finishing up a memoir. But, she says, “I definitely don’t want to be my own muse.”

The actor talks about the origins of “Adaptation,” his potential leap to television, and the art of “keeping it enigmatic.”

Three decades into “This American Life,” the host thinks the show is doing some of its best work yet—even if he’s still jealous of “The Daily.”