The latest horrific mutation
A review of Consumed, by David Cronenberg. The Canadian director-turned-author has arrived in his new medium with a number of unfortunate mutations
The ultimate comfort food
Fish and Chips: A History, by Panikos Panayi, is frustratingly academic and lacking in vinegar, but still full of fascinating facts
Madness in the ghetto
A review of A Brief History of Seven Killings, by Marlon James. This novel breaks new ground in its language, which oscillates between various stations on the ‘creole continuum'
For the term of our unnatural lives
A review of Being Mortal: Illness, Medicine and What Matters in the End. This is that rare thing: a truly important book
Title Stories: The Wonderful Wizard of OZ by L. Frank Baum
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Pop provocateur
His works provoked riots in the 1970s. Now Allen Jones is back at the Royal Academy after 35 years in the wilderness
The only way is Essex
Stephen Bayley celebrates the 50th anniversary of this ambitious, and for its day visionary, campus
Artists’ little helpers
A pioneering show at the Fitzwilliam Museum unearths the ubiquity of mannequins in helping artists work out composition - and avoid working with 'filthy street urchins'
Becoming Rothko
An extraordinary new exhibition at The Hague's Gemeentemuseum follows the arc of the abstract expressionist's career from beginning to end
Rough-Huhne
Did Perry carve a penis on Huhne's pot because that's what Perry basically thinks Huhne is?
Mis-en-Mars
Ismene Brown falls for Aelita, Queen of the Martians, and her three-cupped metallic bra at the V&A
Sexy ladies
Plus: Michael Tanner catches two wretched Figaros - one that makes you not care and another that distracts
Cultural revolution
It's a huge change from his visit in 2000, when music with sacred words was still banned
Ballet’s battle royal
Ismene Brown assesses their attempts to revive two unfashionable but vital choreographers Frederick Ashton and Robert Helpmann
Men behaving badly
Plus: a preachy new play from Soho theatre, Spine, that ultimately snares your sympathies
High life
This is city that Fitzgerald's exuberant prose romanticised, or Gershwin's syncopations made jostle and throb
Low life
It helps to have a face to think of on Remembrance Sunday. Herbert Clarke's photograph is hanging in my hall
Long life
The Church of England wants us to love them. I'm starting to feel the opposite position is better
Bridge
Every obituary written about Tony Priday, who died recently aged 92, said what a class act he was. I would…
Winning hand
Tension has always existed between games of skill, such as chess or draughts, and games seemingly based on chance, like…
