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Newsletters

biographies

A collage of book covers set in a grid pattern tilted to the left

Observer’s Must-Read Memoirs and Best Biographies of 2026

From the glittering lives of the famous to the remarkable hope of everyday people, these life histories will bring joy and inspiration.
By Nathan Smith
A collage of book covers in a grid pattern tilted to the left

11 Books That Will Transform Your Understanding of Art

The best books about art expand not only what we know but also how we see, sharpening our awareness of the forces that shape artistic production across time.
By Nick Hilden
A collage of book covers

These Books Capture the Defiant and Joyful Spirit of Queer Life

These diverse LGBTQ-centered books offer up powerful portraits of love, loss and resilience.
By Nathan Smith
A collage of book covers oriented in a diagonal grid

Observer’s Guide to 2025’s Best Memoirs and Biographies, From ABBA to Ono

By Nathan Smith
A collage of book covers

The Best Biographies and Memoirs to Read Any Time

By Nathan Smith
Elon Musk and Grimes

Biographer Teases How Elon Musk Met Grimes and Other Untold Stories

By Sissi Cao

How J Dilla Turned The Sound of Error Into a Brand New Beat

By Robert Christgau

Elon Musk’s Mood Is Tied to His Romantic Partner’s Hair Color, Tesla Employees Say

By Sissi Cao

Helen Frankenthaler Biography ‘Fierce Poise’ Explores Early Career and ’50s New York

By Lauren LeBlanc

Hilary Holladay’s Adrienne Rich Biography Illustrates Her Influence

By Lauren LeBlanc

New Woody Guthrie Biography Provides an Intimate Look at the Man Behind the Legend

By Lauren LeBlanc

New Biography ‘Warhol’ Separates the Man From the Myth

By David D'Arcy

Biographer Sheila Weller on Writing About a Beloved Star: Carrie Fisher

By Sherry Amatenstein
Jared Leto arrives to the 2015 Vanity Fair Oscar Party February 22, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California.

Jared Leto Will Play Andy Warhol, Broad Museum’s Blockbuster Attendance

By Alanna Martinez
Larry Gagosian.

Meet Larry Gagosian

By Alanna Martinez
John Adams and his descendants were the subjects of Brookhiser's third biography.

Bye George: Biographers Struggle to Let Go of Their Subjects

By Richard Brookhiser
The Replacements.

A Trainwreck Turned Triumphant: The True Story of the Replacements

By Brad Cohan
Nina circa 1968 (Photo by Getty Images)

How Journalist Alan Light Wrote Nina Simone’s Biography in Reverse

By Justin Joffe

Superagent Sue Mengers Built Careers of Film Royalty

By Brian Kellow
Will Elon Musk's plan work, or should he focus on his other business ventures?

How Elon Musk Is Nailing That Whole Superhero Thing

By Elizabeth Kennedy

The Mavis Staples Family Biography Will Send You Running to Your Record Collection

By Pat Daly
Stevie Nicks: Portrait of an artist as a young woman (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Payers Only Love You When You’re Playing: Stevie Nicks Gets a Biography

By Drew Grant

Simon & Schuster Bumps Up the Release Date for Its Steve Jobs Biography (Again), As Pre-Orders Soar

By Nitasha Tiku
Joseph Heller in 1979.

Joseph Heller Biography Catches the Man

By James Camp
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