Entertainment
Six burning questions for ... Charlie Pickering
Max Olijnyk TV presenter and comedian Charlie Pickering tells us about Walk to Care and his dogs.
Dignity of dwarfs is a very big deal
Carole Lander While Peter Dinklage waves the banner, others can do more.
Peppa Pig rules the stage as toddlers catch swine fever
CHRISTINE SAMS She's Australia's latest multimillion-dollar star, fuelled by kiddie power.
Seldom have our national sledgers been served such a verbal feast
ANNABEL CRABB The Poms may be here, but are they cricketers or hapless contestants from The Great British Bake Off?
The Tribal Mind
Language we love
David Dale Consider these phrases and the stories they pluck from deep in your consciousness.
In the Birdcage
Mik Grigg Once more, the roses are the most beautiful blooms in The Birdcage, their petals and perfume no longer overshadowed by the whirl and girls of the Melbourne Cup carnival. This is the best of the week that was.
Supanova Pop Culture Expo draws heroes and villains
NATALIE BOCHENSKI They came in their droves, the superheroes, the villains, the well-known and the obscure.
Lunch with ... Moira Kelly
LAWRENCE MONEY Moira Kelly wonders at a world in which her own brand of altruism is outside the norm.
My secret Melbourne ... Chloe Quigley
Mary O'Brien Author, Michi Girl blogger and fashion guru Chloe Quigley likes to sneak in a lunchtime swim at her favourite public pool. And she regrets never passing through the doors of a classic Collins Street shopping spot.
Held up in haiku
Kath Dolan Even for a community arts festival, Roadside Haiku is a quiet stroke of genius.
The thrill of the throwaway
Andrew Nette In the second half of last century, an Australian pulp scene burned brightly with disposable tales.
The divine Miss Fisher and her taste for men
Reviewed by Sue Turnbull We applaud Phryne on-screen, but the fiction Phryne is dancing to her own inimitable tune.
Ode to an acerbic offscreen star
BEN POBJIE Like us, actors die, and it strikes us more painfully than the loss of a stranger should.
Lost and Found
PHILIPPA HAWKER One hundred years ago, a sickly French writer named Marcel Proust unleashed a revolution on the literary world. Variously described as overwhelming, impenetrable and the 20th century's greatest novel, In Search of Lost Time still inspires.
Hello Dolly: country's blonde bombshell
DANIEL FALLON There are many sides to Dolly Parton: entertainer, actor, business woman, philanthropist, multi-instrumentalist and owner of world-famous breasts. But the first thing to remember is that she is a songwriter. One of pop and country music's great songwriters.
Waiting for Tamas
Samuel Beckett's absurdist masterwork is always a challenge, writes actor Richard Roxburgh. But when the director goes missing, things really get interesting.
Bisexual romance heroes have even snagged Harry Potter
Linda Morris The alpha male's seductive power may be waning.
T-Bone Burnett
Back to their roots
BERNARD ZUEL The music man behind the Coen brothers' Inside Llewyn Davis on the search for authenticity.
The Marshall Mathers LP 2 review: Eminem hints at self-awareness
Craig Mathieson Sometimes it sounds so exhausting to be Eminem. On The Marshall Mathers LP 2, the eighth studio album in a career defined by self-lacerating rage and technical prowess, the 41-year-old rap superstar repeatedly hits the heights of vitriol and hatred that have become his domain in the studio. He spits out epithets like a machine-gun and launches provocation after provocation. He creates a mood of venomous defeat and triumphant despair again and again. Does Eminem even know how to stop?
King of the teen queens
Ruth Ritchie A middle-aged man's alter ego is a marvellous gargoyle that is familiar to schoolchildren, young and old.
Everything's a Thread review: Exuberant Brisbane boys' second album a hit
Plus Gossling, Renee Fleming, Corrina Steel and more
Quest to add zest
Cheryl Maddocks There is no need for a big backyard to grow your own citrus trees.
Winning at any cost
Review By James Ley After The Slap, Christos Tsiolkas takes on social inequities, ambition, competitiveness and our national obsession with sport.
Matthew Reilly returns with The Tournament
LINDA MORRIS The return of publishing's boy wonder speaks volumes for his talent.
What's On
Your Weekend November 8, 9 and 10, 2013
Pop culture rules supreme this weekend with the annual Supanova expo, but there are plenty of other activities and events to enjoy.
The Shortlist gig guide, 8-14 November
Bronwyn Thompson It's a case of better late than never for fans of Baby Animals, with the band releasing their first album in 20 years in 2013. Buoyed by its support, legendary rocker Suzi deMarchi and co follow up an intimate album-launch tour with this bigger, better one. Welcome back. Catch them for $38.90.
