John Updike Brings Rabbit to Rest

Writer John Updike recently completed his Rabbit series. He says that, while elements of his life show up in the protagonist Harry Angstrom, the books were never meant to be autobiographical.

Alexandra Auder's mother, Viva, was one of Andy Warhol's muses. Growing up in Warhol's orbit meant Auder's childhood was an unusual one. For several years, Viva, Auder and Auder's younger half-sister, Gaby Hoffmann, lived in the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan. It was was famous for having been home to Leonard Cohen, Dylan Thomas, Virgil Thomson, and Bob Dylan, among others.

Financial journalist Gretchen Morgenson explains how private equity firms buy out companies, then lay off employees and cut costs in order to expand profits. Her new book is These are the Plunderers.