Preamble Dancing with the Stars By Lewis H. Lapham The vanity of princes is an old story; so is the wish for kings and the gazing into the pool of Narcissus. More
Essay Vanishing Act By Paul Collins Barbara Newhall Follett was a prodigy who transfixed the literary world—and then vanished. More
Essay Against Appearances By Bruce Bawer Orson Welles became a star not by creating some great work, but by simply scaring the hell out of people. More
Essay A Public Man By Andrew McConnell Stott The sheer gravitational weight of Lord Byron’s fame had the power to distort everything around it. More
Essay Gilgamesh to Gaga By John Tresch Fame machines have always found ways to conjure up and emanate glory, to magnify the power of kings and gods. More
Essay Consumer Products By Stephen Marche Celebrity culture may seem ahistorical, but its roots reach deeply into the past four hundred years. More
