Dreamy detours
A dozen captivating books with the power to transport.
With a voice as startling as it was gorgeous, Maria Callas remains one of the most enduring opera stars of the last century. The legendary prima donna is remembered in this gorgeously packaged volume covered in scarlet fabric that features remembrances by her favorite conductor, Georges Prêtre, and longtime best friend Nadia Stancioff. The photos show the diva in all her onstage glory as well as reveal new images from her turbulent private life (she had a longtime affair with shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis before he married Jacqueline Kennedy), the details of which rival any plot set to music by Puccini or Verdi. The Purple One continues to live on in this new book by Prince’s longtime art director Steve Parke. The photos are stunning, many of them never before seen, and show the musician in performance and in intimate moments behind the scenes. The book is divided according to aspects of the late-performer’s personality, from playful mischief-maker to introspective artist. A touching foreword by longtime Prince collaborator Sheila E. sets the stage for what comes after. With her flawless cheekbones and sultry pout, supermodel Claudia Schiffer became one of the faces that defined the 1990s after Karl Lagerfeld discovered her at a nightclub in Dusseldorf, Germany, at age 17. The photos, curated by Schiffer, feature some of her most memorable shoots and campaigns for Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Chanel and Guess by photographers including Richard Avedon, Patrick Demarchelier, Steven Meisel, Herb Ritts, Mario Testino and Ellen von Unwerth, who also penned the book’s foreword. The late performer Joan Rivers paved the way for women in comedy, from Kathy Griffin and Sarah Silverman to Amy Schumer. This look back at Rivers’ 50-plus years in show business includes not only red-carpet glam shots and personal photos of the funny lady, but also decades of jokes written in Rivers’ own hand on note cards for her epic comedy cabinet and on-the-go ideas jotted down on everything from cocktail napkins to boarding passes.