A Tomato Grows in the East River

On a wooden piling in the waters off Brooklyn Bridge Park, a lone red fruit grows between Pier 1, right next to the Brooklyn Bridge, and Pier 2. Sure, it’s tomato season, but this one seems to have materialized without the aid of any planter or gardener. “I saw the yellow blossoms and paddled over…

Eggs for Dinner!

Hello again … and goodbye! Here we are, post-Labor Day, which means it’s the end of summer hours and the more laid-back attitude that often goes with them. This also means that Sam Sifton’s return is imminent, and he’ll be back in your inbox on Friday. Thanks for reading, it’s been a blast! This week…

Can You Draw This? Of Course You Can

“Any one who can learn to write, can learn to draw,” John Gadsby Chapman wrote in his 19th-century instruction manual, “The American Drawing-Book.” This can-do sentiment dates back to an era when lead pencils and chalky pastels were standard. Today’s artists — and wannabe artists — also have the option of easy-to-use digital gadgets. If…

How Lizzo Does That

The singer and rapper Lizzo, 31, is one of the buzziest acts in music right now, what with her fierce lyrics, outspoken personality and fashion presence. She is also about to cross over into film, with a role in “Hustlers,” out Sept. 13. Lizzo, who is an Urban Decay brand ambassador, lives in Los Angeles.…

The Unstoppable Rise of the Zaddy

Men of a certain age have long come in and out of fashion. Throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, European portraiture immortalized tailored tunics and the older aristocrats who wore them. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, celebrating “breeching,” the practice of putting a boy in pants for the first time, was all the rage. Skip…