For those readers who do not regularly encounter the New Yorker, Guardian, Financial Times, and others it may come as a surprise to find historian Simon Schama finds time away from writing best-selling books.
When Frank Sargeson was 78 years old, not long before he died, I interviewed him for a half-hour television documentary.
At the age of 76, Leonard Cohen, the dark poet is a warm, gracious, comfortable performer on stage.
Rating: 4/5 Verdict: Nun veteran acquires new habit
Rating: 4/5 Verdict: Float across a tumultuous sea of female emotions
Rating: 4/5 Verdict: A golden book of musical intrigue
Rating: 3/5 Verdict: A few good laughs but not many surprises
Rating: 4/5 Verdict: Father Ted composer in another guise
Rating: 3/5 Verdict: The Walking in Memphis man digs out his old albums
Rating: 3/5 Verdict: Needs to sound more like Autozamm
Bonobos. They share 98.7 per cent of our DNA. They're slimmer and lankier than chimpanzees. They can be taught to use sign language. They're vocal, sociable, and "extremely amorous". They even (ahem) use the missionary position.
Dirty But Clean is back with the third novel in what could be loosely termed his "Poor White Trash" trilogy. His first, the fresh and adventurous Vernon God Little, rocketed him to overnight fame and Booker Prize stardom.
Rating: 4/5 Verdict: The party gets serious
Rating: 5/5. Verdict: More essential short films, video clips and cool grooves
Rating: 4/5. Verdict: Australian country-rocker delivers deep feelings and a physical punch
Rating: 3/5. Verdict: Beautiful but sometimes idle fifth album from Tennessee's finest.
Poetry usually arrives in the form of the traditional "slim volume" - elegant packages of 40-80 pages, like smoked salmon slices. By contrast, 99 Ways into New Zealand Poetry, all 624 pages of it, landed on my desk with a thump.
Who: Adam Lambert Where: Trusts Stadium When: Sunday night
The albums, the sales and the hits ... a pop reign comes to an end