VANITY FAIR

Volume 54

Number 9

September 1991

Features

Queen of Tides: Is Barbra Streisand entering a new age of star power? Kevin Sessums reports; photographs by Herb Ritts..... 174

The Bradlee Mystique: How did Ben Bradlee become the most famous editor in America? Peter J. Boyer reports as Bradlee bows out of The Washington Post. Photographs by Annie Leibovitz........... 180

Kensit on Cue: Firooz Zahedi spotlights Patsy Kensit........ 186

Erotomania: Deluded that eminent surgeon Dr. Murray Brennan loved her, Diane Schaefer nearly destroyed her life—and his. Is it a case of "erotomania"? Marie Brenner reports....... 188

And So to Bed: Diane Von Furstenberg explores bedside manners and cradles of civilization in her new book, Beds........ 196

A Yen for Hollywood: Jon Peters is out, but cultures are still clashing at Columbia studios two years after Sony bought it for $3.4 billion. Edward Klein reports....... 200

Annie's Eye: Ben Brantley introduces a retrospective portfolio by V.F. contributing photographer Annie Leibovitz, from her new book.......... 204

Charms and the Man: British author Michael Holroyd, who publishes the final volume of his life of George Bernard Shaw this month, is facing his own Shavian paradox. By Arthur Lubow; portrait by David Bailey......... 214

Stone Free: James Wolcott spotlights Sharon Stone.......... 218

Grand Illusions: Were Alfred and Martha Dodd Stem the spies who went out to the cold? Katrina vanden Heuvel reports.......... 220

Columns

Editor's Letter: Endless love........ 8

Dispatches: Mark MacNamara on a rare case of a female serial killer......... 90

Mixed Media: James Wolcott on the geek hell of the Coen brothers' Barton Fink.......... 108

Postscript: Leslie Bennetts on the battles of the late senator John Tower.......... 114

Fashion: Steven Gaines on Halston's most private designs.......... 142

Wine: Joel L. Fleishman on good, cheap vintages.......... 226

Planetarium: Michael Lutin on behaving like a Virgo........ 276

Et Cetera

Letters: Readers bite back.......... 28

Fanfair: The bright stuff......... 159

Flashback: Katharine Hepburn, September 1934........... 278

Credits............ 272