A dazzling collection of art by women from across the globe was originally intended to be auctioned off in 2003. New Orleans collector Richard C. Colton, Jr. was so moved by the power of the assemblage, however, that he bought it whole in order to keep it that way, and to share it with the world.

Barack Obama is edging closer to a decision on whether to reinforce the 68,000 U.S. troops who will be fighting in Afghanistan by year’s end. Since routing out Al Qaeda and their Taliban hosts in Afghanistan after 9-11, the Taliban has made a steady comeback, fueled by failures of the Bush administration, profits from the opium trade,

September brought a sad, sweet farewell to Paul Newman, who died of cancer at the age of 83. Amidst the media gloom and campaign rancor of the season, a glance at his life makes for refreshing fare. What film lover could forget Newman’s understated blue-eyed “Cool Hand Luke,” his tortured soul as Brick in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” his romantic charm as Butch Cassidy. Over the years, his characters helped us to articulate the spirit of our times. He became like a friend, journeying alongside us through the decades. His colleagues have long commented on his lack of outsized ego, his generosity on stage, and his abiding Ohio-born, down-to-earth perspective.