ArtsObituaryDavid SylvesterA brilliant art critic, his work deepened our understanding of Matisse, Picasso, Magritte, Giacometti, Henry Moore and Francis BaconDavid Sylvester, who has died aged 76, was one of the finest writers on art in the second half of the 20th century. His clarity of expression and his adherence to the discipline of looking, as a route to understanding the power of a work of art, set him in a class apart.

Rugby World Cup 2023Captain’s tournament in severe doubt with advice of surgical specialist likely to determine if he can return for hosts At midday on Friday, Antoine Dupont left Marseille for Toulouse, the France captain’s hopes for the remainder of the World Cup resting on the answers he finds there after suffering a devastating facial injury in the previous evening’s victory over Namibia that threatens to end his participation. Depending upon the advice of the surgical specialist, the France team aim to make a decision by the end of the weekend.

The ObserverMoneyKnow your catslideA weekly guide to the language of architectureSome of the words used to describe buildings are so fanciful there must be long-lost stories behind them. Take the term for a section of a roof that is extended to cover a lean-to or side room, so that it sweeps down from the ridge nearly to the ground. One imagines some medieval builder watching a cat trapped on the roof, missing its step and tumbling down.

FilmReviewUntil now, the only joke in general circulation about the German name "Focker" has been the celebrated legend about the legless air ace Douglas Bader addressing the pupils of Cheltenham Ladies College about his wartime exploits: "So this fokker comes at me from out of the sun..." "Shouldn't we make it clear to the gels," says the headmistress faintly, "that we are talking about a particular type of German aircraft?" "

The 100 best novelsTruman CapoteTruman Capote’s non-fiction novel, a true story of bloody murder in rural Kansas, opens a window on the dark underbelly of postwar America Some of the greatest books on this list are built on narratives that could have been torn from the pages of a newspaper (The Great Gatsby is a good example). In Cold Blood, subtitled “A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences”, grandly described by Capote as “a non-fiction novel”, actually began as a New York Times murder story that became transformed into a tale of spine-tingling suspense and extraordinary intuition.

The Wire re-upThe WireThe Wire re-up: season three, episode three – drug use and dead soldiersSPOILER ALERT: This weekly blog is for those who have already seen The Wire in its entirety. This week: a great moment of civic compromise The Wire Re-up - the book is out now. Click here to buy it There's no messing about with the metaphors as series three's story arc starts its assault on city government and bureaucracy.

MusicFor gay men, ‘stanning’ – being a super fan of – female pop stars can be a valuable part of your identity. But too often this fandom lapses into misogyny and body shaming Ahead of Britney Spears’ record-breaking show at Brighton Pride this year, Aaron Hussey noticed a fellow fan wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of Spears’ nervous breakdown: the 2007 incident when, head shaved, she attacked a photographer’s car with an umbrella.

BooksAlthough this dystopian novel was first published in 1977, it was out of print for decades until a literary agent chanced upon it in a charity shop. Now it’s being re-issued – and it’s still deeply relevant “I remembered how they began, a parody for the newspapers. No one wrote about them now.” Dystopia was one of my first favourite genres, the beginning of the path away from the books of childhood.

Music blogCultureDolly Parton: 10 questions to test your Dolly-knowledgeQuiz: To celebrate the news that the country legend will be playing at this year's Glastonbury, find out your level of Parton-expertise with these trivial teasers Dolly Parton to play Glastonbury 2014 ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEoKyaqpSerq96wqikaKWlqLake8yuqqKbkqG8qHvQrqCzZ2JlfnV7xZ6ZaGpnZLGwuMuyZKmZoqm8r3mQaWSqrZWowaq7zaxkqq2Zrw%3D%3D

How many of us operating in marketing over the years, working with new technologies, have created our own Horniman walruses? Photograph: Horniman Museum and GardensHow many of us operating in marketing over the years, working with new technologies, have created our own Horniman walruses? Photograph: Horniman Museum and GardensDigital marketingMedia & Tech Network This article is more than 7 years oldMarketers should learn the lessons of the stuffed Horniman walrusThis article is more than 7 years oldJim CarrollIn the rush to embrace the latest platforms, the communications industry creates unnatural campaigns stuffed with pointless new technologies Frederick Horniman was a Victorian tea trader and avid collector of art and artefacts, objects and specimens from across the world.