Behind the scenes with Elizabeth Taylor, the woman who loved love

WATCH / Queen Elizabeth

Elizabeth Taylor (pictured with Richard Burton in Cleopatra, 1962) is the subject of a new funny – and frank – HBO documentary.Credit: BETTMANN ARCHIVE

Has anyone ever done celebrity like Elizabeth Taylor? I’m not just talking about the multiple marriages, the messy personal life or the screen career – we have JLo for that.

It’s her aura, her magnetism, her vulnerability, all of which are on display in the HBO documentary Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes (Binge, August 4). It mostly draws from interviews Taylor gave to US journalist Richard Meryman in 1964, as well as interviews with best friend and actor Roddy McDowall, agent Marion Rosenberg and bestie Debbie Reynolds (until Taylor stole her husband, Eddie Fisher, in 1958), plus footage from her films and an extraordinary collection of photographs.

Taylor talks candidly about her life and the all-consuming love affairs that cemented her as a tabloid fixture. From her first marriage at 18 to abusive hotel heir Nicky Hilton to her two big loves – producer Mike Todd and actor Richard Burton (who was so hungover when they met in 1962 on the set of Cleopatra, he was shaking) – this is a funny and frank portrait of a woman who loved love (and its by-products, including a diamond engagement ring from Todd that was so big she called it her ice-skating rink). It also reveals her professional frustration at being constantly underestimated and how she had to fight for substantial roles.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t cover her later, baffling marriage to construction driver Larry Fortensky in 1991 or her friendship with Michael Jackson, but it’s a fascinating throwback to a woman who truly knew what it meant to be a star. Louise Rugendyke

READ / Stuck in the middle

A new book exploring family love from the author of the 2022 novel, We All Want Impossible Things.

Sandwiched. That’s how many of us feel in middle age, caught between our love (and care) for adult children and ageing parents. Sandwich, by American writer Catherine Newman (Doubleday; $35) – whose debut novel, We All Want Impossible Things, so powerfully captured the essence of female friendship – is about Rocky, a 50-something woman battling menopause who delights in her family’s annual, one-week Cape Cod vacation, all the more precious now her kids have left home. Secrets are revealed and relationships tested. Newman writes with flair, compassion and humour about family love in all its complexity. This book felt like a long conversation with a dear friend. Heartwarming. Nicole Abadee

PLAY / Word up

A favourite meeting place for literary legends: Byron Writers Festival, August 9-11.Credit: @byronwritersfestival/Instagram

August is upon us, reader, which means it’s time to sit down with your diary and start getting organised. Because every which way you turn, there’ll be someone interesting saying something unmissable about the times – unprecedented! – in which we live. First up is the Byron Writers Festival (August 9-11), Australia’s biggest and favourite regional meeting place of storytellers and their readers. The list of literary luminaries dropping into the hinterland town of Bangalow (below) for a natter is long, but highlights will include conversations with former politico Bob Brown (who’s written his first YA novelette, Thera), Richard Flanagan (Question 7) and Bryan Brown (The Drowning), as well as a Poets Out Loud Youth Slam. Next comes The Festival of Dangerous Ideas (August 24-25), live and unfiltered at Sydney’s Carriageworks.

LISTEN / Trapping Amber

A podcast sets out to uncover if the online onslaught against Amber Heard was organised.

Back in 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine, it seemed we were on the brink of World War III. But what was the biggest news story of the day? Well, the Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard court case, of course. At the time, social media were swamped with negative and nasty posts about Heard – but what if that hostile onslaught came not from people but an organised campaign of bots? In the podcast Who Trolled Amber?, Alexi Mostrous (who made Sweet Bobby) finds evidence that suggests it happened. He then tries to find out how it was done and who was behind it. What he discovers is both illuminating and horrifying. And with a US election looming, it also raises questions about how online manipulation and misinformation sway public opinion. Be afraid; be very afraid. Barry Divola

SHOP / Best in show

Don’t let man’s best fashion accessory get wet at the dog park.

We’ve been fans for years of the award-winning, uniquely sturdy Blunt umbrellas. Now, this clever brand’s back on our rainy-day radar with its limited-edition Parks & Puddle range, which comprises a compact Metro (100cm diameter; $139) or larger Classic stick umbrella (120cm diameter; $159) and, wait for it, matching dog jacket (in small, medium or large; $79). The fleece-lined jacket features an adjustable velcro chest strap as well as handy pockets for treats. Rain? Bring it! Available in Park Green and Puddle Blue. Frances Mocnik

DRINK / Hug in a cup

Crafted by a Hobart-based fermentation expert, this broth drink incorporates fermented turmeric, shiitake, hemp protein, wakame and more.

The restorative cuppa has had a makeover with the release of Vitality Broth ($32 for eight serves). Crafted by Tasmanian fermentation expert Adam James and supplied as a powder that includes fermented turmeric, shiitake, preserved lemon and Bruny Island wakame – an invasive seaweed – this isn’t just a cosy and nourishing brew, it’s also part of a solution. The Rough Rice range includes a dehydrated, brown-rice congee ($20), which elevates the idea of instant food, and Fire Tiger ($25), a tonic that does double duty as a punchy salsa. Drink up! Dani Valent

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