The Trip to Echo Spring by Olivia Laing review – a study of six alcoholic US writers

Affected by her own family's experience with drink, Laing's book is full of insight, compassion and unexpected beauty, writes Victoria Segal

It’s not sexist when opera critics find fault with Glyndebourne’s fat ladies

Guy Dammann: Our job is misunderstood: we're upholding the unique beauty of this art form, and it's our duty to hold any production to account

The upside of insomnia: how sleep deprivation aids creativity

Musicians often find sleeplessness inspiring as well as tormenting. Dorian Lynskey explains how Matt Berry wrote his new album during nocturnal sessions, and why Dave Bayley of Glass Animals owes his career to insomnia

Are action movies bad for weak hearts?

British medical study finds people with heart conditions experience raised heart stress when watching intense films, reports Ben Child

Michelle Obama’s many cameos could teach other politicians how to use TV

The first lady has popped in on Parks and Recreation and Veep, revealing pop culture smarts that other politicians can't touch

Arts Head: Emma Anderson, director, The Atkinson

The Southport cultural hub chief on persevering with a tricky restructure, even if it means being crowned 'Queen of Darkness'

Black Rainbow review – poetry in a moving account of depression

A journalist and mother charts her descent into illness and the slow rebuilding of her shattered self, writes Stephanie Merritt

LeapFrog activity tracker for kids soon to hit the shelves

LeapFrog makes a game out of physical activity, with a talking Tamagotchi-style pet that can be strapped to the wrist. By Samuel Gibbs

Andrew Solomon: ‘Figuring out how to love someone who seems unlovable is very familiar to me’

The books interview: Andrew Solomon, winner of the Wellcome prize, talks to Hadley Freeman about the people who helped him write Far From the Tree, and how their struggles inspired him to start a family of his own