BlinkDash

MusicElton John idolised her and she wrote hits for the likes of Barbra Streisand, but her musical ambitions were out of sync with the times. Now a new collection reveals her intense originality in full Whatever role Laura Nyro chose to play – earth mother, soul sister, angel of the Bronx subways – she committed to it. With a soaring, open-hearted voice and ingeniously crafted compositions, Nyro transformed a range of influences into her own kind of art song.

Books interviewAutobiography and memoirInterviewMatt Rowland Hill: ‘My mother says she will sue me if I ever write another book like it’Anthony CumminsThe author of Original Sins, an account of addiction and shame, on his book’s impact on his evangelical parents, reading the Patrick Melrose series while waiting for drug dealers, and how looking middle class saved him from arrest Matt Rowland Hill, 38, is the author of Original Sins, about growing up as the son of a baptist minister before falling into a decade-long addiction to heroin while studying at Oxford.

Medical researchMoose's sharp hearing is attributed to antlersThey are some of the most extravagant headgear in the animal kingdom, but a moose's antlers are not just for show. Scientists believe they act as elaborate hearing aids that help males to find calling females. A study has found that the antlers' sound-gathering qualities boost the hearing of the animals by 19%. Moose, which are called elk in Europe, are well-known for their impressive hearing.

Readers recommendMusicOne RR regular picks a playlist from last week's threadThis theme was very close to my heart and important to me and as I read the nominations and listened to the tracks, I found myself on an emotional journey. In Japan, there are still thousands homeless because of of the tsunami and Fukushima disaster.  Almost everyone in Japan knows someone affected and that was where I started my journey.

Dalai Lama This article is more than 6 years oldRevealed: Dalai Lama’s ‘personal emissary’ suspended over corruption claimsThis article is more than 6 years oldTibetan monk who is gatekeeper to the Dalai Lama in the US strongly denies allegations he demanded improper payments For more than 15 years, Tenzin Dhonden has stood between the Dalai Lama and multitudes of US philanthropists, celebrities, scholars and officials eager for even an instant in the revered Buddhist leader’s presence.

Texas This article is more than 1 year oldSearch for Texas vigilante who fatally shot robbery suspect carrying fake gunThis article is more than 1 year oldMan fired nine shots and then helped diners recover the money at the Houston taqueria restaurant before disappearing Texas police are searching for a vigilante diner who shot dead a suspected robber carrying a fake gun in a Houston taqueria, then helped diners recover the money and disappeared.

Jonathan Jones on artCultureThe top 10 animal portraits in artFabritius's Goldfinch, Hirst's pickled lamb, Durer's rhino ... here are the finest (and the absolute corniest) artworks of the animal kingdom in all its majesty The top 10 unforgettable faces in art The top 10 monsters The top 10 beaches Carel Fabritius – The Goldfinch (1654)In this subtle and lifelike painting, Fabritius concentrates on a pet bird with a fascination at once emotional and scientific.

BIRDS AND THE BEESWhy do cats like to sit on paper? If there is a single sheet of A4 on the carpet, my cat will invariably sit on it. If I have a newspaper open - that's where she will decide to plant herself. A lot of cats do this apparently. I don't want to come across as a cat-mad obsessive but I'm curious to know the reasons behind this seemingly very common behaviour.

US news This article is more than 4 years oldBonnie and Clyde memorabilia fetches more than $180,000 at auctionThis article is more than 4 years oldA watch and a shotgun were among the items connected to outlaws Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker Several personal items related to 1930s Texas outlaw Clyde Barrow have sold at a Boston auction for nearly $186,000. RR Auction officials say the Bulova watch that Barrow wore when he and Bonnie Parker were killed in 1934 sold on Saturday for $112,500.