Will Hermes gives us Lou Reed in full: complicated, scandalous, arty, poetic, ambisexual, temperamental, a battler through critical and commercial disappointments.

Journey back — way, way back — to winters past, when prosperity came from harpooned whales, kids flew up and down frozen Hook Pond on skates with sails at their back, and the annual businessmen’s holiday promotion was a raffle for a free ton of coal. Here, season snippets from the pages of The Star evoke the sights, smells, sounds, and snowy pastimes of Decembers gone by.

Here’s Fireplace 101, in honor of chestnuts-on-an-open-fire season, with tips to help keep your burn safe, your wood dry, and your coziness level at the max.

Home décor, like fashion, shouldn’t be generic, but should reflect the uniqueness of your personality, and that’s another reason to shop local, rather than at the homogenous big boxes this season. Here, a guide to small, special South Fork shops offering housewares to match your aesthetic

Wine has never been more popular than it is today (as we know from all the “You had me at merlot” and “Mama needs wine” T-shirts sold on Etsy). But what about . . . hot wine? Reporting in on the rich delight of Scandinavian glogg.

Cold winter night, nothing to do? Gather a group of friends, head to your corner bar, come up with a goofy team name (“Sherlock Homies” or  “Simple Minds”), and put on your thinking cap: Pub quizzes are popping up in restaurants and bars all over the East End.

What to do with winter’s ugly vegetables —  all those ungainly, bumpy, stripey winter squashes that stock the farm stands this time of year, intimidating us with their sheer mass and quirky colors? Turn those ugly veggies into something beautifully delicious.

What to do with winter’s ugly vegetables —  all those ungainly, bumpy, stripey winter squashes that stock the farm stands this time of year, intimidating us with their sheer mass and quirky colors? Turn those ugly veggies into something beautifully delicious.

There’s no easier way to cook for a crowd than to throw an old-fashioned holiday cocktail party, serving simple, make-ahead hors d’oeuvres. We'll help you master the art.

Fred Berner, Amy Durning, and Kristie Macosko Krieger, the producers of "Maestro," the just-released film about Leonard Bernstein, will be at the Sag Harbor Cinema on Saturday for a question-and-answer session after the film's 6:15 p.m. screening. 

Prudence Peiffer’s new book, “The Slip,” focuses on the artists who lived in abject riverfront lofts on Coenties Slip in Lower Manhattan during the formative years of their careers before going on to art world success.

The East Hampton Historical Society’s House and Garden Tour will feature two Devon Colony estates, Grey Gardens, and other notable and notorious properties.

The Holiday Makers Market at The Church in Sag Harbor will feature textiles, jewelry, home goods, health and beauty items, artworks, ceramics, clothing, and food, all by East End artisans, as well as a print exhibition and an outdoor singalong.

Eight local arts organizations receive state grants, Studio 54 comes to LTV, comedy shows in Southampton and Sag Harbor, celebrating Billy Joel in Stony Brook.

Ukraine benefit at White Room, big group show at Tripoli, Helen Harrison on the movie "Pollock," benefit for Planned Parenthood at Mark Borghi, Margaret Garrett solo in Manhattan.

A recent arrival to Southampton, El Verano is a sophisticated Mexican restaurant with complex dishes, some rare ingredients, an elegant interior, and excellent and knowledgable service.

Rowdy Hall has moved to new quarters in Amagansett with all the old favorites and lots of new offerings, Dopo has winter prix fixe menus in Bridgehampton and Southampton, and Southold Social has a Bedell wine dinner coming up.

Three fire departments battled a blaze Wednesday afternoon that destroyed a house on Springs-Fireplace Road near Harrison Avenue in Springs. The house had been unoccupied but for multiple pets, which are thought to have died in the fire.

As East Hampton Town officials labor to alleviate the scarcity of affordable housing, the president of a nonprofit community development organization pitched its assistance to property owners in financing the creation of accessory dwelling units.

The five original sites making up East Hampton Town’s emergency communications infrastructure have been upgraded and are operational, as is an additional site off East Lake Drive in Montauk and a temporary installation on Gann Road in Springs, the latter pending a permanent tower at Camp Blue Bay in that hamlet.