NPR Arts & Culture
Notes On A 'Scandal': Fitz Is The Most Dumpable Man On Television
Viewers of Scandal know that Fitz is the worst. But do they know why? We do.
Greta Gerwig, Blithely Spirited As 'Frances Ha'
The indie darling returns in a winning collaboration with Noah Baumbach that tracks her developmentally arrested dancer heroine through the transition from protracted adolescence to reluctant adulthood. (Recommended)
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'Bidder 70,' Still Raising His Hand To Be Heard
Scientist Terry Root, author and activist Terry Tempest Williams and filmmaker Robert Redford all turn up in this documentary on eco-activist Tim DeChristopher, who bid on — and won — mineral rights to a chunk of federal land just to tie them up. He was prosecuted and sentenced to federal prison.
'Augustine' And Her Diagnosis Get Another Look
A 19th-century neurologist develops an intense relationship with an illiterate teenage maid who experiences erotic pleasure during intense bouts of "hysteria." French writer-director Alice Winocour's feature debut is based on an actual 19th-century case history.
'Pieta': Suffering Toward ... Redemption?
Controversial Korean auteur Kim Ki-duk (The Isle) turns in a meditation on cruelty, criminality, mortality and grace. (Recommended)
From The Heart Of Egypt's Revolt, The Pulse Of Artistic Life
Egypt's capital has been associated with protest and political upheaval. But an arts festival attempts to clear away the dust and revitalize a once-glorious cultural hub.
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From The Heart Of Egypt's Revolt, The Pulse Of Artistic Life
Egypt's capital is has been associated with protest and political upheaval. But an arts festival attempts to clear away the dust and revitalize a once-glorious cultural hub.
While The Audience Turned Away, 'American Idol' Found Some Great Singers
This may have been a lousy year for ratings on our most-watched talent show, but not for talent.
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'Into Darkness,' Boldly And With A Few Twists
The 12th film based on Gene Roddenberry's '60s sci-fi TV show is the second to star a new group of actors as Kirk, Spock and their crew. J.J. Abrams returns as director, and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch plays the memorable villain.
Book News: Amazon's Tiny Tax Payment Draws Fresh Scrutiny
Also: Afaa Michael Weaver on being a black poet abroad; ebook sales jumped 44 percent last year; Cormac McCarthy's beach body.
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How To Put This 'Delicate'-ly ... Not Le Carre's Best Work
A dirty deed and official cover-up drive the plot in John le Carre's A Delicate Truth. The novel sets its sights on old-boy corruption and corporate criminality at the heart of the "Deep State," but critic Alan Cheuse finds this latest effort lacks the tension of le Carre's Cold War novels.
How To Put This 'Delicate'-ly ... Not Le Carre's Best Work
A dirty deed and official cover-up drive the plot in John le Carre's A Delicate Truth. The novel sets its sights on old-boy corruption and corporate criminality at the heart of the "Deep State," but critic Alan Cheuse finds this latest effort lacks the tension of le Carre's Cold War novels.
Tina Brown's Must-Reads: On Luck, Good And Bad
In the latest edition of Word of Mouth on Morning Edition, Steve Inskeep talks to Newsweek editor Tina Brown to get her reading recommendations.
A Polley Family Secret, Deftly Pieced Together
In a striking documentary, Sarah Polley turns the camera on her own family. The director and actor, known for films such as Away from Her and The Sweet Hereafter, was teased growing up about not looking like her actor father. At 27, she discovered that it wasn't a joke.
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Coming To 'Americanah': Two Tales Of Immigrant Experience
The new book from Nigerian writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a knockout of a novel about immigration that transcends genre. It's everything from a coming-of-age novel to a romance to a comic novel of social manners to an up-to-the-minute meditation on race.
What's On TV This Fall? The Networks Roll Out Their New Shows
This fall, Michael J. Fox returns to network comedy and Joss Whedon brings the Avengers universe to television.
Bringing Back Butterscotch
Butterscotch seemed to have fallen out of fashion, but food writer Rina Rapuano says she's seeing glimmers of a comeback. And we don't mean hard candies and instant pudding. The revival of this old-fashioned flavor inspires a crepe cake, a chocolate-crusted tart and more.
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Book News: Justice Department Says Apple Led Price-Fixing Ring
Also: George Orwell's rules for making tea; what Antigone can teach us about the burial of Tamerlan Tsarnaev.
Easy Rawlins Is Alive, Or Is He?
After six years, author Walter Mosley breathes life back into his detective hero Easy Rawlins — thought dead after crashing his car off a cliff. Easy embarks on another case, but as the lines blur between death and dying, he may discover answers to questions he hadn't thought to ask.
