NPR Arts & Culture
'Venus and Serena': Champs Atop Their Game
What's left to know about tennis's superstar sisters? Probably not much they'd be willing to share, given how eager the press has been to wedge them into ready-made narratives about race, celebrity or the daughters of a Svengali.
Could You Talk To A Caveman? Scientists Say It's Possible
Researchers at the University of Reading are speculating that today's languages share a common root dating as far back as the last Ice Age. Words like "mother," "man" and "ashes" are categorized as "ultraconserved," meaning they are survivors of a lost language from which many modern tongues are descended.
At The Movies, A Swirl Of Style And Substance
Special effects date back to the dawn of film, but with today's tools moviemakers can put pretty much anything on-screen — which has NPR film critic Bob Mondello thinking about how movie style affects movie substance.
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'The Woman Upstairs': A Saga Of Anger And Thwarted Ambition
In her new novel, Emperor's Children author Claire Messud explores the complicated relationship between two women: Nora, who longed to be an artist and have a family but failed, and the woman Nora befriends, who puts her art first and built a family as well.
'The Woman Upstairs': A Saga Of Anger And Thwarted Ambition
In her new novel, Emperor's Children author Claire Messud explores the complicated relationship between two women: Nora, who longed to be an artist and have a family but failed, and the woman Nora befriends, who puts her art first and built a family as well.
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In A Cluster Of New Sitcoms, 'Family Tree' Stands Tall
Christopher Guest's new HBO comedy series follows a down-on-his-luck guy looking into his family genealogy. Guest, who pioneered the mockumentary style in cult classics like This Is Spinal Tap, co-created the show with Jim Piddock and star Chris O'Dowd.
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Remembering Monster-Maker Ray Harryhausen
The legendary Hollywood FX man died Tuesday at age 92. Known for creating the monsters in such films as Mighty Joe Young and Jason and the Argonauts, Harryhausen spoke with Fresh Air in 2003 about studying animals in nature to create the monsters of our imaginations.
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PBS Continues The March Into Streaming Programming
PBS introduced a nifty new channel this week serving streaming content to users with Roku boxes attached to their TVs. Is the shift to streaming inevitable?
Farm Team Saga 'Class A' Hits It Out Of The Park
Lucas Mann's Class A combines baseball and sociology in this chronicle of a farm team from a fading Iowa factory town. Reviewer Heller McAlpin says Mann "uses the full tool kit of literary nonfiction" in a book that "encompasses nostalgia, hope and failure."
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Book News: Hacker Leaks Part Of 'Sex And The City' Author's New Book
Also: poems by New York City taxi drivers; Imelda Marcos and the power of spectacle; and USA Today is losing books staffers.
An Epic Of India Gets A Canvas Its Own Size
Midnight's Children, from Oscar-nominated filmmaker Deepa Mehta, is a sweeping big-screen adaptation of Salman Rushdie's great novel of modern Indian history. NPR's Bilal Qureshi talks to the two storytellers about their collaboration on the project.
An Epic Of India Gets A Canvas Its Own Size
Midnight's Children, from Oscar-nominated filmmaker Deepa Mehta, is a sweeping big-screen adaptation of Salman Rushdie's great novel of modern Indian history. NPR's Bilal Qureshi talks to the two storytellers about their collaboration on the project.
Yippee-Kai-Yay, Mr. President: 'White House Down' Looks Very Familiar
We can't help thinking that the dirty, tank-top-wearing hero looks like somebody we followed around Nakatomi Plaza once.
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If Jeff Probst Were President
Our imagination takes us to President Jeff Probst's State Of The Union address.
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What's The Most Meaningful Gift Your Mom Gave You?
Many people are racking their brains to find a Mother's Day gift. But a group of women wrote about gifts their mothers gave them. Their essays are part of the book What My Mother Gave Me: Thirty-One Women on the Gifts That Mattered Most. Host Michel Martin speaks with the editor and a contributor.
In France, A Renewed Push To Return Art Looted By Nazis
Nearly seven decades after the end of World War II, France is still attempting to locate the rightful owners of art that was looted by the Nazis. The Internet and improved technology have helped, but it's still a painstaking process.
In France, A Renewed Push To Return Art Looted By Nazis
Nearly seven decades after the end of World War II, France is still attempting to locate the rightful owners of art that was looted by the Nazis. The Internet and improved technology have helped, but it's still a painstaking process.
Try A Do-It-Yourself Mother's Day
Rather than waiting for someone to give you a treat, why not make one of your favorites for yourself? Something you can snack on all week when no one's around. Or, better yet, something you don't have to share. Food writer T. Susan Chang recommends slow-roasted pecans, salty-sweet matzo candy and more.
Try A Do-It-Yourself Mother's Day
Rather than waiting for someone to give you a treat, why not make one of your favorites for yourself? Something you can snack on all week when no one's around. Or, better yet, something you don't have to share. Food writer T. Susan Chang recommends slow-roasted pecans, salty-sweet matzo candy and more.
Try A Do-It-Yourself Mother's Day
Rather than waiting for someone to give you a treat, why not make one of your favorites for yourself? Something you can snack on all week when no one's around. Or, better yet, something you don't have to share. Food writer T. Susan Chang recommends slow-roasted pecans, salty-sweet matzo candy and more.
