Arts

V.S. Naipaul, seen here in 1968, once told NPR, "It's important to avoid the wallow. It repels the reader."

Books
Arts

V.S. Naipaul, Controversial Author And Nobel Laureate, Dies At 85

10:05pm August 11, 2018

by Lynn Neary

Naipaul was born in Trinidad, and his relationship to his birthplace was nothing if not complicated. He was often criticized for the way he depicted developing countries in his novels.

John David Washington stars as Ron Stallworth in Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman.

Arts

'I Wasn't Sure If It Was True': John David Washington On The 'BlacKkKlansman' Story

5:55pm August 11, 2018

by Michel Martin

In director Spike Lee's latest film, BlacKkKlansman, John David Washington plays Ron Stallworth, a black police detective who successfully infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan in the 1970s.

A scene from Elizabeth Gaskell's Cranford by artist Hugh Thomson.

Books
Arts

'The Victorian And The Romantic' Attempts To Link Writers Through The Ages

10:17am August 11, 2018

by Annalisa Quinn

Nell Stevens's new memoir is an uneven but pleasant book that braids her story of doing a PhD amid an uneasy love affair with imaginary scenes from the life of her 19th century research subject.

Books
Arts

Graceful 'Court Dancer' Can't Escape Her Sorrows

7:00am August 11, 2018

by Jean Zimmerman

Kyung-Sook Shin's atmospheric, tragic novel follows a beautiful orphan whose dancing skills secure her a place at the Korean court, and later a life in Belle Époque France — but not happiness.

Books
Arts

In Satirical 'Severance,' A Stricken Country Works Itself To Death

6:16pm August 10, 2018

by Ari Shapiro

When a disease wipes out most of the U.S. population, Candace Chen is the last one left at the office. Ling Ma began work on the apocalyptic novel right before she got laid off from her own job.

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Fresh Fest co-founders Day Bracey (left) and Mike Potter (right) visit with Chris Harris, owner of Black Frog Brewery in Holland, Ohio, near Toledo.

Arts

African-American Craft Beer Brewers Unite To Host A Festival Of Their Own

4:03pm August 10, 2018

by Bill O'Driscoll

Craft beer is booming, but it is not very popular in the African-American community and there are few black brewers. The first craft beer festival for African-American brewers aims to change that.

Arts

'BlacKkKlansman' Is A Blisteringly Funny, Urgent Story Of Race And Identity

2:29pm August 10, 2018

by Justin Chang

In 1979, a black police officer named Ron Stallworth successfully infiltrated a local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. Director Spike Lee presents his story with humor and honesty in BlacKkKlansman.

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Books
Arts

David Sedaris On The Life-Altering And Mundane Pages Of His Old Diaries

1:29pm August 10, 2018

by Terry Gross

Sedaris' Theft by Finding is a collection of excerpts from those diaries. In it, he revisits major turning points, including how he met his longtime boyfriend. Originally broadcast May 31, 2017.

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Ron (John David Washington) and Patrice (Laura Harrier) strike power poses in Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman.

Arts

Spike Lee Checks Under The Hood In The Blistering 'BlacKkKlansman'

9:00pm August 09, 2018

by Bob Mondello

Critic Bob Mondello calls Spike Lee's latest, about a black cop who infiltrates the Klan in the '70s, "his most ferociously entertaining (and just plain ferocious) film in years."

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A scene from Storybook Lane features The Mad Hatter from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

How A Labor Of Love Grew Into An 'Enchanted Forest' In Oregon

6:25pm August 09, 2018

by Matt Ozug

A family road trip in 1963 inspired Roger Tofte to build a fairy tale theme park. At first, he made everything on his own, by hand. Now, more than 100,000 people a year visit his dream come to life.

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