Arts

Actor Frank Vincent, Who Portrayed Mobsters In 'Goodfellas' And 'The Sopranos,' Dies

4:38pm September 14, 2017

by Mandalit del Barco

Actor Frank Vincent, who was best known for his portrayal of mobsters in Martin Scorsese's, Goodfellas and the HBO series, The Sopranos, has died.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

'Call Me By Your Name' Stands Out Among Dozens At Toronto Film Festival

4:38pm September 14, 2017

The Toronto International Film Festival wraps up this week and NPR's critics have seen dozens of movies. They provide a sneak peek at films getting early buzz for Oscars, some hidden gems and others to avoid.

Queue Listen Now

Musician Fred Hersch Recounts A Life 'In And Out Of Jazz' In His New Memoir

2:50pm September 14, 2017

Nearly 30 years ago, Hersch was among the first jazz musicians to come out as both gay and HIV positive. His memoir looks back on that time, as well as the time he spent in a medically induced coma.

Queue Listen Now

Ken Burns' 10-part, 18-hour series premiers Sunday. Above, an American Marine machine gun crew is poised for action.

Arts

New Ken Burns Series Remembers Vietnam War Through The Eyes Of Everyday People

1:49pm September 14, 2017

by David Bianculli

Burns made a name for himself by finding the small stories that lend perspective and emotion to larger narratives. Critic David Bianculli says his latest effort is "compelling from the start."

Attica Locke is the author of Black Water Rising, The Cutting Season and Pleasantville, and has written for the Fox drama, Empire.

Books
Arts

Author Attica Locke: In America, We Walk 'Side By Side' With Our Past

1:17pm September 14, 2017

by Rachel Martin

Locke's novel Bluebird, Bluebird is set in Texas where her family roots stretch back to slavery. The family didn't go north during the Great Migration, she explains: "We said: No, Texas is ours, too."

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

The Wind Still Blows Through The Willows — And Along 'The River Bank'

12:55pm September 14, 2017

by Amal El-Mohtar

Kij Johnson works fresh magic with an old story in The River Bank, a sequel to The Wind in the Willows that introduces two new characters, Miss Mole and Miss Rabbit, but keeps the original's charm.

The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve. (Jennifer Kerrigan/NPR)

Books
Arts

It All Began With 'Adam And Eve'

7:00am September 14, 2017

by Michael Schaub

In his new book, Stephen Greenblatt argues that the world wouldn't be the same without the story of Adam and Eve — the primal narrative that shapes how we think about almost everything.

Sareum Srey Moch plays a young Loung Ung in Netflix's First They Killed My Father.

'This Is Their Film': Angelina Jolie Tells A Story Of Khmer Rouge Survival

10:57pm September 13, 2017

by Kelly McEvers

Jolie's new film, First They Killed My Father, is based on a memoir by Loung Ung, who was 5 years old when the Khmer Rouge rose to power in Cambodia.

Queue Listen Now

The 2017 Man Booker nominees are Paul Auster's 4 3 2 1, Fiona Mozley's Elmet, Ali Smith's Autumn, Emily Fridlund's History of Wolves, George Saunders' Lincoln in the Bardo, and Mohsin Hamid's Exit West.

Books
Arts

Man Booker Prize Shortlist Features George Saunders, Mohsin Hamid And Ali Smith

11:28am September 13, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

The 2017 nominees for the U.K.'s top literary prize include a hefty dose of marquee authors, such as Paul Auster. But the list also features a pair of debuts, from Emily Fridlund and Fiona Mozley.

Books
Arts

The Pleasures Of Story Get Lost In This 'Forest Dark'

11:04am September 13, 2017

by Heller McAlpin

In Nicole Krauss' new novel, two characters move to Israel in search of fresh starts. But this strained tale of midlife crisis takes some odd turns and never quite coheres.