Arts

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump will skip the Kennedy Center Honors later this year. It will be the fourth time in 40 years of the event that the sitting president won't be attendance.

President Trump To Skip Kennedy Center Honors, Highlighting Rift With Artists

4:45pm August 19, 2017

by Miles Parks

Three of the five honorees had already spoken out against the president and said they either planned to boycott a White House event or were considering it.

Smith has played the role of Marjorie both on screen and on stage.

Arts

A Hologram Husband Keeps Lois Smith Company In 'Marjorie Prime'

8:12am August 19, 2017

by Scott Simon

Smith has been acting for more than 60 years, and she's earned rave reviews for her performance in Marjorie Prime. How does she explain her continued success? "I'm very lucky," she says.

Books
Arts

'Stay With Me' Is A Novel Of Commitment, Culture And The Struggle To Conceive

8:12am August 19, 2017

by Scott Simon

Set in Nigeria in the 1980s, Ayobami Adebayo's debut novel tells the story of a couple who desperately want to have a child, in a society where that's what's expected of them.

Books
Arts

In 'The Stone Sky,' Some Worlds Need To Burn

7:00am August 19, 2017

by Amal El- Mohtar

N.K. Jemisin won Hugo Awards for the first two volumes of her Broken Earth trilogy. The Stone Sky is a powerful, timely finale to this story of a world built on oppression and exploitation.

The Eclipse Magic Cone features a black waffle cone made with coconut ash and tipped with edible gold, and an interior filled with spiced marshmallow fluff and a golden-yellow ice cream flavored with ginger and turmeric.

Total Eclipse Of The Stomach: A Stellar Menu Of Gastronomic Delights

7:00am August 19, 2017

by Kristen Hartke

What can you do when the Earth plunges into total darkness on Aug. 21? Eat, of course! And there are many space-themed treats to keep the skywatching party going.

In Netflix's new show The Defenders, Jessica Jones and her superhero friends patrol the grim and gritty streets of a Hell's Kitchen that no longer exists in today's New York.

Arts

Marvel Comics Meet Reality On The Not-So-Mean Streets Of Hell's Kitchen

8:03pm August 18, 2017

by Neda Ulaby

In Netflix's newest Marvel Universe show, The Defenders, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Daredevil and Iron Fist patrol the dirty streets of a Hell's Kitchen that doesn't exist in today's New York City.

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Strike 2: Our second attempt at illustrating the plague story — with what we said was a 15th-century image by Jacopo Oddi from the La Franceschina codex depicting Franciscan monks treating victims of the plague in Italy — also turned out be a pictur

Iconic Plague Images Are Often Not What They Seem

5:47pm August 18, 2017

by Rae Ellen Bichell

Many images that have been traditionally used to depict the Black Death are, in fact, not images of the plague at all. Now, a group of dedicated historians are trying to correct the record.

Arts

High Spirited 'Patti Cake$' Dresses Its Cinderella Story In Dirty Jersey Drag

3:14pm August 18, 2017

by Justin Chang

A hard-working aspiring rapper rises above her dead-end existence with the help of some supportive friends and her own irrepressible talent. Critic Justin Change says Patti Cake$ is irresistible.

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Arts

Billy Eichner Makes A Career Out Of Love/Hating Celebrity Culture

3:14pm August 18, 2017

In addition to starring in Hulu's Difficult People, Eichner roams the streets of NYC, asking open-ended questions about celebrities in Billy on the Street. Originally broadcast Dec. 12, 2016.

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Jenny Zhang is a poet and writer living in New York City.

Books
Arts

'Sour Heart' Offers A Fierce, Fresh Take On The 'Hell' Of Coming To America

11:21am August 18, 2017

by Maureen Corrigan

The stories in Jenny Zhang's powerful debut collection center on the violent, sometimes disturbing experiences of young Chinese-American girls growing up in Queens, NY.