Arts

Emily (Gemma Aterton) and Max (Idris Elba) in 100 Streets.

Arts

'100 Streets' Tells Familiar Stories That Cross Race, Class And Generational Lines

5:00pm January 12, 2017

by Ella Taylor

Idris Elba stars in a London-set ensemble drama our critic calls "soapy, rote stuff," but it's representative of the new generation of filmmakers taking Britain's multiracial society as their subject.

Otto (Brendan Gleeson) and Anna (Emma Thompson) are Alone in Berlin.

Arts

'Alone In Berlin': A Grieving German Couple Sets Out To Undermine The Nazi Movement

5:00pm January 12, 2017

by Scott Tobias

Brendan Gleeson and Emma Thompson deliver strong performances, but director Vincent Perez's staid historical drama swathes its subjects' radical actions in too much art-house-reverence.

Arts

'20th Century Women' Mixes Comedy With Disappointment And Loss

1:28pm January 12, 2017

by John Powers

Set in 1979 Santa Barbara, Mike Mills' new film is the story of a teenage boy and the three women who teach him about life. Critic John Powers calls it an "amusing, deeply-felt work."

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Marie-Antoine Carême began his hardscrabble life in Paris during the French Revolution, but eventually his penchant for design and his baking talent brought him fame and fortune.

How A Destitute, Abandoned Parisian Boy Became The First Celebrity Chef

7:31am January 12, 2017

by Nicole Jankowski

Marie-Antoine Carême died 184 years ago today. But in his short lifetime, he would forever revolutionize French haute cuisine and gain worldwide fame. Some of his concepts are still in use.

Books
Arts

Brief But Creepy, 'Fever Dream' Has A Poisonous Glow

7:00am January 12, 2017

by Lily Meyer

Samanta Schweblin's debut novel starts as a warped child's game, and evolves into a terrifyingly toxic eco-horror tale in the vein of short-but-creepy Latin American classics like Pedro Páramo.

Start the new year with a stack of book suggestions from librarian Nancy Pearl.

Books
Arts

Fulfill Your Reading Resolutions With 6 Books From Librarian Nancy Pearl

5:12am January 12, 2017

by Nancy Pearl

Every once in a while, NPR's go-to books guru sends host Steve Inskeep a big stack of books. They're generally "under-the-radar" reads — titles she thinks deserve a little more attention.

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The police force for protection of Italy's cultural heritage is headquartered in Rome's Piazza Sant'Ignazio.

For Italy's Art Police, An Ongoing Fight Against Pillage Of Priceless Works

4:33pm January 11, 2017

by Sylvia Poggioli

Italy is an art theft playground. An elite police squad combats the illicit trade in antiquities and art, but the chase is still on for a stolen Caravaggio painting — No. 1 on the most-wanted list.

Hall-Of-Fame Sportscaster Joe Buck Admits To Being A 'Lucky Bastard'

1:51pm January 11, 2017

Buck's new memoir details his experiences in sports and life, including his addiction to hair-plug transplants. When it comes to announcing, he says, "I don't have a rooting interest for either side."

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Books
Arts

Earthy 'Lotus' Is A Fascinating Flower

7:00am January 11, 2017

by Jean Zimmerman

Lijia Zhang's debut novel — about a young woman in China who fights her way out of the sex trade to become a teacher — is sensitively drawn, full of folk wisdom and concise, touching imagery.

George Lucas, pictured here in 2014, has announced that his museum will be built in Los Angeles. San Francisco had also been in the running.

George Lucas Chooses Los Angeles As Home For His Art Museum

7:53pm January 10, 2017

by Mandalit del Barco

The filmmaker's collection, which ranges from Norman Rockwell paintings to Hollywood props, is headed for a site near his alma mater, the University of Southern California.