Arts

A heart-felt love letter to love letters.

Arts

A Love Letter To Love Letters — And A Call To Hang Them On The Wall

5:01pm December 24, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

In 1972, NPR asked listeners to write noncommercial commercials: ads for life's little joys. One praised love notes — and suggested they ought to be showed off and shared, not stored away.

Arts

VIDEO: Wrap Up These Tamales For A Christmas Eve Feast

11:36am December 24, 2016

by Maria Godoy

Tamales are a Christmas Eve tradition for many Latinos. But they're also labor intensive and daunting for the newbie. Never fear: Mexican chef Pati Jinich shows us how to master this holiday favorite.

Arts

Not My Job: We Quiz Composer Michael Giacchino On Decomposition

11:13am December 24, 2016

We invite the composer beind the Star Wars and Star Trek soundtracks to play a game called "Just like composing, but it goes the other way."

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Books
Arts

Get In The Christmas Spirit: A Popular Victorian Ghost Story

9:07am December 24, 2016

Back in the 19th century, ghost stories were all the rage at Christmastime. NPR's Linda Wertheimer reads a spooky Victorian tale.

Books
Arts

New Biography Chronicles Shirley Jackson's 'Rather Haunted Life'

8:34am December 24, 2016

by NPR Staff

Shirley Jackson is probably best known for the creepy short story "The Lottery." But a new biography, Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, paints a much more complete picture of the writer.

Jews commemorate Hanukkah by eating fried foods. For most American Jews, that means latkes — potato pancakes fried in oil. But other cultures toss different foods into pots of boiling oil. Take, for example, these fried and jam-filled doughnuts, called

Beyond Latkes: 8 Nights Of Fried Delights From Around The World

7:40am December 24, 2016

by Bonny Wolf

Jews commemorate Hanukkah by eating fried foods. For most American Jews, that means latkes — potato pancakes fried in oil. But other cultures toss different foods into pots of boiling oil.

The content of monthly book boxes varies, but most come with a book or sometimes even a few, plus book-specific or reading related extras.

You've Got Mail: Book Boxes Offer Novels And Novelty Items

7:00am December 24, 2016

by Wynne Davis

It's OK if you haven't heard of book box subscriptions. These relatively new services, available in all kinds of genres, deliver curated selections of books and extras to subscribers every month.

"Samba doesn't accept restraint," says Sao Paulo performer Douglas Germano. "It has to break free or else it dies."

In Gritty Sao Paulo, Samba Reinvents Itself With An Introspective Sound

7:00am December 24, 2016

by Marina Lopes

A hundred years after the first recorded samba, São Paulo is pioneering the genre's second act. The city's introspective anthems couldn't be more different than Rio's optimistic, breezy samba beat.

Arts

Actress Carrie Fisher Reportedly In Stable Condition After Entering Cardiac Arrest

7:39pm December 23, 2016

by Jason Slotkin

Both the Los Angeles City Fire Department and United Airlines say a passenger aboard a flight from London was unresponsive. Multiple media reports claim it was the Star Wars actress.

The Radio City Rockettes are a New York institution and have participated in inauguration celebrations before. But this time, some Rockettes aren't feeling too festive.

The Rockettes To Perform At Donald Trump's Inauguration, Whether They Like It Or Not

7:22pm December 23, 2016

by Maggie Penman

Donald Trump's transition team has confirmed that The Rockettes will perform at the inauguration celebration — though one dancer said on social media that she was "embarrassed and disappointed."