Arts

Miller says it took her a little while to life as a standup. "I like illusion! I like changing costumes," she says -- but she relishes the role now.

Arts

The Queen Of Swing Takes Old Age In Stride

10:37pm November 15, 2015

by Renata Sago

At 95, Norma Miller is the last living member of Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, the pioneering group that helped popularize swing dancing. These days, though, she's swapped dance floors for a standup's mic.

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A man wears a shirt with the "Peace for Paris" symbol, near the French embassy in Berlin on Saturday, a day after the deadly attacks in Paris.

Circle Of Hope: How A Raw Reaction Became A Sign Of Solidarity

6:36pm November 14, 2015

by NPR Staff

When Jean Jullien learned of the Paris attacks, the French artist dashed off a pen-and-ink mash-up of the Eiffel Tower with a peace sign. That symbol has since become a worldwide icon of the tragedy.

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June Squibb poses for a portrait during the 19th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards on Jan. 16, 2014, in Santa Monica, Calif.

Arts

Not My Job: We Ask Actor June Squibb About Squids

1:21pm November 14, 2015

Squibb was a professional actor for 60 years before landing her first Oscar nomination — at the age of 84 — for her role in the movie Nebraska. Her latest film is Love the Coopers.

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Dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp celebrates her 50th year in professional dance by taking two new shows on the road: Preludes and Fugues and Yowzie.

Arts

If Twyla Tharp Is Dracula, Dance Is Her Lifeblood

1:02pm November 14, 2015

by NPR Staff

Since her 20s, the dancer and choreographer has been rewriting the rules for what dance can be. Now she's on her 50th anniversary tour, premiering new works with longtime collaborators.

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Books
Arts

'This Old Man' Looks Back On A Full Life

8:26am November 14, 2015

by NPR Staff

Roger Angell's latest book is a collection of his writings from The New Yorker, centered on "This Old Man," his memorable essay about the pains and pleasures of living into your 90s.

James White (Christopher Abbott) is a feckless New York City slacker doing the best he can to care for his mother, Gail (Cynthia Nixon).

Arts

Arrested Development Meets Adulthood In 'James White'

11:28pm November 13, 2015

by Bob Mondello

James White is an indie drama about a slacker dealing with the death of one parent and the decline of another. NPR film critic Bob Mondello says it's both intimate and intense.

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Tara Donovan's installation in the "Wonder" exhibit is made of hundreds of thousands of index cards.

Arts

This Art Exhibit Makes You 'Wonder' — And That's The Whole Point

6:05pm November 13, 2015

by Elizabeth Blair

Nine major contemporary artists have created massive, otherworldly installations to mark the reopening of the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery in Washington, D.C.

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Books
Arts

Book Review: 'Wild Hundreds,' Nate Marshall

5:10pm November 13, 2015

Tess Taylor reviews Nate Marshall's poetry collection, Wild Hundreds.

(Left to right) Amanda Seyfried, Jake Lacy, Olivia Wilde, Maxwell Simkins, Blake Baumgartner, John Goodman, Ed Helms, Alan Arkin, Diane Keaton and Alex Borstein make up the Cooper family in Love the Coopers.

Arts

No Christmas Cheer For 'The Coopers'

4:50pm November 13, 2015

by Scott Tobias

The Coopers are yet another family who've gift-wrapped their dysfunction and brought it home for Christmas.

Patricia Riggen filmed The 33 inside two Colombian mines. She says, "We went to Colombia because their mines ... are not as deep and as dangerous as the Chilean mines."

Indie Filmmaker Brings Story Of Chile's '33' Miners To The Big Screen

2:27pm November 13, 2015

by NPR Staff

Before making the film, Patricia Riggen met with the real miners and heard their stories. She says she aimed to "portray the heart of these guys and what they went through emotionally."

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