Arts

During his decades-spanning career Irving Penn photographed everything from fashion models to frozen food. Above, Ball Dress by Olivier Theyskens for Nina Ricci, New York, 2007.

Arts

For Irving Penn, Perfect Portraiture Wasn't Just For Fashion Models

1:37pm November 10, 2015

by Susan Stamberg

Penn created many of the stark, glossy pictures of stick-thin fashion models that appeared in Vogue. He also made portraits of nudes, celebrities and also everyday objects, like cigarettes.

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"I've always been an introverted person," Shonda Rhimes says, and she found the fame that came with her television successes to be "daunting."

Books
Arts

For A Year, Shonda Rhimes Said 'Yes' To All The Things That Scared Her

1:37pm November 10, 2015

by NPR Staff

The creator of Grey's Anatomy and Scandal says despite the success of her shows, her life "had gotten really small," so she decided to step out of her comfort zone. Year of Yes is her new memoir.

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Books
Arts

'Two Brothers' Tells A Passionate Tale Of Brazil In Black And White

10:03am November 10, 2015

by Etelka Lehoczky

Artists Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá — themselves twins — have turned Brazilian author Milton Hatoum's family drama The Brothers into a deftly-shaded graphic novel, full of compelling imagery.

Books
Arts

'The Pickle Index' Is A Tart, Tangy Multi-Platform Romp

7:03am November 10, 2015

by Carmen Machado

Eli Horowitz's surreal story, told via smartphone app and two separate book editions, follows a sad-sack circus performer who accidentally falls afoul of his oppressive dystopian government.

Russian Artist Arrested After Torching Intelligence Agency's Doors

8:28pm November 09, 2015

by Corey Flintoff

Images show Pyotr Pavlensky standing before the doors to the Lubyanka, the Soviet-era prison and former KGB headquarters that now houses the main office of the FSB security service.

Julia Sherman is the mastermind behind the Salad Garden at the Getty. Here, she pulls up heirloom greens for the salad.

Salad-Making Is Performance Art At The Getty In Los Angeles

7:47pm November 09, 2015

by Abbie Fentress Swanson

Brooklyn photographer and writer Julia Sherman first established salad as a serious medium with her Salad for President blog. Now she's making salad with artists from around the country at the Getty.

Ma (Brie Larson) snuggles with her son Jack (Jacob Tremblay) in Room.

Arts

Actress Brie Larson Finds Light Within The Darkness Of 'Room'

6:50pm November 09, 2015

In her new film, Larson plays a woman who has created an elaborate fantasy world to hide a harsh reality from her son. The actress says the son's innocence in Room reminds her of her own childhood.

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George Takei and Lea Salonga in a scene from the musical Allegiance.

Arts

George Takei Debuts On Broadway In 'Allegiance'

6:24pm November 09, 2015

by Neda Ulaby

Inspired by Takei's own childhood experiences, the musical spotlights a dark era in American history: The internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

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Books
Arts

'Arab Of The Future' Chronicles The Challenges Of A Cross-Cultural Childhood

1:43pm November 09, 2015

Former Charlie Hebdo cartoonist Riad Sattouf grew up in the Middle East and France with a French mother and Syrian father. "I hate nationalism," he says. "Comic book author [is] my first nationality."

Arts

Is The Weight Watchers-Oprah Winfrey Partnership Good For Dieters?

1:34pm November 09, 2015

by Jean Fain

Oprah Winfrey is the new face of Weight Watchers as well as a major investor. But several health experts say the partnership may not help anyone struggling to lose weight do it more effectively.