Arts

Books
Arts

'Pop Sonnets' Finds Hidden Shakespeare In Top 40 Tunes

7:03am October 17, 2015

by Tasha Robinson

Originally a popular Tumblr, Pop Sonnets makes iambic hay out of modern artists like Kesha and Eminem. Critic Tasha Robinson explains why Sonnets isn't your average impulse-buy humor book.

James Donovan (Tom Hanks) is a reluctant but principled insurance lawyer drafted to do a hugely unpopular job: defend a Soviet spy at the height of the Cold War.

Arts

'Bridge Of Spies': Solid Storytelling And Atmospherics

6:29pm October 16, 2015

by Bob Mondello

Director Steven Spielberg — with some help from script polishers Joel and Ethan Coen — brings echoes of our own modern day to the Cold War.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

A 'Story' Of Much More Than Cancer

5:52pm October 16, 2015

by Etelka Lehoczky

Jennifer Hayden's graphic novel is, on the surface, the story of losing her breasts to cancer. But she sets that narrative within a host of other life experiences, making room for joy, hope and humor.

Arts

'The Knick' Redefines Oscar-Winning Director's Role In Television

5:25pm October 16, 2015

by Eric Deggans

The Knick returns for its second season on Cinemax Friday night. And with it, Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh seems to be making good on his vow to turn his back on the film world and work exclusively in TV. He also has a new show on Amazon called Red Oaks, a comedy set in the 1980s. NPR reviews both and says Soderbergh's success is enabling him to shift power in the TV business from writer/producers to director/producers, and that power shift has a lot of repercussions.

Queue Listen Now

Idris Elba and Abraham Attah in the Netflix original film Beasts of No Nation.

Arts

In The Midst Of War, A Boy Becomes A Soldier In 'Beasts Of No Nation'

3:38pm October 16, 2015

by NPR Staff

The new film tells the story of Agu, a young boy in an unnamed African country, who is conscripted into a regiment of child soldiers led by a coldblooded commandant played by Idris Elba.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

Mariza And Fado, Sierra Hull At Piedmont Land Jam, And Doug Davis

3:00pm October 16, 2015

by Eddie Garcia

Books
Arts

Early On, Comedian John Cleese Says, He Had Good Timing But Little Else

2:47pm October 16, 2015

The co-founder of the Monty Python troupe admits he wasn't "naturally gifted" at physical comedy. His memoir, So, Anyway..., covers his boyhood and early career. Originally broadcast Dec. 16, 2014.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

'Room' Transforms A Lurid Crime Story Into A Fairy Tale With A Boy Hero

2:47pm October 16, 2015

by David Edelstein

In Lenny Abrahamson's new film, a 5-year-old boy lives with his mother in a prison fashioned by a psychopath. Critic David Edelstein calls Room an amazing and "heart-stopping" survival story.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

'Dope' Director On Geekdom, The N-Word And Confronting Racism With Comedy

2:47pm October 16, 2015

Rick Famuyiwa's film, Dope, is about a black high-school student who's into 90s hip-hop and Japanese comic books. Originally broadcast July 1, 2015.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

'Thirteen Ways' Takes A Powerful, Layered Look At Life

1:12pm October 16, 2015

by Jane Ciabattari

Colum McCann's new story collection plays with images of surveillance — traffic cams, nanny cams — to capture a complex picture of love, loss, pain and the way our lives so swiftly pass away.