Arts
An Unnoticed 'Happy Birthday' Draft Gives Singers A Simpler Tune
We all know the words to "Happy Birthday to You" — yet the song's still tough for kids to sing. Now, tucked in the notes of the sisters who wrote it, an easier draft of the song has finally surfaced.
'Happy Birthday' Hits Sour Notes When It Comes To Song's Free Use
"Happy Birthday to You" is sung everywhere, but because it's copyrighted, it's rarely heard on TV or in movies. A filmmaker has filed a lawsuit seeking to make the song part of the public domain.
Why The Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards Are Good For You
It was known as the black Pulitzer Prize. Edith Anisfield Wolf created the award in 1935 to honor books that explored issues of race and culture diversity. Thursday is its 80th anniversary.
'Wingin' It' Takes Funky On The Road With 'Boz Scaggs
On this week's "Wingin' It," music historian Ashley Kahn shares his favorite road trip song, "Loan Me a Dime," by Boz Scaggs, featuring Duane Allman.
In A Shadow Tongue, 'The Wake' Tells Of Bloody Battles And Old Gods
Paul Kingsnorth invented a whole new language for his novel about the Norman invasion of England in 1066. Critic Jason Sheehan says that hard work paid off.
Lighter Than Air: An End-Of-Summer Comics Collection
Just in time for the long Labor Day weekend, we've got the perfect selection of comics to help you wring the last bits of sunlight out of summer: plenty of heroism and romance, but nothing too heavy.
Jesse Eisenberg's New Book Gets Seriously Absurd (And A Little Serious)
The actor and writer has a collection of funny short stories that also mine some emotional truths — from post-gender attempts at pick-ups to a lonely 9-year-old reviewing expensive restaurants.
Not My Job: Chef Edward Lee Gets Quizzed On Dog Racing
We recorded the show in Louisville, Ky., this week — the capital of horse racing. So we've invited Lee to play a game called "It's just like horse racing, if you pretend they're tiny horses."
Salman Rushdie: These Days, 'Everyone Is Upset All The Time'
"Everything I write upsets somebody," Rushdie tells NPR's Scott Simon. His latest book, Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights, sweeps the reader into a turbulent, magical, mythological world.