Arts

The group Improv Everywhere brings moments of spontaneous fun into the everyday.

Arts

Who's That Guy Riding The Subway In His Underwear?

10:54am May 05, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

Charlie Todd choreographs bizarre, hilarious and unexpected public scenes. He explains how his group, Improv Everywhere, creates these moments of urban whimsy to bring people together.

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Arts

Last Days Of Dave: Paying Homage To Letterman's Weird And Quirky Legacy

10:20am May 05, 2015

by David Bianculli

The off-beat funnyman retires this month after 33 years hosting late-night television. Fresh Air's David Bianculli says that David Letterman's humor "provided a new blueprint for the TV talk show."

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Arts

Painter Josephine Halvorson Exhibits Work At SECCA In "Slow Burn"

9:53am May 05, 2015

by David Ford

American artist currently residing in Rome, Josephine Halvorson paints outdoors.

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In his new memoir, It's A Long Story, Willie Nelson writes about his early career as a DJ in Fort Worth. He can still recite what he'd say on the air.

Willie Nelson: 'Ain't Many Of Us Left'

9:14am May 05, 2015

by NPR Staff

The Red-Headed Stranger has a new memoir out, titled It's A Long Story. On a tour bus in Thackerville, Okla., Nelson explains to NPR's David Greene why no one can tell him what to do.

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Ruth Rendell won countless awards for her work, including the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award and the Crime Writers' Association Diamond Dagger for lifetime achievement.

Books
Arts

Ruth Rendell Dies, Pioneered The Psychological Thriller

2:02am May 05, 2015

by Petra Mayer

The British mystery writer was known for her Inspector Wexford series and in her later years became active in Labour Party politics. NPR's Petra Mayer has this remembrance.

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Books
Arts

With Comedic Touch, 'Zombie Wars' Tackles Impact Of Real Violence

6:25pm May 04, 2015

by NPR Staff

The main character in Aleksandar Hemon's new book is a hapless screenwriter who's never faced real hardship. But after an affair with a Bosnian refugee, he can no longer avoid the realities of war.

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Of I Wish You the Sunshine of Tomorrow, Rodgers says: "The ICU room my dad was in on the day he died had yellow walls. Every time we visited him we had to wear hospital gowns that were a bright yellow. [It] was a recurring color in that whole time frame o

A Woman Uses Art To Come To Terms With Her Father's Death

3:24pm May 04, 2015

by Meredith Rizzo

Artist Jennifer Rodgers' father was hospitalized for seven months with sepsis before he died. She used the creative process to try to comprehend his suffering and her loss.

Kurt Cobain Speaks — Through Art And Audio Diaries — In 'Montage Of Heck'

2:09pm May 04, 2015

by NPR Staff

"The idea was not to tear him down, nor was it to put him on a pedestal," says director Brett Morgen. Instead, executive producer Frances Bean Cobain told Morgen to "make it honest."

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Arts

Orson Welles, Famous In Film, Also Brought Radio To Life

2:09pm May 04, 2015

Orson Welles, born 100 years ago this week, is well-known for breaking new ground in theater and film. But, as author Colin Fleming tells NPR's Rachel Martin, he also did significant work in radio.

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Books
Arts

Demystifying The Art World In 'Playing To The Gallery'

2:09pm May 04, 2015

by NPR Staff

Have you ever stared at a piece of art and thought, I just don't get it? Artist Grayson Perry gives NPR's Rachel Martin the answers to questions about art that some are too embarrassed to ask.

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