Arts

The film about a Navy SEAL whose service in Iraq made him a mythic figure has become a cultural lightning rod. But the squabbles are too simple for a low-key movie striking in its lack of stridency.

Now that the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods has made more than $100 million at the box office in just three weeks, NPR's movie critic Bob Mondello has a modest musical proposal.

Last month, Bibi Coyne released The Ella Zoo, and out came the Ellaroo, the Koella Bear, a Girellaraffe, the Gazella, and many more. Bibi's fun and heartwarming poetry collection captures the energy and character of her own animal-loving daughter Ella. The smart, sweet poems will engage readers of all ages as will the illustrations by UNCSA graduate Valentina Felce. 

Lost in a deep depression, Marie Mutsuki Mockett visited a temple owned by her mother's family near Fukushima. There, she found traditions and ways of thought that helped her work through her grief.

Critic Alan Cheuse says John Vaillant's intense tale of illegal immigrants trapped in a tanker truck in the Arizona desert expands a single terrible story into a history of human suffering.

From flying like a bird to walking through a refugee camp in Syria, virtual reality has enabled journalists, filmmakers and artists to immerse their audience in their stories like never before.