Arts

Browse More Than 250 Standout Titles From 2014 Selected By NPR Staff And Critics — Including Maureen Corrigan

Books
Arts

Sometimes You Can't Pick Just 10: Maureen Corrigan's Favorite Books Of 2014

1:12pm December 18, 2014

by Maureen Corrigan

This year, Fresh Air's book critic rejects the tyranny of the decimal system and picks 12 titles published in 2014 — all with characters, scenes and voices that linger long past the last page.

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You'll want to send these TED Radio Hour stories to everyone you know.

Arts

Playlist: Inspiring Stories You'll Want To Share

10:03am December 18, 2014

by NPR/TED Staff

This playlist includes some blockbuster TED talks that have already inspired millions.

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During World War II, Louis Zamperini spent 47 days stranded in shark-infested waters before he was rescued by Japanese soldiers and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.

Arts

Angelina Jolie On Her Film's 'Unbroken' Hero: 'He Was Truly A Great Man'

9:05am December 18, 2014

by NPR Staff

Louis Zamperini was an Olympian before he enlisted in World War II and became a prisoner of war. Jolie says he told her to "make a film that reminds people that they have greatness inside themselves."

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Arts

Meet the Artist: Guitarist Larry Davis

8:45am December 18, 2014

by David Ford

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U.S. intelligence officials believe North Korea was centrally involved in the recent attack on Sony Pictures' computer network — possibly out of retribution for its film The Interview. Above, a security guard stands outside a theater during the film's p

U.S. Officials Believe North Korea Was Behind Sony Hack

9:30pm December 17, 2014

by Bill Chappell

The recent attack on Sony Pictures' computer network that resulted in a flood of confidential data has its origins in North Korea, U.S. intelligence officials say.

Quvenzhane Wallis (second from right) stars in an updated version of Annie, produced by Jay Z.

Arts

An Updated 'Annie' And The Tradition Of Nontraditional Casting

9:07pm December 17, 2014

by Bob Mondello

As an African-American Annie arrives on movie screens, critic Bob Mondello looks at other cross-cultural reinventions, from Pearl Bailey's Dolly to the Americanization of Carmen as Carmen Jones.

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Books
Arts

How Author John Safran Lost A Year In Mississippi

7:51pm December 17, 2014

God'll Cut You Down is a new book based on the tangled true story about the murder of a white supremacist by a black hustler. NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with the book's author, John Safran.

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Daisy Armstrong began performing poetry when her mother took her to a youth poetry group. Soon, she was winning competitions — but she was also kicked out of school after a slam poetry tour.

From Feeling Lost To Army Strong, With The Help Of Poetry

6:56pm December 17, 2014

by Yowei Shaw

Daisy Armstrong struggled in school. She was homeless for a time. Then she began performing poetry — and it helped her, a gay woman, find a niche where she never thought she'd belong: the Army.

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Arts

A Holiday Comic Standard: 'Christmas Vacation' Turns 25

2:38pm December 17, 2014

by Rachel Martin

With the holiday season, comes holiday movies, and this year marks the 25th anniversary of one of the best — National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

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The original, 1963 cover of Clifford the Big Red Dog. "[I] was shocked when it was accepted for publication, because I'd never written anything before," said Norman Bridwell.

'Clifford The Big Red Dog' Creator Bridwell Dies At 86

2:26pm December 17, 2014

by Bill Chappell

More than 50 years after he came up with a story about a huge dog, author Norman Bridwell has died. In 2012, Bridwell told NPR he had been shocked when his idea was accepted for publication.

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