Arts

Books
Arts

The Serious History Of Hocus Pocus In 'Penguin Book Of Witches'

4:38pm October 26, 2014

by NPR Staff

In Colonial America, a witch was not a Halloween costume, but a criminal. NPR's Rachel Martin revisits this moment in history with Katherine Howe, editor of the new Penguin Book of Witches.

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Arts

A New Lending Library — For Your Kitchen

1:50pm October 26, 2014

by Zara Stone

Fondue sets, ice cream makers and juicers are fun to have, but they take up a lot of cash — and counter space. A new Toronto start-up offers subscription-based access to borrowed appliances.

Books
Arts

The Freaky, Fabulous, Feminist 'Secret History' Of Wonder Woman

5:18am October 26, 2014

by Etelka Lehoczky

Jill Lepore's new book about Wonder Woman reveals the unconventional life of her creator, William Moulton Marston, who invented the lie detector, championed feminism, and lived with two women at once.

Books
Arts

Cartoonist Looks Back On Career Built On Unnerving Visions

6:54pm October 25, 2014

by NPR Staff

As a young man, Jim Woodring was looking for a sign — and he found it in a huge, green hallucinated amphibian. His new book of old drawings, Jim, includes many works inspired by such "apparitions."

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Arts

Not My Job: Brady Bunch's Florence Henderson Gets Quizzed On Weird Science

12:45pm October 25, 2014

For decades, Florence Henderson, who presided over the Brady Bunch, was America's perfect Mom. We'll ask Henderson three questions about the Ig Nobels — awarded for real, if ridiculous, research.

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A depiction of "Gin Lane," filled with sins caused by drunken revelries.

Tracing A Gin-Soaked Trail In London

11:57am October 25, 2014

by Ari Shapiro

Around the world, new gin distilleries are popping up like mushrooms after a rain. NPR traces the boom to its historic roots in London, which once had 250 distilleries within the city limits alone.

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Books
Arts

The Life Of De Niro, From 'Mean Streets' To 'Meet The Parents'

11:57am October 25, 2014

by NPR Staff

Shawn Levy's brick-sized new biography of screen legend Robert De Niro was produced without cooperation from the actor — but Levy says that just forced him to do better research.

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Music To Keep You On The Edge Of Your Seat

11:57am October 25, 2014

Conductor John Mauceri's latest album is filled with renditions of the most-chilling music from Alfred Hitchcock's films. He talks with NPR's Scott Simon.

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Nuruddin Farah is the author of 11 novels, including Maps, Gifts and Secrets. He is a professor of literature at Bard.

Books
Arts

Novelist Nuruddin Farah: Facing A Blank Page Is 'Bravest Thing' A Writer Does

11:57am October 25, 2014

by NPR Staff

Farah's latest is called Hiding in Plain Sight. It's the story of Bella, a Somali photographer living in Rome who gets drawn into the lives of her niece and nephew after her half-brother is killed.

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Arts

New Shakespeare Movie Puts Hamlet In Kashmir

11:57am October 25, 2014

Shakespeare's Hamlet has been turned into a Bollywood film, but this time, the story is set in Indian-controlled Kashmir. NPR's Scott Simon talks to screenwriter Basharat Peer.

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