Arts

Stack of books on the dark wood background.

Books
Arts

5 Under-The-Radar Reads From Librarian Nancy Pearl

10:22am December 19, 2014

by NPR Staff

Pearl shares the books she loved this year that you might not have heard of. Her list includes a Hollywood satire, two thrillers, a young adult novel and a nonfiction book about World War I.

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These TED Radio Hour stories get musical.

Playlist: What Music Means

9:47am December 19, 2014

by NPR/TED Staff

Our favorite interviews about music from the TED Radio Hour.

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TED speakers share their ideas about creativity and the writing process.

Books
Arts

Playlist: Writers On Writing

9:38am December 19, 2014

by NPR/TED Staff

In this playlist, TED speakers explore the nature of creativity, the source of a good story, and the impact of the written word.

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Arts

Violinist Marta Richardson Releases Concept Album Mystic Canticle

8:52am December 19, 2014

by David Ford

For years violinist and educator Marta Richardson longed to record her own CD, but full-time work, and family obligations forced her to put those dreams on hold.

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Arts

Beware The Tippling Point, And Other Cocktail Party Tips

6:35pm December 18, 2014

It's the season of holiday cocktail parties and Dan Pashman of the Sporkful podcast has tips for how to be a good guest and host. For instance, if you want to enjoy drinks and appetizers, buddy up.

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Arts

Sarah Koenig On Serial: 'I Think Something Went Wrong With This Case'

6:32pm December 18, 2014

by Linda Holmes

Serial, the hugely popular (and sometimes controversial) podcast spun off from This American Life, wraps up its first season today. NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Serial creator Sarah Koenig.

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Serial focuses on Adnan Syed, who was a teenager when he was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, despite big question marks in the case. (But you almost certainly knew that already.)

Arts

Serial Isn't About Ferguson. (But It's Kind Of About Ferguson.)

5:16pm December 18, 2014

by Gene Demby

In Part 2 of a roundtable on the Podcast Everyone's Talking About, Code Switch's Gene Demby says that a lot of Serial's themes echo news stories that focus attention on how our justice system works.

Sarah Koenig will, on Thursday, host the final episode of the first season of Serial.

Arts

Yes, Serial Is True Crime — And That's OK

5:11pm December 18, 2014

by Linda Holmes

Our continuing discussion of Serial turns to a consideration of the true crime genre, its tendency to reveal the oddities of human behavior, and what can be taken away from this series.

Mathieu Amalric and Emmanuelle Devos in If You Don't, I Will.

Arts

A Married Couple In Decline

5:03pm December 18, 2014

by Tomas Hachard

The film If You Don't, I Will has some strong dialogue and performances, but its tale of a marriage in peril sags too often in its recounting of the journey.

Sarah Koenig and producer Dana Chivvis in the studio.

The Many Rabbit Holes (Or Should We Say Labyrinths) Of Serial

5:01pm December 18, 2014

by Kat Chow

No matter how you view the podcast, there's an endless supply of avenues you can explore and different conversations you can have.