Arts

Arts

Meryl Streep: The Fresh Air Interview

2:44pm December 29, 2014

Meryl Streep won a Golden Globe for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. She talks about preparing for that role and how her perceptions of herself have changed over the years.

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Earlier this year, protesters in Los Angeles called for recognition of, and reparations for, the 1915 Armenian genocide executed by Ottoman Turks.

Author Explores Armenian Genocide 'Obsession' And Turkish Denial

2:36pm December 29, 2014

by NPR Staff

As a child, Armenian-American writer Meline Toumani was taught to see Turks as a bitter enemy. She wrote her new book, There Was and There Was Not, in an effort to understand that conflict.

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Have you been naughty or nice this year?

Arts

Listen: The Not-So-True Story Of Santa's Naughty-Or-Nice Division

12:13pm December 29, 2014

by NPR Staff

So how does Santa know when you're awake? Our audio holiday card (fictionally) tells you how the North Pole operates — amid office politics, ethical conundrums and hours of surveillance video.

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Susan Tannewitz-Karnes grew up eating Mrs. Lawrence every Christmas. The tea cake was so beloved that Tannewitz-Karnes and her siblings would argue over who received more than their fair share.

After The Presents, A Buttery Tea Cake Tradition

12:13pm December 29, 2014

by Melissa Gray

For one family in Overland Park, Kan., it's not Christmas without Mrs. Lawrence. The tea cake, rich with butter and spices, is named for the neighbor who would hand deliver it every holiday season.

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In Britain, A Christmas Tradition Of Slapstick And Silliness

12:13pm December 29, 2014

by Ari Shapiro

For centuries, British families have celebrated the Christmas season by attending "pantomimes," silly musical comedies of stories such as Aladdin and Cinderella. The tradition is alive and well today.

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How To Compose Music For A Movie About Music

11:17am December 29, 2014

NPR's Robert Siegel talks to film composer Justin Hurwitz, 29, about his first major movie score, for the movie Whiplash. Hurwitz talks about using music to heighten tension.

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Books
Arts

From Her Dad To Her 'Jamish' Roots, A Poet Pieces Her Story Together

9:32am December 29, 2014

by NPR Staff

Salena Godden grew up in 1970s England with a Jamaican mom and an absent Irish dad. In her memoir, Springfield Road, she looks back on her struggle to find her personal identity.

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