Arts

Spanish novelist Javier Marías is well-known in Europe, but not as popular in the United States. Critic John Powers says Marías' latest work — an unsettling, slightly sinister twist on the mystery novel — ought to raise the author's profile here in America.

In the Jim Crow Florida of the 1960's a group of young African-American landscape painters became famous for their art. They also made a lot of money selling oil paintings that depicted an idealized, candy-colored Florida of palms and beaches, and sleepy inlets. These young painters came to be known as the Highwaymen, and they painted thousands of these paintings until the market was saturated and the whole genre vanished. Host Jacki Lyden traveled to Florida and explored their fascinating story. (This piece originally aired on All Things Considered on Sept. 19, 2012.)

NPR's Jacki Lyden discusses the new sound art exhibit opening Saturday at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Featuring 16 young contemporary artists, the gallery explores sounds from abandoned buildings to underwater insects.

A new biopic explores the story of Linda Lovelace, star of the 1970s film Deep Throat. Directors Jeffrey Friedman and Rob Epstein talk with host Jacki Lyden their film, Lovelace.

Every two years, Venice hosts the largest and oldest noncommercial art exhibit in the world. It's a dizzying and eclectic array of sights by both celebrity artists and total unknowns. More than 150 artists from 88 countries will be on display through November.

A new play tells the story of the night Cassius Clay, who changed his name to Muhammad Ali, beat Sonny Liston to take the world heavyweight title. It takes place in a hotel room after the fight where Clay, Sam Cooke, Malcolm X and Jim Brown talk about their lives, and their hopes for the future.

When the economy's dropping like an anvil, young professionals have to find ways to make do — and having friends always helps. Reviewer Alex Espinoza says Choire Sicha's Very Recent History is an insightful tale of friends weathering a tough economy in the big city.

Serving an entire fruit pie in the park can be a little messy. So forget the plates and forks and bake up a few hand pies instead. Baker Kim Boyce sells these picnic-friendly turnovers, filled with summer plums, peaches and berries, every day in her Portland, Ore., bakery.

Guest-host Celeste Headlee speaks with Scottish actor David Tennant about his role as brooding detective in Broadchurch. The moody BBC crime drama follows a mismatched cop duo investigating the murder of a young boy in a British seaside town.