Arts

The Church of Scientology building in Los Angeles on Sunset Boulevard on Aug. 28, 2011.

'Going Clear': A New Book Delves Into Scientology

6:50am January 27, 2013

Lawrence Wright's Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief looks at the world of the controversial church and the life of its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, who died in 1986.

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Ship It Holla Ballas by Jonathan Grotenstein and Storms Reback.

Books
Arts

Ship Those (Virtual) Chips: The Rise And Fall Of Online Poker's Youngest Crew

6:59pm January 26, 2013

by NPR Staff

In the early 2000s, the get-rich-quick scheme of choice for young college dropouts was online poker. In his new book Ship It Holla Ballas, Jonathan Grotenstein follows two young players as they rake in the dough.

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Arts

The 'Life And Times' Takes Audiences On A Lengthy Journey

6:34pm January 26, 2013

Life and Times is a 10-hour play about the life of one ordinary woman. It opens this week in New York city, and weekends on All Things Considered host Robert Smith attended a performance, complete with meals. He talks to the play's directors and to the woman on whose life it's based.

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Books
Arts

Dave Barry's 'Insane' Miami Mixes Refugees, Gangsters, Escorts And A Burmese Python

5:36pm January 26, 2013

by NPR Staff

In Dave Barry's latest novel, a bachelor dinner goes off the rails, entangling the groom to be with a colorful cast of characters — everyone from Russian mobsters to Haitian refugees to the fourth-place finisher in the Miss Hot Amateur Bod contest. Oh, and an albino Burmese python.

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On on 30 Rock episode, Jon Hamm and Tracy Morgan appeared together in a sketch about racial stereotyping.

Arts

Tracy Morgan: '30 Rock' Let Him Be Himself

12:14pm January 25, 2013

As the series prepares for its finale, the comedian talks about how Tina Fey created the character of Tracy Jordan specifically for Morgan and how she allowed him "to fly over the cuckoo nest once a week."

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Tina Fey won an Emmy Award for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her role as Liz Lemon on 30 Rock.

Arts

Tina Fey: Sarah Palin And 'Saturday Night' Satire

12:05pm January 25, 2013

Fey's impersonation of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin helped draw record audiences to Saturday Night Live in the fall of 2008. The former head writer for SNL opens up about politics, satire and her Emmy Award-winning sitcom, 30 Rock, which will have its series finale on January 31.

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Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin appeared in one of several parodies in one of 30 Rock's live episodes.

Arts

Alec Baldwin Bids Goodbye To Jack Donaghy

12:05pm January 25, 2013

As 30 Rock wraps up its seven-season run on NBC, the star talks about why he chose to take on the role of Jack Donaghy in the first place and about looking to NBC bigwig Lorne Michaels for inspiration in creating the character.

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"I was worried about being the mouthpiece for anyone and being politicized personally," Tina Fey says about playing Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live. "It ended up being a lot of fun, but it did permanently politicize me in a way."

Arts

Tina Fey: '30 Rock' Star And Creator Moves On

12:05pm January 25, 2013

The writer, actress and comedian has helmed the hit NBC show — which will have its series finale on January 31 — for seven seasons, during which time she's had two kids, been in a few movies and written a memoir called Bossypants.

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The new TLC show The Sisterhood follows the lives of five preachers' wives in Atlanta.

Lives Of Praise, Lives In Progress On 'The Sisterhood'

9:14am January 25, 2013

by NPR Staff

The Sisterhood is a new reality show about the lives and struggles of five Atlanta-area preachers' wives. The show has been likened to the Real Housewives franchise and has drawn criticism for its warts-and-all portrayal of the women. But they say they felt called by God to participate.

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Arts

Triad Arts Weekend: January 25, 2013

6:16pm January 24, 2013

by David Ford

On Triad Arts Weekend (1:00 p.m.):

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