"Is it real?" is the most pressing question in music in 2026, and it's one that feels impossible to adequately answer, in almost any context.

Controversy over an artist being fake — or someone thinking they are — is hardly new. Here are some of the craziest moments in recent music history when the boundary between real and fake collapsed.

From top to (cheeky) bottom, CMAT's Tiny Desk has it all: captivating stage presence, sharp songwriting, vocal range, a great band and comedic timing.

Elizabeth McCracken's connected short stories chronicle a family's encounters with their eldest son's girlfriend and eventual wife. This slim collection is so engaging, you may want to read it twice.

Roz Chast and Jason Adam Katzenstein discuss roaches, molding food and dysfunctional appliances. Their new graphic memoir, The Two Saddest Kitchens, reveals it all.

The book profiles a number of Uyghurs who became an important fighting force that helped bring down the Assad regime.

NPR's A Martinez speaks with journalist Calum Marsh about his new book, "The Glass Box: The Shocking True History of How CrossFit Broke the Rules, Made Millions, and Changed Fitness Forever."

Horror writer Stephen Graham Jones says horror's current moment is powered by more than just fear.