Arts

A 24-year-old piano prodigy, Jahari Stampley, has won one of the most prestigious awards in jazz. The competition held by the Herbie Hancock Institute is widely seen as anointing new stars.

Pianist Jahari Stampley just won a prestigious jazz competition — he's only 24

2:52pm October 18, 2023

by Neda Ulaby

A 24-year-old piano prodigy, Jahari Stampley, has won one of the most prestigious awards in jazz. The competition held by the Herbie Hancock Institute is widely seen as anointing new stars.

Britney Spears memoir reaches bestseller status a week before it hits shelves

12:33pm October 18, 2023

by Andrew Limbong

New excerpts touching on her childhood and relationship with Justin Timberlake are drawing fans interested in her side of the story.

Mario and a Talking Flower contemplate the Wonder Flower that will soon rock their world.

Arts

Nintendo shows off a surreal masterpiece in 'Super Mario Bros. Wonder'

9:19am October 18, 2023

by James Perkins Mastromarino

Nintendo's first side-scrolling Mario game since the success of the Super Mario Maker titles delivers exquisite twists and fresh multiplayer.

Curtis Chin recounts coming of age as a Chinese American gay kid in his new memoir

6:24pm October 17, 2023

NPR'S Ailsa Chang talks to author Curtis Chin about his new memoir, Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant.

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Author Max Brooks on how the world of Minecraft helps prepare kids for our world

5:52pm October 17, 2023

by Andrew Limbong

Author Max Brooks is out now with the final entry of his Minecraft series for kids. Brooks says Minecraft is a great way to teach kids about preparedness and adaptation.

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Some Palestinian Americans say they're afraid to mourn their loved ones out loud

5:34pm October 17, 2023

by Sandhya Dirks

Palestinian Americans are grieving over loved ones who have been killed, injured and trapped in Gaza amid Israel's bombardment. They also feel betrayed by the U.S. government's support of Israel.

New York's American Museum of Natural History plans to improve its stewardship of thousands of human remains in its collection.

Arts

Natural History Museum vows better stewardship of human bones

5:33pm October 17, 2023

by Elizabeth Blair

New York's American Museum of Natural History plans to improve its stewardship of thousands of human remains in its collection, which includes the bones of Native Americans and enslaved Black people.

John Malkovich says theater is like surfing. Actors might think they are the wave — but they're not: "The wave is created by the collision between the material and the public. You ride the wave or you don't." Malkovich is pictured above in The Music Critic.

Even Beethoven got bad reviews. John Malkovich reads them aloud as 'The Music Critic'

4:43pm October 17, 2023

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

A new live stage show features actor John Malkovich transformed into some of the meanest music critics ever — in real reviews skewering the work of great composers like Beethoven, Brahms and Chopin.

Jada Pinkett Smith is an actor, singer-songwriter, talk show host and producer. Her new memoir is called Worthy.

Books
Arts

For Jada Pinkett Smith, it's all lessons, not regrets

1:33pm October 17, 2023

by Tonya Mosley

In a new memoir, Worthy, Pinkett Smith writes about her marriage to Will Smith, about how she charted a course from Baltimore to Hollywood, and about her close friendship with rapper Tupac Shakur.

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A Scholastic Book Fair banner pictured outside a school in Queens, New York.

U.S. book bans are taking a toll on a beloved tradition: Scholastic Book Fairs

1:03pm October 17, 2023

by Rachel Treisman

Scholastic created a separate fair category for diverse books, which it says is to help schools navigate the complexities of book bans. Librarians accused the company of caving to censorship.