Books

Books
Arts

Tale As Old As Time: The Dark Appeal of 'Beauty And The Beast'

4:31am March 26, 2017

by Genevieve Valentine

Disney's new live-action extravaganza is just the latest retelling of this classic fairy tale. But why do Beauty and her Beast have such a hold on us? And why are there so many versions of their tale?

Atole de elote is a warm corn drink from Central America. Student Jose Rivas wrote an essay about a weekly tradition of enjoying atole with his late father in El Salvador, and how the drink helped him to feel more at home after he moved to the U.S.

Students Serve Up Stories Of Beloved Family Recipes In A Global Cookbook

2:03pm March 25, 2017

by Becky Harlan

Many students at D.C.'s Capital City Charter School are first-generation Americans. For a creative writing project, a literacy nonprofit picked a topic everyone could relate to: food from home.

Books

These 'Women In The Castle' Provide New Perspectives On Nazi Germany

7:45am March 25, 2017

by Scott Simon

Jessica Shattuck's novel follows three German women — all war widows, and all of very different political persuasions — who take refuge in a ruined Bavarian castle at the end of World War II.

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Books

Atoning For The Past In 'The Twelve Lives Of Samuel Hawley'

7:45am March 25, 2017

In Hannah Tinti's new novel, a daughter discovers her father's dark past by investigating the 12 bullet scars on his body. NPR's Scott Simon talks to Tinti about The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley.

Books
Arts

'Girl In Disguise' Is A Spunky Spy Saga

7:00am March 25, 2017

by Jean Zimmerman

Little is known about the real life of Kate Warne, the first female detective in America — but Greer Macallister's romp of a novel paints her as a live wire, an ace in a dangerous man's world.

The Supreme Court Ruling That Led To 70,000 Forced Sterilizations

3:46pm March 24, 2017

In the early 20th century, American eugenicists used forced sterilization to "breed out" traits considered undesirable. Adam Cohen tells the story in Imbeciles. Originally broadcast March 7, 2016.

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Books

A 161-Year-Old Boston Bookstore Moves Online

1:07pm March 24, 2017

Schoenhof's Foreign Books, an iconic 161-year-old bookstore in Harvard Square in Boston, is going to operate only as an online bookstore.

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Negin Farsad on the TED stage at TED2016 in Vancouver, Canada.

Negin Farsad: Can Humor Fight Prejudice?

9:10am March 24, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Comedian Negin Farsad traveled all over the U.S. to clear up misconceptions about Islam while making people laugh. She calls this form of activism "social justice comedy."

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Kevin Breel: What Can Depression Teach Us About Comedy?

9:10am March 24, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

The image of the "sad clown" can seem like a cliche. But for Kevin Breel, it's very real. He describes how he struggled with depression while performing as a stand-up comedian.

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Books
Arts

Welcome To 'The Collapsing Empire:' Questions For John Scalzi

7:00am March 24, 2017

by Petra Mayer

Prolific sci-fi author John Scalzi boots up a new universe in The Collapsing Empire. It's set in a future where far-flung humanity's ability to travel and communicate between planets is under threat.