Arts & Life

Books
Arts

Memoirist Details Growing Up In A Utopian Community That Wasn't So Ideal

1:55pm July 19, 2021

by Terry Gross

Akash Kapur was raised in an intentional community in India, then moved to the U.S. at age 16. He writes about the reality of utopian communities in Better to Have Gone.

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Audience members assembled on the lawn to enjoy the Boston Symphony Orchestra, newly returned to Tanglewood after last season's cancellation.

Back Together And Blown Away: The Boston Symphony Orchestra Returns To Tanglewood

9:29am July 19, 2021

by Jeff Lunden

The Boston Symphony Orchestra recently returned to its storied summer home, Tanglewood, after the pandemic canceled last season. With reopening comes normalcy, as well as an opportunity for growth.

Radha & Jai's Recipe for Romance, by Nisha Sharma

Books
Arts

'Radha And Jai' Is A Toe-Tapping Dance Romance Treat

5:00am July 19, 2021

by Alethea Kontis

Nisha Sharma's new YA novel follows two Indian American teenagers who overcome differing backgrounds to find love while prepping for an important dance competition — a perfect teen movie setup.

Faced with limited access to conventional stages, troupes like Contra-Tiempo are taking advantage of striking outdoor spaces at Jacob's Pillow this summer.

Arts

Rising From The Ashes, Jacob's Pillow Welcomes Back Dancers, Audiences

6:02pm July 18, 2021

by Jeff Lunden

Jacob's Pillow had a particularly tough 2020, closed by pandemic and struck by a fire that consumed one of its theaters. This summer the dance center rises from the ashes, literally and figuratively.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers

Books
Arts

A Monk And A Robot Meet In A Forest ... And Talk Philosophy In This New Novel

5:00am July 18, 2021

by Amal El-Mohtar

Becky Chambers comes down to earth for her new series, about a world where humans and robots diverged so long ago that now each group is just a myth to the other, and robots propagate themselves.

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Phillipa Soo as Alexander and Eliza Hamilton.

Arts

'Wait Wait' For July 17, 2021: 'Hamilton' Star Phillipa Soo Plays Not My Job

11:30am July 17, 2021

Soo created the role of Eliza Hamilton on Broadway and was just nominated for an Emmy for the televised version of her performance. We've asked her to play a game called "Hamilton? Try a ton o' ham."

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Biz Markie, in an undated photo from the early years.

Biz Markie, Pioneering Beatboxer And 'Just A Friend' Rapper, Dies At 57

11:06am July 17, 2021

by David Ma

Biz Markie died Friday night after months of health issues.

The front gate of Mumbai's century-old Central Plaza cinema. The theater closed last spring.

India's Single-Screen Cinemas Were Struggling Before COVID-19. Now They're Dying Out

5:01am July 17, 2021

by Sushmita Pathak

Before multiplex cinemas, India had tens of thousands of single-screen movie houses. But the way Indians watch movies has changed, and the pandemic forced many old cinemas to shut their doors forever.

Maitreyi Ramakrishnan as Devi Vishwakumar In Never Have I Ever.

Arts

'Never Have I Ever' Complicates Its Asian American Characters. That's The Whole Point

9:01pm July 16, 2021

by Deepa Shivaram

Season two of Mindy Kaling's "steamy teen romance" gives Asian American characters their own complicated stories of navigating love, grief and even a new frenemy.

Billy Porter and Tiffany Haddish star in Like a Boss. GLAAD called Porter's character, Barrett, "a good example of casual inclusion, featuring an explicitly LGBTQ character."

Arts

LGBTQ Characters Got More Movie Screen Time In 2020, GLAAD Study Finds

2:15pm July 16, 2021

by Andrew Limbong

The advocacy group just released its annual film survey, which found the percentage of LGBTQ characters of color also increased. But it still cited issues with lack of transgender representation.