Arts & Life

Pura Belpré became the first Puerto Rican librarian at the New York Public Library in 1921. She's shown above leading a story hour in the 1930s.

How NYC's First Puerto Rican Librarian Brought Spanish To The Shelves

6:51pm September 08, 2016

by Neda Ulaby

When Pura Belpré became a librarian in 1921, she couldn't find Spanish language books for kids — so she wrote them herself. Belpré would go on to become a champion of bilingual library programs.

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Julia (Olivia Colman, center left) and June (Anita Dobson, center right) in the musical London Road.

Arts

On 'London Road,' Murder, Music And British Lower-Middle-Class Manners

5:00pm September 08, 2016

by Ella Taylor

In a British film based on an award-winning 2011 stage musical, a suburban community is riven by paranoia in the wake of the murder of five sex workers.

Arts

BBC Editor Highlights Often Overlooked English Language Rule

4:37pm September 08, 2016

When the BBC's Matthew Anderson tweeted this week the rules the English language has for the order in which adjectives should appear before a noun, he was retweeted 47,000 times. He says foreigners struggle with this concept, but native speakers do it naturally. The quote comes from a book called, The Elements of Eloquence: How to Turn the Perfect English Phrase, by Mark Forsyth.

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Books
Arts

Jonathan Safran Foer's 'Here I Am' Is Both Dazzling And Draining

3:28pm September 08, 2016

by Maureen Corrigan

A failing marriage and a catastrophic earthquake take center stage in Safran Foer's new novel. Critic Maureen Corrigan calls Here I Am a profound work about the claims of history, identity and family.

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Vested Interests: Gemma (America Ferrera) and Jonah (Ben Feldman) in the NBC sitcom, Superstore.

Arts

Comedy Is Old And New Again: 'Superstore' And 'You're The Worst'

2:12pm September 08, 2016

by Linda Holmes

Today, a TV show's style doesn't tell you as much as it used to. A traditional network workplace sitcom slyly breaks with tradition, and an edgy cable sitcom hides a beating human heart.

In This Globe-Trotting Dessert, Many Immigrants Find A Taste Of Home

1:50pm September 08, 2016

Many Asian countries have a version of a multi-layered, milk-based snack called falooda. Now, a mother-daughter pair with roots in Myanmar have brought this global dessert to Washington, D.C.

George Takei predicted Star Trek would be too sophisticated to last — but he says he's happy to have been proved wrong.

Arts

Much More Than A 5-Year Mission: 'Star Trek' Turns 50

9:23am September 08, 2016

by Eric Deggans

Star Trek debuted on TV in 1966, and Starship Enterprise is still seeking strange new worlds. Co-star George Takei credits creator Gene Roddenberry's inclusive vision for Trek's enduring popularity.

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Razor Girl by Carl Hiaasen (Emily Bogle/NPR)

Books
Arts

'Razor Girl' Is Carl Hiaasen Doing What He Does Best

8:00am September 08, 2016

by Michael Schaub

Gleefully obscene, violent and shockingly funny, Razor Girl follows an ex-cop turned restaurant inspector on the tail of a car-crash con artist, a kidnapped TV agent and a loud-mouthed reality star.

Archipelago, in Washington, D.C., is among a wave of new tiki bars across the country. But how do South Pacific islanders feel about tiki kitsch?

Let's Talk Tiki Bars: Harmless Fun Or Exploitation?

7:17pm September 07, 2016

by Maanvi Singh

These faux-Polynesian bars first became popular in the 1960s. Now, they're making a comeback. But some Pacific Islanders say there is a darker side to these downtown slices of paradise.

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Though eating a Choco Taco doesn't typically remind one of eating Mexican food, the idea was tapping into an '80s trend.

The Choco Taco: Investigating The Mystery Behind A Classic American Treat

5:40pm September 07, 2016

by NPR Staff

Food writer Jason Cohen took a deep dive into the history of the Choco Taco and how it is inspiring high-end chefs and ice cream vendors across the country.