Arts & Life

'The Rope' Chronicles A Good Death, And A Bad Start

6:40pm March 16, 2016

by NPR Staff

Kanan Makiya's new novel is named for the rope used to execute Saddam Hussein. It follows one Shiite militiaman from the day of Saddam's fall through the tumultuous years that follow.

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Michelle Obama Promotes All-Star Song 'This Is For My Girls' At SXSW

6:02pm March 16, 2016

by Neda Ulaby

Michelle Obama announced a song Wednesday at the South by Southwest Music Festival that brings together some of the biggest female music stars in the service of girls' education globally.

Krisha Fairchild plays a recovering addict in Krisha. She says that when her nephew, Trey Edward Shults, showed the family the film's script, "there was not a hesitation from any of us that sharing it was the right thing to do."

Arts

'We Couldn't Save Them': Lessons From A Film About Family And Addiction

5:40pm March 16, 2016

by NPR Staff

"Our job was to love them," says actress Krisha Fairchild. She plays a recovering addict in Krisha, a film written and directed by her nephew, and inspired by her family's struggle with addiction.

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Sterling K. Brown as Christopher Darden and Cuba Gooding, Jr. as O.J. Simpson.

Arts

'The People Vs. O.J. Simpson' Gets To The Gloves

2:14pm March 16, 2016

by Linda Holmes

The FX series has been surprisingly compassionate to most of its subjects, and Christopher Darden on the day he forces a courtroom demonstration he will regret is no exception.

'Putin Country' Offers A Glimpse Inside 'Real' Russia

1:27pm March 16, 2016

Veteran foreign correspondent Anne Garrels takes us deep inside Russia, where citizens struggle with a shaky economy and widespread corruption, but seem supportive of their controversial president.

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Left: Julia Ward Howe, pictured during her honeymoon in England. Right: Her husband, Dr. Samuel Gridley Howe. He would soon prove controlling of every aspect of her life, including what she ate.

Battle Hymn At The Dining Table: A Famous Feminist Subjugated Through Food

11:30am March 16, 2016

by Nina Martyris

Julia Ward Howe wrote the Civil War psalm The Battle Hymn of the Republic. She was adrift in a lonely war of her own, against a husband who controlled every aspect of her life, including what she ate.

Books
Arts

With Beauty And Wonder, 'The Winged Histories' Soars

10:31am March 16, 2016

by Jason Heller

Sofia Samatar returns to the world of her award-winning debut, A Stranger in Olondria, with a companion tale of four women caught up in war and turmoil, trying to preserve and pass on their stories.

A B-Side With Your Bacon? Waffle House Has Its Own Music Label

8:59pm March 15, 2016

by Sam Whitehead

The yellow-roofed chain diners, ubiquitous in the South, don't just serve up comfort food. Jukeboxes inside play tunes like "There Are Raisins In My Toast" – courtesy of Waffle Records. No joke.

Actor Henry Godinez as the philosophy professor Oscar Amalfitano, in "Part II: The Part About Amalfitano," from the Goodman Theatre's lengthy production of 2666.

Books
Arts

Have 5 Hours To Spare? See Bolaño's Epic '2666' Onstage

8:42pm March 15, 2016

by Derek John

Roberto Bolaño's posthumous novel 2666 weighs in at more than 900 pages — a challenging read, to say the least. Now Chicago's Goodman Theatre has adapted it as a 5 1/2 hour stage production.

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A blaa is a soft, doughy white roll – with either a soft or crusty top. It has a chewy texture that makes it a perfect vehicle for butter. Only the ones baked in Waterford, Ireland, can officially be called "blaa," but you can try out the recipe below a

Corned Beef, Guinness And ... Blaa? The Irish Bread You Never Knew About

4:34pm March 15, 2016

by Elizabeth Rushe

For an authentically Irish St. Patrick's Day meal, why not give the blaa a try? This roll from the town of Waterford is a protected Irish food heritage product, and the subject of fierce allegiances.