Arts & Life

The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu, by Tom Lin

Books
Arts

Yes, There Are Crimes — And Much More — In 'The Thousand Crimes Of Ming Tsu'

7:00am June 03, 2021

by Fran Wilde

Tom Lin's new novel promises — and delivers — lots of crimes in a cinematic Western starring a Chinese American gunslinger on a mission of revenge against the men who sent him to work the railroads.

Biomutant gives players a beautiful open world to explore.

Arts

'Biomutant' Is A Beautiful Game, But It Might Be Best For Beginners

5:00am June 03, 2021

by Keller Gordon

In this post-apocalyptic vision, you play as a furry little mutant battling and questing through a gorgeous open world. But boring combat and too much hand-holding keep the game from greatness.

Kraftwerk, photographed in 1977. From left: Florian Schneider, Karl Bartos, Ralf Hütter and Wolfgang Flür.

Kraftwerk And Our Computer World

5:36pm June 02, 2021

In a new book, writer Uwe Schütte takes up a close examination of the unique context that gave rise to one of the century's most influential art projects.

Civil rights activists are blocked by National Guard members brandishing bayonets while trying to stage a protest on Beale Street in Memphis, Tenn., in 1968.

Historian Uncovers The Racist Roots Of The 2nd Amendment

3:41pm June 02, 2021

by Dave Davies

Carol Anderson says the Second Amendment was designed to ensure slave owners could quickly crush any rebellion or resistance from those they'd enslaved. Her new book is The Second.

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How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America, by Clint Smith

Books
Arts

'How The Word Is Passed' Teaches The Importance Of Reckoning With History

1:29pm June 02, 2021

by Hope Wabuke

Clint Smith seeks out troubling history, including white supremacy, white violence — and the erasure of the oppression of Black Americans — to understand what America tells itself about who we are.

The Kissing Bug: A True Story of a Family, an Insect, and a Nation's Neglect of a Deadly Disease, by Daisy Hernández

'The Kissing Bug' Challenges Which Diseases Matter — And Why

8:15am June 02, 2021

by Kristen Martin

Through the story of her aunt, who died of Chagas, Daisy Hernández raises damning questions about which diseases get attention — and whom we believe to be deserving of care.

The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture in Chicago cut some programming but retained its small staff during the pandemic.

Arts

A New Report Shows Museums Had A Bad Year — But Not The Worst Possible

6:25pm June 01, 2021

by Neda Ulaby

A new report from the American Alliance of Museums sheds light on losses suffered during the pandemic; three-quarters of the country's museums reported an average of 40% slump in operating income.

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Books
Arts

Struggling Writers Steal Someone Else's Work In 2 New Suspense Novels

1:45pm June 01, 2021

by Maureen Corrigan

Chris Power's brooding literary novel A Lonely Man and Jean Hanff Korelitz's nightmare of a thriller The Plot explore the dangerous consequences of sticky fingers in the literary world.

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Books
Arts

Mapping A Path Forward For The Asian Diaspora In 'Imagine Us, The Swarm'

12:34pm June 01, 2021

by Jeevika Verma

In her latest collection, Chinese American poet Muriel Leung considers what it means to assimilate, and ultimately heal, against the collective memory of grief and vulnerability.

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Clint Smith is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of the poetry collection Counting Descent.

Slavery Wasn't 'Long Ago': A Writer Exposes The Disconnect In How We Tell History

12:07pm June 01, 2021

by Terry Gross

In How the Word is Passed, Clint Smith visits eight places central to the history of slavery in America, including Thomas Jefferson's Monticello plantation and Louisiana's Angola prison.