Arts & Life

Books
Arts

Novelist Francisco Goldman Revisits His Difficult Childhood In 'Monkey Boy'

1:20pm May 11, 2021

by Dave Davies

The son of a Jewish father and a Guatemalan mother, Goldman grew up mostly in working class suburbs of Boston. His new novel draws on his own experiences, including being physically abused by his dad.

Queue Listen Now

New York's Lincoln Center, as people gather for its reopening on Monday, May 10.

A Transformed Lincoln Center In New York City Brings Back Live Audiences

11:23am May 11, 2021

by Jeff Lunden

The past year, with COVID and calls for social justice, has made those running Lincoln Center and other arts organizations question their core missions, says Lincoln Center's president Henry Timms.

Album Leaf of Flowers and Insects, bequest of the Hofer Collection of the Arts of Asia, 1985.904.6

Arts

Brood X Is Back — But Cicadas Have Been In Chinese Art For Millennia

4:58pm May 10, 2021

by Neda Ulaby

The insects' appearances stretch back 4,000 years, to a time when ancient settlers carved cicadas from jade and put them on tongues of the dead before burial, evoking transcendence and eternal life.

From left, trumpet player Freddie Hubbard, saxophonist Johnny Griffin, Curtis Fuller and bassist Reggie Workman, on stage at Town Hall in New York on Feb. 22, 1985.

Curtis Fuller, Leading Trombonist Of Jazz's Detroit Wave, Dies At 86

3:31pm May 10, 2021

by Martin Johnson

After cutting his teeth in Detroit, a move to New York near the middle of the century found him directly in the center of a deeply important moment for jazz.

Barry Jenkins served as showrunner, executive producer, writer and director to the 10-part Amazon series, The Underground Railroad.

Arts

'Underground Railroad' Director Barry Jenkins Sees Film As An 'Empathy Machine'

2:24pm May 10, 2021

by Terry Gross

Jenkins says filming his new series about an enslaved girl who escapes from a plantation was the most difficult project of his career — and one that made him feel closer to his own ancestors.

Queue Listen Now

Tesla CEO Elon Musk strikes a pose at a December 2020 awards ceremony in Germany. This weekend, he hosted NBC's Saturday Night Live.

Arts

Elon Musk Takes An Awkward Turn As 'Saturday Night Live' Host

5:01pm May 09, 2021

by Eric Deggans

The Tesla CEO got to cement his image as a celebrity with pop culture cachet, appearing with the SNL cast in silly sketches that promoted his pet projects and dressing up as a video game character.

A Kid's Guide to Fandom, by Amy Ratcliffe

Books
Arts

Fandom Can Be A Lot Like High School — Here's How To Avoid The Bad Stuff

1:25pm May 09, 2021

by Alan Yu

Finding a supportive fandom — a group of people who love what you love — is a great experience. But some fan communities can be toxic, so here are a few tips for kids looking for fan connections.

A Constitutional Quirk Inspired Stacey Abrams' New Thriller, 'While Justice Sleeps'

9:43am May 09, 2021

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

Article III of the Constitution gives Supreme Court justices lifetime appointments — but doesn't cover what to do if they become incapacitated. For Abrams, that was the spark for an exciting story.

Arts

4 Women Share Their Motherhood Experience

7:53am May 09, 2021

We hear from four women who acknowledge how difficult life has been to be a mother before and during the pandemic, and what keeps them motivated.

Music Professor David Rothenburg Makes Music With Cicadas

7:53am May 09, 2021

NPR host Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks to music professor David Rothenberg about the music of the Brood X cicadas and what it's like making music with them.