Arts & Life

Books
Arts

'Mislaid' Punctures Notions Of Gender And Race

9:48pm May 23, 2015

In Nell Zink's new book, Mislaid, a young woman marries her male professor. It's 1965. She likes women; he likes men. What follows is a biting satire about gender, race and sexuality.

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Books
Arts

What If The Drought Doesn't End? 'The Water Knife' Is One Possibility

9:48pm May 23, 2015

by NPR Staff

It's Chinatown meets Mad Max in writer Paolo Bacigalupi's new desert dystopia, filled with climate refugees, powerful state border patrols, and secret agents called water knives.

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Planning to grill this Memorial Day? Below, Food Network chef Alton Brown has some tips to keep your flavor from going up in smoke.

Science
Arts

Clean Your Grill, And Other Hot Holiday Tips From Alton Brown

7:03am May 23, 2015

by Hansi Lo Wang

Whether you're barbecuing OR grilling, a meat-eater or a vegetarian, here's how to keep your flavor from going up in smoke this Memorial Day weekend.

"Willem van Heythuysen," 2005. Oil and enamel on canvas. Wiley says his subjects pick their poses from art history books — as in this take on an old Dutch painting.

Arts

The Exquisite Dissonance Of Kehinde Wiley

8:32pm May 22, 2015

by NPR Staff

The Brooklyn Museum's mid-career Wiley retrospective wraps up this week; his large, elaborate works depict black men and women in traditional forms like oil, bronze sculture and even stained glass.

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Casey (Britt Robertson) experiences a fantastic futuristic world in Tomorrowland.

Arts

The Future Is Bright In The Time-And-Space Twisting 'Tomorrowland'

5:34pm May 22, 2015

by David Edelstein

Brad Bird's new sci-fi adventure film features George Clooney, Britt Robertson and an endless sense of possibilities. David Edelstein says the film makes a "near-hysterical case" against pessimism.

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Terry Gross and Marc Maron took the stage at WNYC's RadioLoveFest on May 6. During their conversation, Gross says, Maron "occasionally looked a little nervous or frustrated when he thought I was unforthcoming — or worse yet, being dull -- but mostly

Arts

Terry Gross To Marc Maron: 'Life Is Harder Than Radio'

4:25pm May 22, 2015

The WTF host asks the Fresh Air host about her childhood, her start in radio and her record-strewn apartment. Gross says Maron's "no bulls***" style made her feel comfortable opening up.

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Books
Arts

How 'Gatsby' Went From A Moldering Flop To A Great American Novel

4:20pm May 22, 2015

In So We Read On, Maureen Corrigan looks at the story behind The Great Gatsby, from F. Scott Fitzgerald's life to the era in which it's set. Originally broadcast Sept. 8, 2014.

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In Darren Waterston's Filthy Lucre it looks as if a wrecking ball has been slammed into Whistler's lavish work.

Arts

'Filthy Lucre' Is A Modern Remix Of The Peacock Room's Wretched Excess

3:09pm May 22, 2015

by Susan Stamberg

Two Smithsonian institutions have given artist Darren Waterston their blessings as he reimagines James McNeill Whistler's lavish and legendary 19th-century artwork as an utter ruin.

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National Geographic writer and explorer Dan Buettner studies the world's longest-lived peoples and their lifestyles.

What Are The Secrets of Centenarians?

1:45pm May 22, 2015

by NPR/TED Staff

To find the path to long life and health, Dan Buettner studies the world's "Blue Zones," communities whose elders live longer than anyone else on the planet.

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Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: For 'Mad Men' And Letterman, A Week Of Goodbyes

12:54pm May 22, 2015

by Stephen Thompson

Mad Men just ended after seven seasons; David Letterman is done with late-night TV after 33. The gang discusses both farewells, both legacies, and What's Making Us Happy this week.

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