Arts & Life

Books
Arts

In 'Out Of Line,' The Many, Many Acts Of Jules Feiffer

7:22pm May 19, 2015

by NPR Staff

At 86, Jules Feiffer has drawn comic strips, written books and plays, and is now experimenting with graphic novels. A new compilation, Out of Line, takes an extensive look at his many careers.

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A Former Country Girl Catches Fire In 'The Love Object'

7:06pm May 19, 2015

by Alan Cheuse

Edna O'Brien's first novel was burned in the small Irish village of her birth. The Love Object collects more than 30 of her fiery tales of religion and repression in "a land of sacrificial women."

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Fun, Fast-Moving 'Nimona' Is A Perpetual Surprise

5:48pm May 19, 2015

by Tasha Robinson

Noelle Stevenson's webcomic Nimona, about a shapeshifter who aspires to be an evil sidekick, is now out in book form. Reviewer Tasha Robinson praises the story's ebullience, complexity and intensity.

Nat Bradford holds a Bradford watermelon, known for its sweet, fragrant red flesh. The melon was created by Bradford's forefathers around 1840 and was once one of the most important and coveted melons of the South.

Arts

Saving The Sweetest Watermelon The South Has Ever Known

3:44pm May 19, 2015

by Jill Neimark

The Bradford boasted sweet flesh so coveted, 19th-century growers turned to guns and poison to thwart thieves. The melon all but vanished by the 1920s. Now a descendant of its creator is reviving it.

Cherokee chief John Ross battled the U.S. government for decades on behalf of his people.

Books
Arts

Cherokee Chief John Ross Is The Unsung Hero Of 'Jacksonland'

12:23pm May 19, 2015

by NPR Staff

Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep's new book examines a dark chapter in American history: the Cherokee Trail of Tears and the chief who used the tools of democracy to try to protect his people.

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Promo image option 1(pebbles and greenery)

Books
Arts

'Sophie Stark' Finds It Hard To Learn How To Be Human

9:40am May 19, 2015

by Michael Schaub

Anna North's new novel is narrated by friends and family after the death of troubled filmmaker Sophie. Critic Michael Schaub calls it "a bold and graceful novel, executed with incredible artistry."

Shirin Neshat is an Iranian-born visual artist who has made her home country's turbulent history the subject of high art. The Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., is hosting a retrospective of her work. Above, Neshat's 1999 Rapture Series.

Artist Shirin Neshat Captures Iran's Sharp Contrasts In Black And White

11:22pm May 18, 2015

by Neda Ulaby

The Iranian-born visual artist has made her home country's turbulent history the subject of high art. The Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., is hosting a retrospective of her work.

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LA County Museum Of Art Presents Last Sculpture By Chris Burden

9:26pm May 18, 2015

by Mandalit del Barco

The museum presented on Monday a new sculpture by artist Chris Burden, who died May 10. "Ode to Santos Dumont," is a kinetic airship inspired by the Brazilian aviation pioneer, Alberto Santos-Dumont.

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Books
Arts

'The Gracekeepers' Sets Damplings Against The Landlockers

9:18pm May 18, 2015

The world of The Gracekeepers has two types of people — those of the land and those of the sea. NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with Kirsty Logan about her novel, set in a future enveloped by water.

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The cast of Mad Men: January Jones (from left), Jon Hamm, Elisabeth Moss, Vincent Kartheiser, Christina Hendricks and John Slattery

Arts

'Mad Men' Finale: A Love Letter To Fans Filled With Mostly Happy Endings

9:13pm May 18, 2015

by Eric Deggans

AMC's Mad Men ended its seven-season run on Sunday. Fans may have loved how characters' stories were resolved, but critics may question how writers got them there.

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