Arts & Life

Toni Morrison's novels include Beloved, The Bluest Eye and Song of Solomon. She won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1993.

Arts

Fresh Air Weekend: Toni Morrison, Ross Macdonald's Crime Fiction, Will Forte

11:14am April 25, 2015

Nobel laureate Morrison reflects on her life and her regrets; Maureen Corrigan reviews a reissue of four of Macdonald's 1950s novels; SNL alum Forte discusses comedy and Bruce Dern's acting advice.

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Books
Arts

Tiny Pages Reveal Big, Rodent-Related Worries In 'Devotion'

7:03am April 25, 2015

by Jason Sheehan

Don't be put off by the size of Devotion: A Rat Story by Maile Meloy. It's a small book, hardly larger than a pack of cigarettes, but the horror it delivers is real (and rat shaped).

The 1956 film Giant was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won a Best Director Oscar for George Stevens. Above, James Dean sits on set with Robert Marquez, left, and Joe Vasquez of Marfa, Texas.

Arts

Marfa's Mexican-Americans Remember 'Giant' And Southwest Segregation

2:15am April 25, 2015

by Tom Michael

The documentary Children of Giant tells the story of some of the people in the 1956 film — not James Dean or Rock Hudson, but rather the Mexican community that appeared in it.

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An illustration of noblemen enjoying a feast outdoors, from a French edition of The Hunting Book of Gaston Phebus, 15th century.

Arts

Sexy, Simple, Satirical: 300 Years Of Picnics In Art

4:32pm April 24, 2015

by Tove Danovich

From Goya to Banksy, artists through the centuries have tackled modernity and its discontents through depictions of eating outdoors.

A drawing of two clinking martini glasses.

Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Food In Pop Culture And Going Back To College

2:30pm April 24, 2015

by Linda Holmes

On this week's show, we talk about competitive cooking shows, delicious food in the movies, and all the things we've learned about pop culture representations of college.

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Arts

Deception And Suspense By The Sea In The Iranian Mystery 'About Elly'

1:58pm April 24, 2015

by David Edelstein

Recently released in the U.S., Asghar Farhadi's 2009 film follows a teacher invited on a beach trip by the mother of one of her students. David Edelstein calls the film "Hitchockian" in its suspense.

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The Zady clothing line sources cotton from the Texas Organic Cotton Cooperative in Lubbock, Texas.

Arts

Slow Fashion Shows Consumers What It's Made Of

1:15pm April 24, 2015

by Elizabeth Blair

It has been two years since more than 1,100 workers were killed in a garment factory collapse in Bangladesh. "Ethical fashion" is gaining momentum — though what that means depends on whom you ask.

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Zabou Breitman plays Ruth Halimi in 24 Days.

Arts

'24 Days' Retells A Brutal Crime With Little Explanation

12:58pm April 24, 2015

by Mark Jenkins

The docudrama 24 Days doesn't try to explain the thinking of those who abducted and killed a Jewish Parisian. Instead, it considers what can be known about the motives of others.

"Why are you dressed like Chun Li from Street Fighter?" Eddie asks his mom Jessica.

In Its Season Finale, 'Fresh Off The Boat' Is Still Wrestling With Authenticity

11:06am April 24, 2015

by Kat Chow

Its fiercest critic, Eddie Huang, whose memoir inspired the show, says his life isn't recognizable in it. What's "real" or not is up for debate.

Jackson Pollock cooks with his wife, the artist Lee Krasner, and his mother, Stella Pollock, in the kitchen of his home in Springs, in East Hampton, N.Y., 1950.

Books
Arts

Lunch With Monet, Dinner With Jackson Pollock

10:51am April 24, 2015

by Tove Danovich

Two new books focus on the culinary lives of these two artists. Turns out, their approaches to food provide a new way of thinking about their two very different approaches to art.