Arts & Life

China's 'Barefoot Lawyer' And His Great Escape

11:04am April 09, 2015

by Anthony Kuhn

In his new book, exiled Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng tells the story of growing up blind, being beaten under house arrest and finding refuge in the American Embassy in Beijing in 2012.

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The gesture Kimmy's making doesn't mean the same thing to Dong.

Why It's So Hard For Us To Agree About Dong From 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'

10:35am April 09, 2015

by Kat Chow

With a name like Dong — and so few roles for Asian-American men on TV — it's understandable that this character has been raising eyebrows. But in the context of the show, Dong makes complete sense.

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The St. James vineyard at the Abbey of New Clairvaux. The 20 brothers of the abbey belong to an order with a tradition of winemaking that dates back nearly 900 years.

These Vintner Monks Turn Wilderness Into The Divine Gift Of Wine

7:34am April 09, 2015

by Lisa Morehouse

In a part of Northern California better known for cattle ranches than grapes, the monks of New Clairvaux abbey are cultivating the art of winemaking. The hard work feeds the spirit and the coffers.

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About Elly is "perched right on the fault line between modern thinking and Islamic tradition," says NPR film critic Bob Mondello.

Arts

Ties That Bind Meet Lies That Blind In 'About Elly'

6:23pm April 08, 2015

by Bob Mondello

NPR film critic Bob Mondello reviews a film from Iran, about Iran — which hasn't been shown in Iran. It's called About Elly, and it's by director Asghar Farhadi, who won an Oscar for A Separation.

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Books
Arts

Postal Service Slips Up With Special-Edition Stamp For Maya Angelou

6:23pm April 08, 2015

by Melissa Block

The U.S. Postal Service has put the late poet Maya Angelou's face and name, together with a choice quotation, on a special edition stamp. Trouble is, that quotation didn't start with her.

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Arts

Does Your Food Have A Bad Case Of The Blahs? Put An Egg On It!

6:21pm April 08, 2015

by Eliza Barclay

If you're wondering what to do with all those eggs left over from Easter, we're here to help. Inspired by Portlandia and Beyonce, we'll show you ways you can put an egg on it.

With the launch of its e-bookstore on Wednesday, Oyster is, well, turning the page on its business model. And so far, the big publishers are open to the change.

Books
Arts

The 'Netflix Of Books' Hopes To Open Up The E-Book Market

5:49pm April 08, 2015

by Colin Dwyer

Oyster, the subscription e-book service, says it is opening up a retail component and has the Big Five publishers on board. The move sets up Oyster to challenge Amazon.

Brooke Borel says bedbugs were essentially wiped out after World War II thanks to DDT. It's not totally clear why they came back in the past couple of decades.

The Creepy, Crawly World Of Bedbugs And How They Have 'Infested' Homes

5:36pm April 08, 2015

Brooke Borel's new book describes their history and how they hide, bite and reproduce. Borel, who has combated them herself, says an infestation "does mess with your mind a little bit."

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"You may realize that television is mostly full of white people, with a few brown people peppered in. Really, it's all white people and Aziz Ansari," says The Daily Show's Aasif Mandvi.

Arts

The Daily Show's Aasif Mandvi On Representation, Identity And The King Of Pop

5:18pm April 08, 2015

The Daily Show correspondent recalls the impact American brunch had on his Indo-Muslim upbringing, and the benefits of resembling Michael Jackson as a teenager.

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Chuckie Taylor in Liberia at an unknown date and location.

Florida Teen, War Criminal: The Life Of An 'American Warlord'

3:33pm April 08, 2015

by NPR Staff

Johnny Dwyer's new book explores the life of Chuckie Taylor: the son of Liberia's former president, a leader in the Liberian Civil War and the only American ever convicted of torture committed abroad.

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