Arts & Life

Gail Simmons says being a food expert is both a blessing and a curse. To this day, no one invites her over for dinner.

Arts

Random Questions With: Gail Simmons

10:17am March 26, 2015

The Top Chef judge knows a thing or two about food. But where does she stand on breakfast for dinner vs. leftovers for breakfast? In this game, competing foods battle it out for Simmons' approval.

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Gail Simmons can't always resist a little truffle oil... even if it's artificial.

Arts

Gail Simmons: A Top Chef's Duel

10:17am March 26, 2015

Given Simmons' Top Chef judging cred, we ask her to turn her discerning palate toward taking down some trendy foods that have overstayed their welcome. She's still waiting for a good cake pop.

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Books
Arts

'Lost Boys Symphony' Blurs The Lines Between Reality And Madness

7:03am March 26, 2015

by Jason Sheehan

Mark Andrew Ferguson's debut novel has time travel, but it isn't science fiction. It has teenagers, but it's not YA. Instead, it's a tale of intense friendship, first love, and serious mental illness.

James Corden takes over as host of The Late Late Show next Monday.

Arts

One Man, New TV Show: James Corden Takes Over At 'Late Late Night'

3:34pm March 25, 2015

by NPR Staff

Come Monday night, CBS's The Late Late Show will have a new host: James Corden. The British actor told NPR's Scott Simon he's hoping to breathe some fresh air into late night TV.

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Books
Arts

A Shimmy Into English Shakes The Dirt Off This Irish Classic

9:44am March 25, 2015

by Colin Dwyer

In Máirtín Ó Cadhain's The Dirty Dust, the dead don't just talk. They won't shut up. Yet this inventive novel, first written in Irish, has long been sealed from English-speaking readers — until now.

Soprano Catalina Cuervo, singing the role of Frida Kahlo, rehearses with bass baritone Ricardo Herrera, singing the role of Diego Rivera, on Feb. 21, 2015 at the Michigan Opera Theatre in Detroit.

Detroit's 'Frida' Aims To Build Latino Audiences For Opera

8:18pm March 24, 2015

by Veronica Zaragovia

The opera, based on the tumultuous lives of painters Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, coincides with a new exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts devoted to the year they lived in the city.

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James Corden (left) talks to Mila Kunis and Tom Hanks on Monday's debut of The Late Late Show with James Corden.

Arts

James Corden Nods To Talk Show Tradition With CBS's 'Late Late Show'

3:44pm March 24, 2015

by Eric Deggans

British comic actor James Corden took over CBS's Late Late Show on Monday with a star-studded debut. NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans says he offered a touch of talk show tradition with a modern feel.

Arts

'American Crime': A Series Packed With 'Emotional Honesty' About Race

2:59pm March 24, 2015

The show revolves around a murder case in which nearly all the characters are part victim and part aggressor. Creator John Ridley and actor Benito Martinez explain.

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Arts

James Corden Hits Late-Night TV With His Own Skill Set And Mindset

2:53pm March 24, 2015

by David Bianculli

The Late Late Show with James Corden fills the post-David Letterman time slot on CBS. TV critic David Bianculli says that based on first impressions, Corden will "settle in nicely."

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Books
Arts

Ia, Ia, YA! 'Harrison Squared' Is A Tentacular Teen Adventure

2:34pm March 24, 2015

by Jason Sheehan

Daryl Gregory ventures into the murky waters of young adult fiction in Harrison Squared, the story of a boy in a creepily Lovecraftian town, searching for sea monsters and his missing mother.