Arts & Life

Books
Arts

'The Only Ones' Puts A Heartbreaking Spin On Dystopia

10:03am March 19, 2015

by Jason Heller

Veteran rock critic Carola Dibbell ventures into fiction with The Only Ones, a tale of an unconventional family in post-pandemic America. Critic Jason Heller says calls it "heartbreakingly beautiful."

Cookie (Taraji P. Henson) has been the highlight of the first season of Empire.

Arts

The 'Empire' Touch: A Cookie By Any Other Name

9:39am March 19, 2015

by Linda Holmes

Fox's freshman series Empire finished its first season with an action-packed often baffling finale that underscored how much fun it is, even when it doesn't make sense.

Terrence Howard (center) stars in Empire with (from left): Jussie Smollett, Serayah McNeill, Taraji P. Henson, Bryshere Gray, Grace Gealey, Trai Byers and Kaitlin Doubleday.

Arts

Does Fox's 'Empire' Break Or Bolster Black Stereotypes?

7:51pm March 18, 2015

by Eric Deggans

The hip-hop drama ends its first season Wednesday as a huge hit, thanks to black viewers. But NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says it also has sparked a complex debate over TV stereotypes.

Books
Arts

'The Mechanical' Will Make Your Clockwork Pulse Pound

6:29pm March 18, 2015

by Jason Heller

Ian Tregillis' new novel is the start of a series, set in an alternate 1926, that follows a robot's search for humanity against a backdrop of science, philosophy and a grand struggle between empires.

A Pedestrian walks past a Nolita advertisement during Spring/Summer fashion week on Sept. 26, 2007 in Milan, Italy. Isabelle Caro, 27, was photographed for Flash & Partners' Italian clothing company's label Nolita. The company said they are running a camp

Arts

France Considers A Ban On Overly Skinny Models

5:48pm March 18, 2015

by Jasmine Garsd

Proposed legislation would criminalize the use of underweight models and ban online sites that glorify anorexia and other eating disorders.

Daniel Genis, son of Soviet emigre Alexander Genis, served 10 years in prison for armed robbery. He was released last year, and his essays about life in prison have been widely published.

Arts

Released From Prison, 'Apologetic Bandit' Writes About Life Inside

4:48pm March 18, 2015

Daniel Genis, son of Soviet emigre writer Alexander Genis, served 10 years for armed robbery. The crimes fueled his heroin addiction. "It was so obvious I didn't fit in," he says.

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Books
Arts

How Self-Improvement Became Self-Destruction On 'Diamond Mountain'

4:17pm March 18, 2015

by Tomas Hachard

Scott Carney's new book unpacks the complicated story of Ian Thorson, who died in the Arizona wilderness after becoming involved with an unorthodox Buddhist group led by a charismatic American monk.

Butter labels from Irish creameries operating in the 1970s.

To Eat Authentically Irish This St. Patrick's Day, Go For The Butter

2:11pm March 18, 2015

by Deena Prichep

From 3,000-year-old peat bogs to 19th-century Brazil to modern foodies, the love of Irish butter has spread far. The secret to Ireland's deliciously rich, creamy butter is in its rolling green hills.

A drawing of two clinking martini glasses.

Books
Arts

Small Batch Edition: On Loving Romance With Sarah Wendell

1:55pm March 18, 2015

by Linda Holmes

We talk to romance blogger Sarah Wendell about romance fans, romance novels, and some of her top recommendations for fans and new visitors alike.

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Celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis during a guest appearance on ABC's The Chew last fall. She can cook rich foods and keep her trim figure, but new research suggests that's a difficult feat for amateur cooks watching along at home.

Do TV Cooking Shows Make Us Fat?

1:37pm March 18, 2015

by Allison Aubrey

Women who cooked the meals they saw prepared on television weighed more, on average, than those who simply watched, a study shows. The findings challenge the notion that home cooking is always best.

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