Arts & Life

Duveen once observed: "Europe has a great deal of art, and America has a great deal of money." A new exhibit explores the relationship between Duveen and American mega-millionaire Norton Simon.

As much of the country shivers in the grip of a nasty winter, NPR movie critic Bob Mondello ponders cinematic heat — the movies that smolder, swelter and sizzle no matter what the mercury says.

In his collection Barefoot Dogs, Antonio Ruiz-Camacho offers varying perspectives on the kidnapping of a Mexican patriarch. He asks: "How do you reach closure when someone you love has disappeared?"

In a development reminiscent of a Dan Brown thriller, the Vatican confirmed a report that it has received a ransom demand for the return of two stolen letters written by the renaissance master Michelangelo. It's the first time the theft has been revealed. A spokesman said the Vatican refused to pay.

Scott Budnick hit it big in Hollywood as an executive producer of the Hangover movies. Then, in 2013, he decided to leave it all behind and focus full time on helping young people in prison.

The new Netflix comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, co-created by Tina Fey and starring Ellie Kemper, offers a harrowing twist on the "small-town woman moves to the big city" story.

Gillian Jacobs, known for her role as Britta Perry on Community, directed a short documentary on the computer programming pioneer. She says Hopper wasn't fond of the hype over her accomplishments.

Mary Aiken, who examines digital fingerprints to help solve crimes, is the real-life inspiration for the lead investigator on CSI: Cyber. She says she works where "humans and technology collide."

Trigger warnings caution readers to tread carefully and Neil Gaiman encourages those who pick up his latest collection of "short fictions and disturbances" to do the same.