Arts & Life

Jennifer Steinhauer's version of the Sno Ball moves the marshmallow inside and skips the pink food coloring.

Arts

Hostess Isn't The Mostest: Make Your Own Sno Balls At Home

6:28pm January 22, 2015

by NPR Staff

When Hostess Brands declared bankruptcy, Jennifer Steinhauer started preparing for the snack food apocalypse. Among the foods she tackled was a pink treat she had no respect for — the Sno Ball.

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Al Michaels will announce the Super Bowl game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots on Feb. 1.

Sports
Arts

Broadcaster Al Michaels Gets Ready To Provide 'Lyrics' For The Super Bowl

3:28pm January 22, 2015

Michaels will anchor the Feb. 1 game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots. He tells Fresh Air about falling in love with sports and the hardest sport to announce.

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Books
Arts

Delicious Short Stories, Ripe On The Vine In 'Honeydew'

2:06pm January 22, 2015

by Alan Cheuse

Reviewer Alan Cheuse has rapturous praise for Edith Pearlman's new story collection: "The first thing I wanted to do after finishing was, well, I wanted to go right back and start from the beginning."

Author Scott Blackwood based See How Small on a real incident, a multiple murder at an Austin, Texas, frozen yogurt shop in 1991.

Books
Arts

The Vastness Of Violent Loss In 'See How Small'

1:57pm January 22, 2015

by Michael Schaub

Scott Blackwood's new novel, based on a real murder case, follows a community rocked by the slaying of three teenage girls. Reviewer Michael Schaub calls it "brutal, necessary and near perfect."

"[Death metal] is a very passionate music. It's also really dark and gory--and I like that stuff." - John Darnielle, of the Mountain Goats.

John Darnielle: Master Of Reality

12:06pm January 22, 2015

"Death metal really does come from the heart," says The Mountain Goats frontman and author of Wolf In White Van. In Durham, he plays "The Best Ever Death Metal Band Out of Denton."

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Arts

Sports, Explicated

11:51am January 22, 2015

Grab your oversized porous foam digit, because in this game, contestants must decipher the names of college sports teams from an overly literal explanation. Go athlete! Do the sport!

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Arts

State Of Mind

11:51am January 22, 2015

Get on that midnight train to...North Korea?? Guess what US state actually completes these lyrics as Jonathan Coulton sings famous songs with the wrong geographic regions in their titles.

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Side Show tells the true story of conjoined twins who go from a freak show to vaudeville and try, unsuccessfully, to find love along the way. "We just did not get enough bodies and butts in seats that translate into word of mouth," says Side Show producer

Arts

How Broadway Is Losing Its 'Middle Ground'

11:03am January 22, 2015

by Jeff Lunden

Producer Darren Bagert says there's a boom-or-bust environment on Broadway — you're either a huge hit or you close quickly. Two of the fall's most highly anticipated musicals are closing this month.

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The Ethics Of Torture, Explored In A Painful Fable

10:39am January 22, 2015

by Laila Lalami

This week, the Senate released a report that details the interrogation techniques used by the CIA after Sept. 11. Author Laila Lalami grapples with the questions it raises by turning to literature.

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The Imitation Game, starring Keira Knightley and Benedict Cumberbatch, follows the story of mathematician Alan Turing — from his efforts to break Germany's Enigma code during World War II to his conviction for homosexuality.

Arts

Benedict Cumberbatch On Alan Turing's Awkwardness And Sherlock's Sex Appeal

8:58am January 22, 2015

The actor gained critical acclaim — and a big following — for his role in Sherlock. Now he's up for an Oscar for his portrayal of eccentric mathematician Alan Turing in The Imitation Game.

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