How To Compose Music For A Movie About Music
NPR's Robert Siegel talks to film composer Justin Hurwitz, 29, about his first major movie score, for the movie Whiplash. Hurwitz talks about using music to heighten tension.
Arts & Life
From Her Dad To Her 'Jamish' Roots, A Poet Pieces Her Story Together
Salena Godden grew up in 1970s England with a Jamaican mom and an absent Irish dad. In her memoir, Springfield Road, she looks back on her struggle to find her personal identity.
Playlist: Journey To Far Off Places
Travel to unusual places with these TED Radio Hour stories.
Playlist: Stories That Will Spark Your Imagination
These TED Radio Hour stories will make you curious and maybe even ignite some creative ideas of your own.
Novel Gives Voice To Virginia Woolf's Overshadowed Sister
In Vanessa and Her Sister, Priya Parmar imagines what Vanessa Bell wrote in her journal when she and Woolf were helping to form the Bloomsbury Group, a gathering of London artists and intellectuals.
Screenwriter: 'The Interview' Is A Case Of Accidental Irony
Sony's movie The Interview was meant to be just a silly comedy, but now it's a symbol of free speech. NPR's Linda Wertheimer talks to its screenwriter, Dan Sterling.
'Selma' Tells The Civil Rights Story Through Black Eyes
Director Ava DuVernay's film stands out for its focus on black characters. This story originally aired Dec. 27 on All Things Considered. Warning: This audio contains language some may find offensive.
Smashing Snow Globes: A Writer On Essays, Novels And Translation
Valeria Luiselli, who was born in Mexico City and lives now in Harlem, released two slim, multinational books this year: the essay collection Sidewalks and her time-jumping novel Faces in the Crowd.
For Hollywood, 'Selma' Is A New Kind Of Civil Rights Story
The film, about a 1965 voting rights march, stands out for its focus on black characters, including some of the movement's lesser-known organizers, and the way it humanizes Martin Luther King Jr.
Comedian Andrea Martin: 'I Don't Think Age Has Anything To Do With It'
Now in her late 60s, Martin says she's still "excited and enthusiastic" about her work and doesn't have any intention of retiring. She published a memoir in September called Lady Parts.