40 Is The New Cute: Hello Kitty Celebrates Birthday
The milestone inspired a Hello Kitty Con in Los Angeles this week. But the largest fete was in Tokyo, where parent company Sanrio put on a parade and other events.
Arts & Life
Not My Job: Actor Daniel Radcliffe Gets Quizzed On Chia Pets
We ask the man who spent a decade playing Harry Potter three questions about hairy pottery.
William Gibson Skypes The Future In 'The Peripheral'
The master of cyberpunk returns to form with a new novel set in his old stomping grounds — the near future. Reviewer Jason Sheehan says it sings with controlled, dark energy and effortless grace.
A Century Of Black Glamour In This Fine 'Vintage'
Nichelle Gainer's new Vintage Black Glamour, based on the popular Tumblr, collects a wealth of historical and biographical information — alongside gorgeous imagery — on great black entertainers.
Like Olive Kitteridge, Actress Frances McDormand Was Tired Of Supporting Roles
"I've made a career of playing small supporting roles," McDormand says. And in a four-hour HBO miniseries she plays Kitteridge, a supporting character who "should be a leading lady."
Spine-Tingling With A Twang: Great Alabama Ghost Stories
There's nothing like a good ghost story on Halloween — and some of the best tales were told by the late storyteller and NPR commentator Kathryn Tucker Windham.
In An Online, On-Demand Age, TV Reruns Are Redefined
FX's new digital platform, Simpsons World features all 25 years of episodes from The Simpsons. NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans says it's also among several sites that are revitalizing the TV rerun.
In The Life Of 'Olive Kitteridge,' It's The Little Things That Add Up
The HBO miniseries starring Frances McDormand is based on a collection of stories about residents in a small town in Maine. It's about family, friends and the tenuous relationships that make up life.
Halloween Makes Us Think Of ... Diversity In Romance!
Romance guru Bobbi Dumas once worked at an international school — and she says the colorful world of the kids' Halloween costumes inspired her to think about diversity in her favorite literature.
Stephen King On Growing Up, Believing In God And Getting Scared
"The more carny it got, the better I liked it," King says of his new thriller, Joyland. King talks with Fresh Air's Terry Gross about his career writing horror, and about what scares him now.