Arts & Life

Arts

How Interactive TV Is Older Than TV Itself

3:52pm August 04, 2014

by David Bianculli

As technology gets more complex, TV producers aim to take advantage of it, such as relying on phoned-in votes from viewers. The interactive talent show, it turns out, predates TV itself.

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The Planters Nutmobile, seen here taking a starring turn at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, is hitting the road for a yearlong trip across the U.S.

Sometimes You Feel Like A Nut; Sometimes You Just Drive One

12:01pm August 04, 2014

by Alex Schmidt

After graduation, a group of college students landed a nutty job — quite literally. For the next year, they will don the monocle of Mr. Peanut and drive the Planters Peanut Nutmobile.

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A student works on a laptop on a college quad.

Books
Arts

Amid Rising College Costs, A Defense Of The Liberal Arts

9:18am August 04, 2014

by NPR Staff

Wesleyan University President Michael Roth, author of the new book Beyond the University: Why Liberal Education Matters, says that the debate over the value of a college education is hardly new.

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Sounds Intriguing: The World's Most Interesting Noises

8:53am August 01, 2014

by NPR Staff

As an acoustic engineer, Trevor Cox has spent most of his career getting rid of bizarre, unwanted sounds. But in The Sound Book, Cox turns up the volume on those sonic oddities. The book explores weird echoes and unexpected noises from around the globe — including "whisper galleries" and a chirping pyramid.

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Maggie Gyllenhaal stars as Nessa Stein in the SundanceTV original series The Honorable Woman.

Arts

Maggie Gyllenhaal Is 'The Honorable Woman': A Series Both Ruthless And Rewarding

5:18pm July 31, 2014

by David Bianculli

The eight-part drama that begins Thursday stars Maggie Gyllenhaal as a British baroness with an Israeli passport. She's a fearless actor in a show full of kidnappings, seductions and betrayals.

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Arts

Why Are Theater Tickets Cheaper On The West End Than On Broadway?

7:07pm July 30, 2014

by Ari Shapiro

In London, a matinee ticket for Matilda costs about $60; in New York, it's $137. What's going on? The West End has weaker unions and subsidized theater, while Broadway has amenities.

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Books
Arts

Fiction Explores The Push And Pull Of Arab-Israeli Identity

12:27pm July 30, 2014

by Molly Antopol

Sayed Kashua is an Arab who writes novels in Hebrew and a sitcom in Arabic. A contradiction? Maybe. But his newest book is a good look at an often-overlooked segment of the Israeli population.

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Books
Arts

'Ride Around Shining' Reimagines Gatsby's Nouveau-Riche Excess

3:54pm July 29, 2014

by Maureen Corrigan

Chris Leslie-Hynan's debut novel follows a white grad student who's a chauffeur to a black basketball player. It references The Great Gatsby often with fresh takes on race, manhood and meritocracy.

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Books
Arts

In 'Blue Eyed Boy,' Author Reveals Long Recovery From Facial Burns

2:02pm July 29, 2014

Robert Timberg, who was disfigured by a land mine as a Marine in Vietnam, went on to become a successful journalist. His new memoir Blue Eyed Boy charts his struggle to recover from his wounds.

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On Wednesday, Lifetime premiered BAPs, a reality show that follows "an exclusive, privileged and affluent group of African American friends from St. Louis who self-identify as 'BAPs' — Black American Princesses and Princes."

Arts

Hoping To Reach A Wider Audience, Lifetime Breaks Out Of Familiar Formula

5:19am July 29, 2014

by Priska Neely

Lifetime's general manager says the channel is trying to reflect "the true breadth" of America. It recently launched a reality show called BAPs — which stands for "Black American Prince or Princess."

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