Arts & Life

Comedian Joel McHale spoke at the annual White House Correspondents' Association dinner in May. He says everyone wanted to see his jokes ahead of time, but he likes keeping them a secret.

Arts

Comedian Joel McHale Talks Dyslexia, Bad TV And Filming A Thriller

10:19am July 01, 2014

The host of The Soup co-stars in the thriller Deliver Us From Evil. "I felt like a 12-year-old getting to be in an action film," McHale tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross.

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Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party delegates and supporters stage a demonstration on the boardwalk in front of the Atlantic City Convention Center in 1964.

Books
Arts

'Freedom Summer' And 'The Watsons': Powerful TV About A Civil Rights Journey

4:15pm June 30, 2014

by Eric Deggans

This story in the "Book Your Trip" series features NPR TV critic Eric Deggans on two books turned TV shows about civil rights: PBS's Freedom Summer and Hallmark Channel's The Watsons Go to Birmingham.

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Voice actor Peter Cullen has reprised his role as Optimus Prime in the series of live-action Transformers movies, including the latest, Transformers: Age of Extinction.

Arts

Behind Optimus Prime (And Eeyore), One Man's Signature Voice

8:20am June 30, 2014

by NPR Staff

Peter Cullen, whose oeuvre ranges from Sonny and Cher to Winnie the Pooh, voiced the heroic robot-truck in the 1980s Transformers cartoons. He returned to the role for the series of live-action films.

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Colombia Advances In World Cup, Two Decades After Infamous Murder

6:27pm June 29, 2014

In 1994, star player Andres Escobar was killed just weeks after he scored an own goal in the Cup. NPR's Arun Rath speaks with Colombian-American journalist and novelist John Rojas about the crime.

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Everything I Never Told You is Celeste Ng's debut novel about a Chinese-American family living in 1970s Ohio. She is currently working on a second novel and a collection of short stories.

Books
Arts

'Everything I Never Told You' Exposed In Biracial Family's Loss

6:22pm June 28, 2014

by NPR Staff

In times of tragedy, our deepest insecurities can take over. In Celeste Ng's new novel, set in the Midwest in the late 1970s, the fear that bubbles up is related to race and identity.

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Arts

In The Mood For Apocalypse? Skip 'Transformers,' See 'Snowpiercer'

1:25pm June 27, 2014

by David Edelstein

Film critic David Edelstein says Snowpiercer — a dystopian film based on a French graphic novel — is far more invigorating and potent than Transformers 4: Age of Extinction.

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Books
Arts

After The Rapture, Who Are 'The Leftovers'?

1:25pm June 27, 2014

Tom Perrotta's 2011 novel examined the aftermath of an unexplained rapturelike event. A new HBO series inspired by The Leftovers begins Sunday. Originally broadcast Aug. 25, 2011.

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Director Gillian Robespierre (left) co-wrote Obvious Child as a short film in 2009 with an empowered female lead in mind. Jenny Slate, who stars as Donna in the feature film, says she was excited about the role.

Arts

The Women Behind 'Obvious Child' Talk Farts, Abortion And Stage Fright

4:16pm June 26, 2014

For her first feature film, director Gillian Robespierre says she wanted to cast Jenny Slate in the role as an empowered, funny woman. They tell Fresh Air what shaped them as women in comedy.

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Books
Arts

'Most Dangerous Book': A Rich Treasury Charting James Joyce's 'Ulysses'

2:09pm June 26, 2014

by Maureen Corrigan

There are many heroes in Kevin Birmingham's new book about the novel that sparked a revolution, but James Joyce isn't one of them. The strength of The Most Dangerous Book lies in its subtle details.

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When Ben Stiller hears "chicken in the gate," rarely does he actually present someone with a live chicken.

Arts

A Tip From Ben Stiller: On Set, A 'Chicken' Is Not What It Seems

12:14pm June 25, 2014

by NPR Staff

To kick off the series "Trade Lingo," the actor decodes terms distinctive to filmmaking. He shares the meanings behind such cryptic phrases as "10-100" and "chicken in the gate."

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