Arts & Life

WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 17: Dinaw Mengestu poses for a portrait on Monday, September 17, 2012 at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. (Photo by Eli Meir Kaplan/Getty Images for Home Front Communications)

Books
Arts

Dinaw Mengestu Embraces The Vastness Of Love And War

7:34pm April 03, 2014

by Meg Wolitzer

Meg Wolitzer says All Our Names, told in the alternating voices of two lovers, is a subtle masterpiece. It tackles huge themes — relationships, violence, identity, racism — but never overreaches.

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Jolie Kerr says when you have a fresh red wine stain, pouring table salt — no water — on it will suck it right up. "You can go pour some wine on your carpet tonight and try it out!" she says.

Books
Arts

Embarrassing Stains? This Housekeeping Guide Gets That Life Is Messy

4:48pm April 03, 2014

Jerry Seinfeld joked that if you have bloodstains on your clothes, you have bigger problems than the laundry. But Jolie Kerr helps with all the stains in a new book, My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag.

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Arts

HBO Fills Sunday Night Lineup With Entertaining Power Struggles

4:48pm April 03, 2014

by David Bianculli

This week, HBO airs the season premieres of two returning series — Game of Thrones and Veep -- and launches a new series called Silicon Valley. Fresh Air's TV critic has seen them all.

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Arts

Scenes And Sorrows: A Portrait Of Weeping Mary

9:54pm April 02, 2014

by Serri Graslie

The rural Texas town was established as a "freedom colony" with land given to former slaves after the Civil War. O. Rufus Lovett photographed Weeping Mary and its residents for 11 years.

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Stefan Zweig was born to a prosperous Jewish family in Vienna. He wrote novels, short stories and biographies.

Books
Arts

The Rise And Fall Of Stefan Zweig, Who Inspired 'Grand Budapest Hotel'

9:54pm April 02, 2014

by NPR Staff

The Viennese writer was once one of the world's most translated authors, but after his death he was forgotten — until now. Wes Anderson credits Zweig's writing at the end of his latest film.

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On A 'Rigged' Wall Street, Milliseconds Make All The Difference

2:01pm April 02, 2014

"The stock market is rigged," Michael Lewis says. In his new book Flash Boys, he describes how computerized transactions known as high-frequency trading are creating an uneven playing field.

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In 1917, the Harlem Hellfighters were first sent to train at Camp Whitman near Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Books
Arts

The Harlem Hellfighters: Fighting Racism In The Trenches Of WWI

7:58pm April 01, 2014

by Hansi Lo Wang

The Harlem Hellfighters broke barriers as the first African-American infantry unit to fight in World War I. Their story is retold in a new graphic novel written by Max Brooks, author of World War Z.

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Books
Arts

This Tightly Choreographed Tale Of Ambition And Ballet Will 'Astonish'

2:08pm April 01, 2014

by Maureen Corrigan

Maggie Shipstead tells the story of a disciplined dancer who can't make it into the spotlight. Critic Maureen Corrigan says Shipstead is "Edith Wharton with a millennial generation edge."

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Marijuana plants grow at a farm near Medellin. Tony Dokoupil's father made hundreds of thousands of dollars smuggling marijuana into the U.S. from Colombia.

Son Of A Secret Smuggler Digs Up The Truth About His Dad

3:47pm March 31, 2014

Tony Dokoupil's father was once busted for distributing enough marijuana "to roll a joint for every college-age person in America." In The Last Pirate, Dokoupil reflects on his dad's time as a dealer.

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Cesar Millan's television show Dog Whisperer on National Geographic debuted in 2004, but Millan previously spent years struggling to pursue a career as a dog trainer.

Arts

Cesar Millan's Long Walk To Becoming The 'Dog Whisperer'

5:06pm March 30, 2014

by NPR Staff

Millan is one of the world's most famous dog trainers, with TV shows and best-selling books. But his journey was arduous: He came to the U.S. illegally and was homeless before he got his big break.

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