Arts & Life

A U.S. Marine walks during a security patrol on May 13, 2007, in Iraq's Anbar province

Books
Arts

'Redeployment' Explores Iraq War's Physical And Psychic Costs

8:13pm March 26, 2014

by John Powers

In his short story collection, former Marine Phil Klay takes his experience in Iraq and clarifies it, lucidly tracing the moral, political and psychological curlicues of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

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Close-up of a part of the face of young woman taking nap.

Books
Arts

'Sleep Donation': A Dark, Futuristic Lullaby For Insomniacs

4:42pm March 26, 2014

Karen Russell's new book imagines a mysterious insomnia epidemic so serious that many are dying from lack of sleep. But the cure — sleep donations from babies — is hard to swallow.

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A view of Jankara Market in Lagos, Nigeria.

Books
Arts

'Thief' Delivers An Unfiltered Depiction Of Life In Lagos

3:07pm March 25, 2014

by Maureen Corrigan

Teju Cole's latest book describes a young New York doctor's visit back to his Nigerian hometown, where he encounters a Clockwork Orange world of misery and corruption.

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In Bhuj, India, in 2001, Ban used rubble from destroyed buildings as the foundation for his Paper Log Houses. The roof -- made of bamboo ribs, plastic tarpaulin and a woven cane mat — allowed ventilation for indoor cooking.

Arts

In The Face Of Disaster, Pritzker Winner Shigeru Ban Designs Solutions

9:19pm March 24, 2014

by Joel Rose

The winner of this year's architecture prize has designed museums, homes and concert halls. But he's best known for the temporary structures he's built for refugees and evacuees all over the world.

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Matthew Goode (left) as Finn Polmar and Josh Charles (right) as Will Gardner in Sunday night's episode of CBS's The Good Wife.

Arts

Fans Of 'The Good Wife' Rocked By [Spoiler Alert]

6:46pm March 24, 2014

by Elizabeth Blair

Fans of the TV program The Good Wife are reeling from a shocking episode — one that saw one of its most beloved characters exit the scene suddenly and with finality.

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Books
Arts

'What Everyone Needs To Know' About Today's Cyberthreats

5:46pm March 24, 2014

For an extra layer of online protection, author P.W. Singer advises making your security answers something counterintuitive, like pizza.

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"No, Thursday's out. How about never? Is never good for you?"

Books
Arts

New Yorker Cartoon Editor Explores What Makes Us Get It

4:43pm March 24, 2014

Humor is both a creative and a cognitive process, says Bob Mankoff, who has contributed cartoons to The New Yorker since 1977. His memoir is called How About Never — Is Never Good For You?

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Arts

To Mike Birbiglia's Parents: It's OK If Your Son Sticks To Comedy

7:37pm March 23, 2014

by NPR Staff

For comic Mike Birbiglia, getting his parents to accept his career choice was the hardest part of getting started. Appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman seemed to signal he wasn't so bad.

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Illustration: a teen slouches in a chair, reading a book.

Books
Arts

5 Young Adult Novels That You'll Never Outgrow

4:05pm March 21, 2014

by Maggie Stiefvater

It was a strange and wonderful year for young adult fiction, says critic Maggie Stiefvater. This list rounds up five magical books for young adults and grown-ups alike.

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Felicity Gilbert, Shia LaBeouf and Stacy Martin in one of the episodic flashbacks that spin out the story of Nymphomaniac: Volume I.

Arts

'Nymphomaniac': Chasing Sex, But Only On Her Terms

2:09pm March 21, 2014

by David Edelstein

Charlotte Gainsbourg and newcomer Stacy Martin anchor Lars von Trier's four-hour inquiry into the nature of impulse and desire.

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