Arts & Life

A man cleans quinoa grain in Pacoma, Bolivia.

Can Quinoa Farming Go Global Without Leaving Andeans Behind?

3:53pm August 16, 2013

by Dan Charles

At a "quinoa summit" this week, farmers from around the world are trading tips on how to turn this ancient Andean grain into a large-scale crop. Some Andean farmers who currently grow quinoa are asking, "What happens to us?"

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Before the midseason break, Breaking Bad's Walter White (Bryan Cranston) had stashed away plenty of drug money, but may have inadvertently tipped off his DEA agent brother-in-law.

Arts

A 'Curb'-Like Comedy And The Return Of 'Breaking Bad'

1:55pm August 16, 2013

by David Bianculli

This weekend, AMC begins showing the final episodes of its acclaimed drama series, and launches a new one: Low Winter Sun. Meanwhile, HBO presents its newest made-for-TV movie — this one a comedy, starring and co-written by Larry David.

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Taylor Schilling plays Piper in Netflix's Orange Is the New Black, which is based on Piper Kerman's memoir of her year in prison.

Books
Arts

Behind 'The New Black': The Real Piper's Prison Story

11:18am August 16, 2013

When she was 24, Piper Kerman dated a woman who was part of a drug smuggling ring. Years later, after being named as part of that ring, Kerman served time in a federal prison and at one point shared a cell with her former girlfriend. Her memoir of that experience inspired the Netflix series.

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Books
Arts

A Gossipy, Nostalgic History Of A Publishing 'Hothouse'

3:28pm August 15, 2013

by Maureen Corrigan

The prestigious publishing company Farrar, Straus and Giroux helped define the intellectual life of post-World War II America. Boris Kachka's book explores the company's history, from its founding in 1946 to its sale to a German conglomerate in 1994 and beyond.

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Of Neurons And Memories: Inside The 'Secret World Of Sleep'

2:13pm August 15, 2013

Think of everything your brain processes in a single day: your breakfast, a stain on a book cover, a meeting at work. If you remembered all those things, your brain would reach capacity. Author and neuroscientist Penelope Lewis says sleep helps sort through the memories that are worth keeping.

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The Santa Barbara County Courthouse, a Spanish-Moorish landmark, was built in 1929.

Books
Arts

In 'Alphabet' Mysteries, 'S' Is Really For Santa Barbara

9:27am August 15, 2013

by Mandalit del Barco

Private investigator Kinsey Millhone is one of the most well-known characters in modern crime fiction, but there's another star in Sue Grafton's thrillers: the fictional city of Santa Teresa, based on Santa Barbara, Calif.

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Ninety percent of what we wear, eat and consume is carried by container ships like this one at the state-run Jaya Container Terminal of Sri Lanka's port of Colombo.

Books
Arts

Shipping: The 'Invisible Industry' That Clothes And Feeds You

4:38pm August 14, 2013

Rose George spent several weeks aboard a container ship to research Ninety Percent of Everything, her book about the shipping industry. She writes, "There are more than one hundred thousand ships at sea carrying all the solids, liquids and gases that we need to live."

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Photographs of famous Memphis musicians clutter the dash of the vintage car.

The Vintage Cadillac With The Memphis Soundtrack

9:16am August 14, 2013

by Debbie Elliott

Tad Pierson has made a career out of his love for cars and American music. He says there are "fewer and fewer real-deal places to go and hear the real stuff," but it's his job to find and share it — one carload of listeners at a time.

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Many different Middle Eastern cultures claim to have invented the kebab.

In Iraq, Laying Claim To The Kebab

9:54pm August 13, 2013

by Kelly McEvers

The Iraqis, among many other Middle Easterners, believe they invented the kebab. The skewered meat dish appears as early as the 9th century in a book from the southern city of Basra called The Book of Misers.

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Jenji Kohan, seen here on the set of Orange Is the New Black, began her writing career on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

Arts

'Orange' Creator Jenji Kohan: 'Piper Was My Trojan Horse'

1:32pm August 13, 2013

Orange Is the New Black's showrunner explains how a story about a privileged white woman and criminality allows her to tell "really fascinating tales" of black women, Latinas, old women and criminals. Kohan also created the Showtime series Weeds.

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