Arts & Life

Anya Taylor-Joy plays a swaggering chess prodigy in the new Netflix hit, The Queen's Gambit. It's success may lead to a shortage of chess sets this holiday season.

Arts

Can't Find A Chess Set? You Can Thank 'The Queen's Gambit' For That

7:18am November 20, 2020

by Neda Ulaby

Who'd have guessed that a centuries-old game would become 2020's hard-to-find, must-have toy? Sales spiked after the release of the hit Netflix show, and now toy analysts are warning of a shortage.

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The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian will close as of Monday, November 23rd because of the rise in COVID-19 cases.

Arts

Smithsonian, Other Museums Closing Again For Safety

7:46pm November 19, 2020

by Elizabeth Blair

The Smithsonian is closing its seven museums and the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. because of the recent spike in COVID cases. Other cultural institutions also announced closures.

Silvia Calderoni stars in Ouverture Of Something That Never Ended, a seven-part film collaboration between award-winning director Gus Van Sant and Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele.

Arts

With 'No Particular Roadmap,' Gus Van Sant And Gucci Make A Fashion Film

5:44pm November 19, 2020

by Mandalit del Barco

"It was like a spontaneous poem," filmmaker Gus Van Sant says of his seven-part collaboration with Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele. It's the centerpiece of the virtual festival GUCCI Fest.

Books
Arts

'Shuggie Bain,' Douglas Stuart's First Novel, Wins 2020 Booker Prize

4:50pm November 19, 2020

by Rose Friedman

Shuggie Bain is "a moving, immersive and nuanced portrait of a tight-knit social world, its people and its values," the judges wrote. Stuart based the book on his childhood in Glasgow, Scotland.

Nintendo's Switch console is less powerful than competing consoles, but offers a more interesting gameplay experience.

Arts

It's Not Easy Porting Games To The Nintendo Switch — But Developers Do It Anyhow

10:00am November 19, 2020

by Keller Gordon

Nintendo has long prioritized interesting gaming experiences over graphical firepower, but the popularity of its consoles means developers are willing to make the effort to rework games for them.

Bruce Swedien and Quincy Jones onstage together, speaking at the Pensado Awards for audio engineering in Culver City, Calif. in 2015.

The 'Sonic Genius' Behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' Has Died

2:51pm November 18, 2020

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

Audio engineer Bruce Swedien, who shaped the sound of several albums with Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones, died Monday at age 86. He also collaborated with artists from B.B. King to Jennifer Lopez.

Books
Arts

'Alex Rider' Novelist On The Joys Of Reading (And Writing) Mysteries

2:31pm November 18, 2020

by Sam Briger

Anthony Horowitz's novels about a reluctant teen spy have been adapted into a TV series for Amazon. Horowitz is also the author of Moonflower Murders, a mystery for adults.

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Books
Arts

Author Says The Chicago 7 Trial Reflected 'All The Conflicts In America'

1:45pm November 18, 2020

by Terry Gross

The Chicago 7 were activists who were charged with conspiring to start a riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Jon Wiener's 2006 book, recently reprinted, is Conspiracy in the Streets.

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'Hitman' Bang Si-hyuk, The Brand-New Billionaire Behind BTS

10:22am November 18, 2020

by Haeryun Kang

Formerly a producer and songwriter for K-pop's nascent idols, Si-hyuk's own label, Big Hit Entertainment, recently became larger than the other top labels in Seoul combined.

This Is Not My Memoir, by André Gregory and Todd London

Books
Arts

In 'This Is Not My Memoir' André Gregory Recounts Tales Of Childhood And The Theater

6:22am November 18, 2020

by Heller McAlpin

The avant-garde theater director and actor pairs up with writer-director Todd London to present the story of his multi-faceted life, full of dramatic ups and downs — and celebrities.