Arts & Life

The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again, by Robert R. Putnam and Shaylyn Romney Garrett

In 'The Upswing,' History Holds The Keys To Moving Away From Today's Tumultuous Age

12:18pm November 02, 2020

by Martha Anne Toll

Bowling Alone author Robert Putnam joins with Shaylyn Romney Garrett to form the thesis that America's Gilded Age shows remarkable similarity to today — with a societal focus on "I" rather than "we."

Altarista Ofelia Esparza says it's been "a nightmare year" of loss for her family. Above, framed photographs of loved ones lost at her community altar in Grand Park.

LA Latinos Mark El Día De Los Muertos In 'A Nightmare Year' Of Loss

6:33am November 02, 2020

by Mandalit del Barco

For the Day of the Dead, families build altars, decorate graves and remember their loved ones. This year, many are remembering parents, siblings and children who died in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Queue Listen Now

Catrina Reyna (Fancy Lady Queen) by JosÃ© Alfonso Soteno FernÃ¡ndez and Juan JosÃ© Soteno Elias of Metepec, Mexico, 2016, polychrome ceramic and wire.

Arts

For Día De Los Muertos, Remembering Those Lost To The Coronavirus

7:00pm November 01, 2020

by Christianna Silva

The National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago does an annual exhibit for the Day of the Dead. This year, it's centered on those who have died — and will die — in the pandemic.

Queue Listen Now

Lorraine Bracco purchased an abandoned home in Sambuca di Sicilia, Italy, for a single euro. She chronicles her renovation efforts in My Big Italian Adventure on HGTV.

Arts

Actor Buys A Crumbling Home For 1 Euro And It Turns Into A 'Big Italian Adventure'

3:23pm November 01, 2020

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

The house Lorraine Bracco bought needed a lot of work. "Nobody in their right mind would have bought this," she says. She chronicles the renovation in her HGTV show, My Big Italian Adventure.

Queue Listen Now

We welcomed my mother home each day, but wouldn't spend too much time around her. Many of her days off were spent alone. Eventually we accepted the risk.

Arts

The Front Line At Home: A Health Care Worker's New Normal

8:50am November 01, 2020

by Melissa Bunni Elian

A photojournalist chronicles the daily home life of her mother, a health care worker, in the New York City area.

Books
Arts

For Fall, 4 Literary Escapes — Worldly And Otherworldly

7:00am November 01, 2020

by Lily Meyer

As fall draws in, our literature in translation specialist has rounded up two novels and two story collections that will help you take a brief vacation from this world — and return re-energized.

Arts

Sean Connery, Hollywood's 1st James Bond, Dies At 90

6:05pm October 31, 2020

by Bob Mondello

Actor Sean Connery has died at age 90. He will best be remembered as Hollywood's first James Bond — and as a Scotsman to his core.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

Retiring Editorial Cartoonist Reflects On 50-Year Career

6:05pm October 31, 2020

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Washington Post editorial cartoonist Tom Toles, who is retiring after a 50-year career.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

Ina Garten: 'All My Books Really Are About Comfort Food'

5:39pm October 31, 2020

by Michel Martin

Sometimes you want a really good salad, Garten says. But now is not that time. Her new book, Modern Comfort Food, is packed full of recipes for beef stew, chocolate chip cookies and Boston cream pie.

Sean Connery, pictured in Amsterdam during the 1971 filming of Diamonds Are Forever, played James Bond in seven movies.

Arts

Sean Connery, Actor And The Original James Bond, Dies At 90

3:38pm October 31, 2020

by Jacki Lyden

The Oscar-winning film star with the distinctive Scottish brogue eventually outgrew the 007 role to appear in a range of movies in a career that spanned nearly a half-century.

Queue Listen Now