Arts & Life

What Were We Thinking: A Brief Intellectual History of the Trump Era, Carlos Lozada

Washington Post Critic Says 'Trump Has Unwittingly Enabled' Discussions Of Race

9:15am October 27, 2020

by Steve Inskeep

Carlos Lozada tells NPR: "It's ironic that a president with such a negative force for race relations" and women's rights has presided over a period where both groups feel more empowered to speak out.

Queue Listen Now

Chef Marcus Samuelsson's new book is called The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food. "Dressing has always been part of an African identity, but also a sad journey in American history," Samuelsson says. "As Black men, we had to dress up. ... If

Books
Arts

Marcus Samuelsson: Erasing Black Culinary History Ignores 'The Soul Of American Food'

1:14pm October 26, 2020

by Dave Davies

"We've been programmed to say great stuff comes from Europe and not from Africa," Samuelsson says. The chef's new book, The Rise, is a celebration of Black excellence in the culinary world.

American Utopia, David Byrne amd Maira Kalman

'American Utopia' Book Argues For The Reincarnation Of Hope In The American Project

10:27am October 26, 2020

by Lily Meyer

The work is much more like reading a book-length poem than reading a play, though few poems or poetry collections come filled with charming illustrations of trees, dancers, and party-hatted dogs.

Arts

Museums Postpone Show Over Late Artist's Images Of Hooded Klansmen

6:02pm October 25, 2020

by Emma Jacobs

Four major museums have delayed a show that includes work by the late American artist Philip Guston until 2024 due to concerns about how Guston's images of hooded Klansmen would be received.

Queue Listen Now

Host Adele during the Saturday Night Live monologue on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020.

'SNL': Adele Hosts Because 'Album's Not Finished,' But H.E.R. Debuts New Song

12:46pm October 25, 2020

by Stephen Thompson

Adele sang a bit in one sketch but left most of the music to H.E.R., who performed a new song called "Hold On."

Books
Arts

'To Hold Up The Sky' Asks A Simple Question: What If ... ?

7:00am October 25, 2020

by Jason Sheehan

Cixin Liu's latest collection — made up of several decades' worth of stories — showcases a science fiction that harks back to the earliest days of the genre, before grimdark or galactic empires.

Medusa cutting her hair and Hercules exercising at home are two examples of Jonathan Muroya's Greek Quarantology illustration series.

Arts

Drawing On Greek Myths As Inspiration For Illustrating Life During The Pandemic

7:00am October 25, 2020

by Emily Bogle

Illustrator Jonathan Muroya chose characters from Greek mythology to represent different aspects of living in isolation. A King Midas whose gold is hand sanitizer, for instance, feels relatable.

Grace (Nicole Kidman) and Jonathan (Hugh Grant) come undone in The Undoing.

Arts

In 'The Undoing,' Secrets, Murder And Zzzzs

5:52am October 25, 2020

by Aisha Harris

Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant can't save this HBO erotic thriller from feeling like a slog.

Young woman with a raised fist protests in the street.

New Book Examines How The First Amendment Sits At The Forefront In An Election Year

5:25am October 25, 2020

by Michel Martin

Right now, we have "an entire government apparatus designed to foster falsehoods," says editor Ellis Cose, who has written a new book, The Short Life and Curious Death of Free Speech in America.

Queue Listen Now

Doug Jones poses at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, 2013 in New York City.

Arts

Not My Job: We Quiz 'Shape Of Water' Star Doug Jones On Frozen Sculptures

9:46am October 24, 2020

Doug Jones starred as the sexy sea creature in The Shape of Water, so we've invited him to play a game called "Hey, check out the shape of this water!"