Arts & Life

Books
Arts

The Real 'Hamnet' Died Centuries Ago, But This Novel Is Timeless

10:58am July 21, 2020

by Heller McAlpin

Maggie O'Farrell's new novel confronts a parent's worst nightmare: The loss of a child. In this case, it's Hamnet, the real-life son of William Shakespeare, whose death may have inspired Hamlet.

Alex Trebek on the set of Jeopardy! on Dec. 19, 2019.

Books
Arts

In 'The Answer Is ...' Jeopardy! Host Alex Trebek Carefully Curates His Responses

4:00am July 21, 2020

by Eric Deggans

In his new memoir, the TV icon reflects on his cancer diagnosis and presents brief, sometimes compelling glimpses into his history, as he aims to convince the world he's just an average guy.

l-r) John David Washington and Robert Pattinson in Warner Bros. Pictures' action epic "TENET," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

Arts

Christopher Nolan's Sci-Fi Thriller 'Tenet' Delayed Indefinitely

9:28pm July 20, 2020

by Bob Mondello

The new movie from the maker of Dunkirk and the Dark Knight Trilogy has been delayed yet again, with no new release date announced. This may end hopes of a Hollywood summer blockbuster season

Buyers in the early days of the pandemic emptied grocery store shelves of beans and legumes. Those in the throes of "bean remorse" are trying to figure out how to put their stockpiles to use.

Arts

Sourdough Is A Social Media Star — But Those Beans Would Look Great On Instagram

4:25pm July 20, 2020

by Neda Ulaby

After panicked shoppers emptied grocery store shelves of flour and beans this spring, we saw plenty of evidence of home bakers' work on social media. But what about all the beans people stockpiled?

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'March' Comic's Creator Remembers Late Rep. John Lewis

4:25pm July 20, 2020

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Andrew Aydin, creator and co-author of the graphic memoir series March, about the trilogy's influence on younger generations and the legacy of Rep. John Lewis.

'Black In Selma' Author Reflects On The Long March Toward Civil Rights

2:28pm July 20, 2020

by Terry Gross

The late J.L. Chestnut was the first Black lawyer in Selma, Ala. He was working with the NAACP at the time of the city's 1965 civil rights march. In 1990, he spoke to Fresh Air about Bloody Sunday.

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Books
Arts

1918 Flu Inspired Donoghue's 'Pull Of The Stars' — A Disquieting Pandemic Novel

1:50pm July 20, 2020

by Maureen Corrigan

Set in a Dublin maternity ward in 1918, the novel captures a city devastated by a pandemic. By diving into the terrors of the past, Emma Donoghue presciently anticipates the miseries of our present.

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Sisters in Hate: American Women on the Front Lines of White Nationalism, by Seyward Darby

'Sisters In Hate' Profiles 3 Women Who Find Bonds In White Nationalist Movement

11:38am July 20, 2020

by Danielle Kurtzleben

Though their stories encourage gawking, at least one throughline sticks after reading Sisters — the ugly deal these women have made with a movement that is ultimately ambivalent toward them.

A high-contrast mode makes The Last of Us II more accessible to visually impaired gamers.

'The Last Of Us Part II' Presents An Accessible Apocalypse

10:20am July 20, 2020

by Vincent Acovino

The Last of Us, released in 2013, was praised for its rich story and environment. The legacy of its sequel, out now, may be how many gamers are able to play it thanks to enhanced accessibility.

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In Wolfenstein II: New Colossus, our hero B.J. Blazkowicz has grown into far more than a couple of chunky pixels — but he still kills a lot of Nazis.

Arts

Reading The Game: Wolfenstein II

7:00am July 20, 2020

by Jason Sheehan

Our occasional series on storytelling in video games returns with a look at The New Colossus, a surprisingly heartfelt entry in the classic Castle Wolfenstein series. (Yes, you still shoot Nazis.)