Arts & Life

Quilp, the epitome of evil in Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop, seen here with Little Nell, is a dwarf with the head of a giant and a "few discolored fangs" for teeth. But his most grotesque trait is his trick of drinking "boiling tea without winki

Books
Arts

When Tea Reaches Its Boiling Point In Fiction, So Too May The Story

10:56am May 28, 2019

by Nina Martyris

Across tea-drinking cultures, writers have milked hot tea for all its worth to add a splash of narrative panache to comic or erotic scenes or to build mood, momentum and character.

Books
Arts

'Range' Argues That Specialization Should Not Be The Goal For Most

8:40am May 28, 2019

by Bradley Babendir

David Epstein's book, though it doesn't rely heavily on science, is an engaging survey of research and anecdotes supporting that a thoughtful, collaborative world is a better and more innovative one.

Life In 'Songland': The Reality Behind NBC's New Reality Show

5:52am May 28, 2019

by Marissa R. Moss

A new competition show from the producers of The Voice will search for a hitmaker — but what's it actually like to be a professional songwriter?

Tintoretto was in his late 20s when he painted this self-portrait circa 1546/48. (Scroll down to compare this portrait to one he painted 40 years later.)

Arts

Happy 500th, Tintoretto — A Retrospective Honors The Venetian Artist

5:37am May 28, 2019

by Susan Stamberg

Several of the artworks in the exhibition are coming to the U.S. for the first time. "He never saw a wall that he couldn't envision covered with a large Tintoretto," says co-curator Robert Echols.

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Corey Hirsch, seen during his playing days with the Vancouver Canucks. The mask, which was designed by Frank Cipra and inspired by Psycho, even features Alfred Hitchcock's famous silhouette above Hirsch's eyes. These days, the mask holds special significa

Sports
Arts

The Fine Art Of Stopping A Flying Puck

6:25am May 27, 2019

by Colin Dwyer

For decades, ice hockey goalies have carried on a tradition of painting their masks. Less visible, though, are the artists who design them — and the thriving cottage industry they've quietly built.

Arts

Sneaker Designer D'Wayne Edwards Gives Others A Foot In The Door

5:18pm May 26, 2019

by Mandalit del Barco

D'Wayne Edwards is a legend in the world of sneakers. He was one of the first black sneaker designers and he created his own academy to give others a foot into the business.

Books
Arts

'Summer Of Ellen' Builds Lyrical, Sunny Suspense

7:00am May 26, 2019

by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Agnete Friis' new novel takes place in flashbacks, jumping between the present and a rural Danish farm during the summer of 1978 — a seemingly idyllic time, until two people go missing.

Kate Mulgrew is shown at The Paley Center for Media on May 26, 2016 in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Arts

Not My Job: We Quiz Kate Mulgrew, 'Red' On 'Orange Is The New Black,' On Colors

1:05pm May 25, 2019

Kate Mulgrew plays an inmate named Red on Orange Is the New Black and was a former Starfleet Captain on Star Trek. She's recently written a book called How to Forget: A Daughter's Memoir.

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Daisy, the only dog Scott Simon's kids will get, runs on the beach in France.

Arts

Opinion: Want Another Dog, Kids? Let's 'Have That Conversation'

12:10pm May 25, 2019

by Scott Simon

"I think we should have that conversation" is this era's preferred nonanswer for politicians trying to avoid tricky subjects, NPR's Scott Simon says.

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Books
Arts

Joy In Excess: The Overflowing Art of Mark Alan Stamaty

10:00am May 25, 2019

by Etelka Lehoczky

Two new books — a reissue of 1971's Yellow Yellow and a compilation of Stamaty's MacDoodle Street newspaper strips — highlight the artist's joyful ability to imagine the world the way kids do.