Arts & Life

Arts

Remembering Melvin Van Peebles, the 'Godfather' of Black cinema

1:42pm October 01, 2021

by Terry Gross

Van Peebles, who died Sept. 21, was best known for his 1971 film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. He spoke with Fresh Air in 1990. His son Mario, also an actor/director, was interviewed in 2004.

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Margaret Qualley plays a single mother living below the poverty line in the Netflix series Maid.

Arts

'Maid' is an unflinching portrait of a single mom's will to survive

1:32pm October 01, 2021

by David Bianculli

Netflix's new 10-part series, which is based on Stephanie Land's best-selling memoir, tells the story of a woman who leaves her husband in the middle of the night, then gets a job as a maid-for-hire.

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The new children's nonfiction series I, Witness aims to help young readers grasp world events that might otherwise feel abstract. The books feature first-person accounts co-edited and curated by Dave Eggers.

Books
Arts

'I, Witness' makes world events visceral for young readers

9:21am October 01, 2021

by Elizabeth Blair

A new, nonfiction book series for kids ages 9 to 12 is written by young people who've experienced trauma, including living through Hurricane Maria and facing discrimination and arrest after 9/11.

Bradley (Reese Witherspoon) and Laura (Julianna Margulies) do some talking at the Iowa caucuses.

Arts

'The Morning Show' recap, Season 2, Episode 3, featuring kissing and lying

9:19am October 01, 2021

by Linda Holmes

Shiny new guest star Julianna Margulies shows up to interview Alex and Bradley about their impending reunion, while Mitch enters the heart of his redemption arc.

Sam (Toheeb Jimoh) and Edwin (Sam Richardson) take a museum trip.

Arts

'Ted Lasso' recap, Season 2, Episode 11: My therapist, she wrote me a letter

9:19am October 01, 2021

by Linda Holmes

It's Sharon's last day, and Ted is trying to cope. Meanwhile, a business proposition from a billionaire puts Rebecca in a bind, and we get some distressing news about one of the Diamond Dogs.

An employee organizes an aisle at Mary Arnold Toys, New York City's oldest toy store, on Aug. 2.

Santa's sleigh is looking emptier. Fewer toys, higher prices loom for holiday season

7:46am October 01, 2021

by Alina Selyukh

Toy-makers are warning of emptier shelves and pricier toys this holiday season. Their supplies are ensnarled in floating traffic jams of container ships wallowing near key U.S. ports.

Arts

How to brew your best cup of Joe for International Coffee Day

5:01am October 01, 2021

Coffee is an ubiquitous part of our morning routines. With a few tips, you can make a good cup of coffee a great one.

Comedian Josh Johnson Dares To Make Us Laugh In A Global Pandemic

6:10pm September 30, 2021

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with comedian Josh Johnson about his newfound success and how comedy has served as a processing tool for collective trauma throughout the pandemic.

Host Jon Stewart on the set of "The Problem with Jon Stewart."

Arts

Apple TV+'s 'The Problem With Jon Stewart' Struggles To Find Its Comedic Voice

5:46pm September 30, 2021

by Eric Deggans

The show's focus on important subjects makes for compelling viewing. But much from the first two episodes feels like a stitched-together pastiche of items from The Daily Show.

Tommy Kirk, here with his canine co-star in 1957's Old Yeller, has died. Kirk appeared in a string of hit Disney movies such as Swiss Family Robinson and The Absent-Minded Professor.

Arts

Tommy Kirk, The Fresh-Scrubbed Face Of Disney As A Child Actor, Dies At 79

5:23pm September 30, 2021

by Bill Chappell

Generations of children, and more than a few adults, cried along with Kirk when his character Travis Coates tearfully pulled a rifle trigger in Old Yeller.