Arts & Life

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Arts

In 'A Legacy Of Spies,' John Le Carré Goes Back Out In 'The Cold'

12:10pm September 05, 2017

by Lynn Neary

Former CIA operative Valerie Plame says pop culture doesn't usually get espionage right — but le Carré comes close. His new novel is a kind of prequel to 1963's The Spy Who Came in From the Cold.

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Blood, Sweat, and Pixels chronicles the development process of ten video games, including Halo Wars, Shovel Knight, Destiny and Uncharted 4.

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'Blood, Sweat, And Pixels': For Designers Of Video Games, It's Always Crunch Time

10:52am September 05, 2017

by Glen Weldon

Journalist Jason Schreier walks readers through the development of 10 recent games, finding marked similarities in the essential infrastructure of their design and production.

Arts

Acclaimed Poet John Ashbery Dies At 90

5:50pm September 04, 2017

by Tom Vitale

John Ashbery began winning awards with his first collection of poems. He went on to earn a Pulitzer, the National Book Award and many, many others. Despite his often challenging style, he was one of the most influential poets of the 20th century.

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Arts

Casting Directors On Broadway Seek To Unionize

5:50pm September 04, 2017

by Jeff Lunden

Broadway casting directors are seeking to unionize like their colleagues in Hollywood, who are already represented. But Broadway producers are resisting and have even threatened to sue, despite support for the casting directors throughout the Broadway community.

Poet John Ashbery, seen here in his New York apartment in 2008, is widely regarded as one of the 20th century's greatest poets. He died at the age of 90 on Sunday, at his home in Hudson, N.Y.

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Arts

John Ashbery, Celebrated And Experimental Poet Of The 20th Century, Dies At 90

11:10pm September 03, 2017

by Emma Bowman

Although his enigmatic poems confounded literary critics and peers who heaped praise on him, his abstract, modernist style reinvented literature for a generation of writers.

Actress Chloe Bennet says changing her last name from Wang to Bennet allowed her to get more casting roles in Hollywood. While she did this, she says she hopes Asian American women that come after her do not have to take the same steps to find work.

Actress Chloe Bennet Wants To Change The Narrative For Asian-Americans In Hollywood

6:09pm September 03, 2017

by Michel Martin

Actress Chloe Bennet speaks with NPR's Michel Martin about her decision to change her last name from Wang to Bennet, so she could increase her chances of getting an acting job in Hollywood.

Books
Arts

In 'World Of Tomorrow,' A Novelist Found Echoes Of 1939, Today

10:34am September 03, 2017

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

Brendan Mathews' debut novel is a sprawling story of three Irish brothers and their adventures in America on the cusp of World War II.

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A Conspiracy in Belgravia, by Sherry Thomas

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Arts

For September, 3 Twisty, Turny, Thrill-Packed Romances

10:00am September 03, 2017

by Maya Rodale

As the weather turns cooler and we start to emerge from summer's torpor, it's time for some faster-paced romances with plenty of exciting twists and turns on the way to the happily-ever-after.

Books
Arts

Poems For Houston

8:07am September 03, 2017

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks to Gwendolyn Zepeda, Houston's first poet laureate, about the spotlight on the city during Hurricane Harvey.

Books
Arts

'Sourdough' Rises Like A Good Loaf

4:42am September 03, 2017

by Jason Sheehan

Robin Sloan's latest is a beautiful, small, sweet, quiet book that takes a deep dive into the world of food, underground restaurants and markets, and the magic power of a good sourdough starter.