Arts & Life

American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land, by Monica Hesse.

Books
Arts

Truth Is A Fragmentary Thing In 'American Fire'

7:00am July 13, 2017

by Ilana Masad

The rural Virginia county of Accomack was plagued by arson in the winter of 2012. The arsonist was caught, and in American Fire, Monica Hesse tries to tease out the elusive truth of why he did it.

Arts

A Director's Struggle With Anorexia In 'To The Bone'

5:03am July 13, 2017

by Mandalit del Barco

Marti Noxon first made a name for herself in Hollywood as a writer and producer on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Now, she makes her directorial debut with To The Bone, a film about anorexia.

Married co-writers Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani based the romantic comedy The Big Sick on their own love story.

Arts

How A Medically Induced Coma Led To Love, Marriage And 'The Big Sick'

6:42pm July 12, 2017

by Terry Gross

Comic Kumail Nanjiani remembers the first time he thought of marrying then-girlfriend Emily V. Gordon: when he saw her in a coma. Now the couple has co-written a romantic comedy based on their story.

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Books
Arts

'Goodbye, Vitamin' Is Sweet — But Not Sugarcoated

5:38pm July 12, 2017

by Heller McAlpin

Rachel Khong's first novel is a heartwarming account of family devotion and dementia — which sounds sickly, but her offbeat sensibility and flair for wordplay keep the story from becoming saccharine.

Thoreau was born 200 years ago, on July 12, 1817. He died of tuberculosis at age 44.

Books
Arts

If Thoreau Were Alive, He'd Be 'Shouting From The Rafters,' Biographer Says

5:34pm July 12, 2017

by Tom Vitale

Henry David Thoreau, author of Walden and Civil Disobedience, was born 200 years ago in 1817. Biographer Kevin Dann says the philosopher's ideas about individual sovereignty remain relevant today.

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Bad Machinery: The Case of the Team Spirit

Books
Arts

Let's Get Graphic: 100 Favorite Comics And Graphic Novels

5:06pm July 12, 2017

We asked readers to name their favorite comics and graphic novels, and we got thousands of answers. Now, with the help of our expert panel, we've curated a list to keep you flipping pages all summer.

Books
Arts

The Negative Zone: What Didn't Make Our Final List

12:00pm July 12, 2017

by Petra Mayer

In a list of 100 favorite comics and graphic novels, inevitably some people's favorites will get left out — some because they don't stand the test of time, some because there's just no room.

Books
Arts

'Refuge' Captures Divide Between Father And Daughter Through Lens Of Immigration

6:33pm July 11, 2017

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Dina Nayeri about her new novel, Refuge, which tells the story of an elderly man in Iran and his adult daughter in Amsterdam.

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Hundreds of pro-EU supporters gather on Whitehall on the first anniversary of the Brexit referendum to protest against the process of Britain leaving the European Union.

In Britain, New Dating Apps Let Brexit Opponents 'Remain' With Each Other

5:07pm July 11, 2017

by Lauren Frayer

Voting in favor of the Brexit referendum has proved to be a dating deal-breaker for many who wanted Britain to stay in the European Union. New dating apps connect those seeking other pro-EU voters.

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Mr. Parker Goes to Washington: Spidey (Tom Holland) scales the Washington Monument in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Arts

Origin-al Sin: What Hollywood Must Learn From 'Spider-Man: Homecoming'

4:41pm July 11, 2017

by Glen Weldon

For years, it seemed that origin stories were central to keeping superheroes movies grounded. Homecoming proved this suspicion wrong. It found a better way — and a different key ingredient.