Commentary

Books
Arts

War Writ Small: Of Pushcarts And Peashooters

7:55pm January 31, 2013

by Adam Mansbach

Jean Merrill's classic children's book The Pushcart War explores war, peace and pushcarts on the streets of New York. Author Adam Mansbach writes that the story still resonates. Do you have a favorite children's book that deals with heavy themes? Tell us in the comments.

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History Joins The 49ers In Opposing Ray Lewis

9:09am January 31, 2013

by Frank Deford

It's rare in sport for someone to declare that this will be the finale and then go out a winner, says commentator Frank Deford. But, on Sunday, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis hopes to do just that.

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'Ebony' Editor Began Life Black In Nazi Germany

5:36pm January 26, 2013

by Scott Simon

Long before becoming managing editor of Ebony magazine, Hans Massaquoi yearned to be a Hitler Youth. His rare story came to an end when Massaquoi died this week at the age of 87.

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For editorial cartoonists, Obama's ears are his signature. In some depictions, they've grown throughout the years, but Matt Wuerker says cartoonists have gotten lazy. "We did the same thing to George W. Bush. By the end of his administration he was just D

For Cartoonists Who Cover Obama: Four More Ears

5:09pm January 18, 2013

by Alison MacAdam

Four years ago, when the nation's first African-American president was inaugurated, even conservative editorial cartoonists marked the moment with reverence. Now, not so much. Political cartoonists Scott Stantis of the Chicago Tribune and Matt Wuerker of Politico weigh in on the evolution of a president's image.

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There are those who say the phrase "the whole nine yards" comes from a joke about a prodigiously well-endowed Scotsman who gets his kilt caught in a door.

Arts

'The Whole Nine Yards' Of What?

2:25pm January 14, 2013

by Geoff Nunberg

There are many theories about where the expression comes from — among them square-riggers with three masts, the amount of cloth in the queen's bridal train, the Shroud of Turin, and a prodigiously well-endowed Scotsman who gets his kilt caught in a door.

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Cheating Might Buy Home Runs, But No Hall Of Fame

1:23pm January 14, 2013

by Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon muses on momentous news this week — the Baseball Writers Association elected no one to the Hall of Fame. The shutout might be a classic reminder that cheating sometimes brings quick riches, but it can't buy respect.

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Books
Arts

No Going Back: A Hard Look At Bipolar Disorder

6:11pm January 11, 2013

by Ellen Forney

Juliann Garey's novel, Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See, is a searing exploration of mental illness. Author Ellen Forney says it's a vivid and accurate depiction of bipolar disorder.

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Craig Childs walks in the desert surrounding the Colorado River delta.

The True Weight Of Water

8:35am January 11, 2013

by Craig Childs

A recent report from the Department of the Interior suggests that the Colorado River is drying out. But commentator Craig Childs says sometimes the answers are simpler than they seem.

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Online 'Shaming' A New Level Of Cyberbullying For Girls

6:19pm January 07, 2013

by Temitayo Fagbenle

Many teenagers are living half their lives on social media sites, and they're writing the rules as they go. One online trend 16-year-old Temitayo Fagbenle finds disturbing is something she calls "slut shaming" — using photos and videos to turn a girl's private life inside out.

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Recalling Battles Of Congress Past

5:38pm December 29, 2012

Weekend Edition Saturday guest host Linda Wertheimer talks about Congress' stalemate on tax talks and how the issue is the same, but over the years the rules of negotiating have changed.

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