culture

The villainous Mortimer Freeze, having a whale of a time.

Arts

Hand-animated 'Cuphead' game delights in 'The Delicious Last Course'

9:41pm June 30, 2022

by Kaity Kline

After comics, novels, and a spinoff Netflix show, Cuphead returns to its roots with new game content. It's brutally difficult, brilliantly surreal, and entirely worth playing.

Books
Arts

8 books to enjoy at the beach this summer

5:49pm June 30, 2022

From light romance and short fiction to thrillers, here's a list of books that are perfect companions as you retreat to the beach or pool to catch a break from the summer heat.

Queue Listen Now

Ralph "Sonny" Barger and his wife Sharon are shown after his release on $100,000 bond in San Francisco, Aug. 1, 1980.

Arts

Hells Angels figurehead Sonny Barger dies at 83

4:38pm June 30, 2022

by The Associated Press

Barger's death was announced on his Facebook page late Wednesday.

Composer Deborah Wicks La Puma writes music for Mo Willems' musicals including Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Underground Rock Experience. A new animated version is on HBO Max.

Mo Willems' naked mole rats owe their rock 'n' roll sound to this composer

3:11pm June 30, 2022

by Elizabeth Blair

Composer Deborah Wicks La Puma has written music for Mo Willems' famous Pigeon, Elephant and Piggie - and now for Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed on HBO Max.

Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù plays Mr. Malcolm, the most desirable bachelor in 1818 London.

Ticking down a checklist of qualifications in 'Mr. Malcolm's List'

2:44pm June 30, 2022

by Bob Mondello

A 19th-century British gentleman's requirements for his bride lead to a scheme with many complications in Mr. Malcolm's List, a Bridgerton-like romance based on Suzanne Allain's 2020 novel.

Books
Arts

Travel the world without leaving your home with these 10 books

5:06am June 30, 2022

From Lahore's red-light district and the streets of Mexico to a fantastical underwater land of Korean fable, here are some picks that can immerse you in worlds wholly unlike your own.

Books
Arts

Here are the Books We Love: 160+ great 2022 reads recommended by NPR

5:00am June 30, 2022

Books We Love is back early this year; for 2022, we're launching the first-ever summer edition, complete with 160+ recommendations from NPR staff and trusted critics.

A sketch of R. Kelly during his sentencing hearing Wednesday in New York.

R. Kelly is sentenced to 30 years in prison

6:57pm June 29, 2022

by Andrew Limbong

The R&B star was convicted in New York last year of sexual exploitation of a child, bribery, sex trafficking and racketeering.

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Mat Johnson is the Philip H. Knight Chair of Humanities at the University of Oregon. His previous books include Pym and Loving Day.

Books
Arts

Real life or satire? Novelist Mat Johnson says it can be hard to tell the difference

5:38pm June 29, 2022

by Terry Gross

Set in the future, Johnson's new satirical novel, Invisible Things, takes place on one of Jupiter's many moons, where humans have created an artificial ecosystem designed to replicate life on Earth.

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Left-handed, Elizabeth Cotten turned the guitar so the bass strings were at the bottom, therefore "backwards." She used her thumb to play the melody and her fingers for the low notes.

How Elizabeth Cotten's music fueled the folk revival

6:35am June 29, 2022

by Allyson McCabe

Although inducted into the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, her contributions haven't always been properly acknowledged.