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Colson Whitehead returns to his home turf with 'Harlem Shuffle'

1:26pm August 26, 2022

by Terry Gross

Whitehead says his novel was inspired by his love of heist movies. The story centers on a furniture store owner who has a side hustle trafficking in stolen goods. Originally broadcast Sept. 15, 2021.

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New Selena album 'Moonchild Mixes' sparks voice-aging debate

6:21am August 26, 2022

by Chloe Veltman

Some fans of the late singer have taken to social media to denounce the use of digital technology to make her sound older.

Tilda Swinton plays a literary scholar and Idris Elba is the Djinn she conjures in Three Thousand Years of Longing.

Arts

'Three Thousand Years of Longing' will leave you charmed — and a little worn out

5:00am August 26, 2022

by Justin Chang

Tilda Swinton plays a literary scholar who has an encounter with a wish-granting genie, played by Idris Elba, in this flashy and ornate new fantasy film.

For some in the Gaza Strip, summer tastes like a baby watermelon cooked over flames

5:22pm August 25, 2022

by Daniel Estrin

Unripe watermelons are cooked over flames are a summer delicacy available only for a short time. The dish is made in the southern part of Gaza, traditionally associated with Bedouin desert culture.

Remembering Anne Brown, Gershwin's original Bess

4:39pm August 25, 2022

by Bob Mondello

Anne Brown, who would have been 110 years old this month, was the first Black vocalist ever accepted at Juilliard.

Jella Haase is a crack assassin for the German secret police in Kleo.

Arts

Netflix's cheerfully murderous 'Kleo' is reminiscent of 'Killing Eve'

12:24pm August 25, 2022

by John Powers

Set in 1989 Germany shortly before and after the fall of the Berlin Wall, this series centers on a cocky female assassin and puts a playful spin on the end of communism.

New Orleans, Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, as seen in the new documentary Katrina Babies.

Arts

Years after Hurricane Katrina, a new documentary asks: What happened to the children?

10:13am August 25, 2022

Edward Buckles, Jr. was just 13 when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and changed his home forever. His new documentary is his attempt to unpack the trauma of that childhood experience.

Debbie Harry and Clem Burke, 14th Street, NYC, circa 1976.

Against the odds: How Blondie shattered the conventions of punk and pop

9:16am August 25, 2022

by Allyson McCabe

From unreleased music to promotional flyers, photos, a mirrored dressing room sign, and even a stray Andy Warhol print, Blondie's out with a new box set, Blondie: Against The Odds 1974-1982.

The book 'Haven' is a monastic retreat to an island inhabited only by men and birds

4:44pm August 24, 2022

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Emma Donoghue about her new book, Haven. In it, three Irish monks in the Middle Ages choose to live a life of isolation on a rocky island.

Exiled writers reflect on freedom of speech in America in light of Rushdie attack

4:17pm August 24, 2022

by Jim Zarroli

For dissident writers fleeing persecution overseas, the United States has long been a safe haven, a place where freedom of expression is tolerated and, even, valued.