Opinion

Clayton Sherrod became head chef at an all-white country club in 1964, when he was just 19. Today, he owns his own catering business in Alabama.

A Black Chef At An All-White Club Who 'Never Looked Back'

1:39pm January 17, 2014

by NPR Staff

After his father suffered a heart attack, 13-year-old Clayton Sherrod got a job washing dishes at a country club in Birmingham, Ala. By the time he turned 19 in 1964, he was the executive chef.

Queue Listen Now

IFC's The Spoils Of Babylon follows a sister (Kristin Wiig) and adopted brother (Tobey Maguire) caught up in a passionate romance.

Arts

On TV This Week: 'Babylon' Has Good Fun, 'Detective' Is The Real Deal

4:55pm January 08, 2014

by David Bianculli

Fresh Air TV critic David Bianculli says two new miniseries this week are worth special mention — and couldn't be more different. The Spoils Of Babylon is a miniseries soap-opera spoof on IFC; True Detective looks like the best HBO drama since The Wire.

Queue Listen Now

Letters: Eggnog Recipe Brings Cheers And Jeers

7:15pm December 27, 2013

Robert Siegel reads emails and comments from listeners about this week's Found Recipes segment, which offered up a recipe for eggnog.

Queue Listen Now

Decades ago, the SAT test was seen as a measure of raw ability, not as something students ought to cram for. Now, test prep is a huge industry. Linguist Geoff Nunberg wonders what exactly students learn when they're flipping through vocabulary flashcards.

Sorry Assiduous (adj.) SAT-Takers, Linguist In Dudgeon (n.) Over Vocab Flashcards

4:01pm December 23, 2013

by Geoff Nunberg

Many students prepare for the SAT by drilling themselves on esoteric, arcane and recondite words — like esoteric, arcane and recondite. Linguist Geoff Nunberg doesn't discourage these efforts, but he does have a word of caution: memorizing a definition is hardly the same as learning a new word.

Queue Listen Now

President Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron pose for a "selfie" with Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning Schmidt during the memorial service for Nelson Mandela.

Arts

Narcissistic Or Not, 'Selfie' Is Nunberg's Word Of The Year

11:48am December 20, 2013

by Geoff Nunberg

Linguist Geoff Nunberg says he feels a little defensive about choosing "selfie" — a word that wears its ephemerality on its outstretched sleeve — as the word of 2013. But not only was this a year when we couldn't stop posting photos of ourselves online; we couldn't stop talking about it either.

Queue Listen Now

Sophie Varon loves to shop. But lately, she's been wondering if her shopping habit has become a shopping problem.

I Love To Shop, But Do I Have A Shopping Problem?

10:36am December 19, 2013

by Sophie Varon

Sophie Varon loves to shop. The store Forever 21 is her weakness. And lately, she's been wondering if her shopping habit has become a shopping problem.

Queue Listen Now

Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston reacts during the ACC Championship game on Saturday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

Sports

Should Character Count In Sports Awards?

10:10am December 11, 2013

by Frank Deford

When it comes to awards in theater or television or dance or literature, Frank Deford observes, candidates don't worry about losing out because of a personal flaw. Only sports applies that off-the-field standard.

Queue Listen Now

On a visit to StoryCorps in Ohio, Dennis Hale recounted his experience surviving a shipwreck on Lake Huron to his wife, Barbara.

National

Adrift In Frigid Water, Not Caring 'If You Live Or Die'

10:49am December 06, 2013

by NPR Staff

A ship called the Daniel J. Morrell was making its last haul of the season when it broke apart in a heavy storm on Lake Huron in November 1966. A few crew members struggled to stay afloat in the driving wind and waves, but ultimately, Dennis Hale was the shipwreck's sole survivor.

Queue Listen Now

When he was being abused, Rogelio Martinez says his teacher, Lisa Moya King, showed him that he was not alone.

National

An Abuse Survivor Finds Family In A Special Teacher

3:53pm November 29, 2013

by NPR Staff

Rogelio Martinez was being abused when he started taking Lisa Moya King's dance class. Soon, Rogelio ran away, and Lisa took him in when he had nowhere to go. "You showed me that I'm not alone," Rogelio says. "That I actually have somebody."

Queue Listen Now

Metro Meteor, a retired racehorse, stands with owners Ron and Wendy Krajewski and one of his paintings at Motters Station Stables in Rocky Ridge, Md., earlier this year.

The Horse Who Picked Up A Paintbrush

10:55am November 27, 2013

by Frank Deford

After his career at the racetrack ended, Metro Meteor was adopted by an artist in Pennsylvania, who discovered the horse's gift. Now, his paintings raise money to treat his knee problems and to help other retired thoroughbreds find new homes.

Queue Listen Now