Opinion

Books
Arts

Tales Of Transformation Make 'Vampires In The Lemon Grove' A Stunner

7:54pm February 15, 2013

by Meg Wolitzer

Karen Russell's new collection of short stories has dead presidents reincarnated as horses, girls turning into silkworms, and vampires who quench their thirst for blood with lemons. Reviewer Meg Wolitzer says that in Russell's world we aren't fixed in space and time but can change at any moment.

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The Caplans. Louis, 76, and Harriet, 67, visited StoryCorps in Santa Fe, N.M.

National

A Husband And Wife Blessed Late In Life

8:39am February 15, 2013

by NPR Staff

He was in his late 50s. She was in her late 40s. Louis and Harriet Caplan talk about how they became a couple at a stage in life when most people give up on falling in love, and about making the most of their time together.

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Sandip Roy and his great-aunt, Debika Ghosh, took this picture after she told him about her great romantic escapade.

Arts

An Affair To Remember In Pre-Independence India

3:05am February 15, 2013

by Sandip Roy

It began like a typical Bollywood story. Boy meets girl in pre-independence India. They fall in love. Her family says no way. So one night, she escapes. NPR commentator Sandip Roy recounts how his great-aunt jumped off a moving train for love, and went on to have a happy 60-year-long marriage.

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The heart Paym Rajabi biked for his girlfriend, Clare

Science

Guy Pumps Out A Valentine — Literally

1:47pm February 14, 2013

by Robert Krulwich

Last year a guy in San Francisco jumped on a bicycle, clicked on his GPS, clicked on an app, snapped on his helmet, and 27 miles, 2 1/2 hours and many calories later, he'd etched a valentine message onto a street map of San Francisco. That was nice. Now, a year later, it's getting really interesting.

An Oft-Told Tale: The Beauty Queen And The Quarterback

6:24am February 13, 2013

by Frank Deford

Last month, Brent Musburger was accused of being sexist when he gushed about "what a beautiful woman" Miss Alabama was during the BCS Championship game. Commentator Frank Deford says if Musburger was guilty of anything, it was failing to note what a cliche he was perpetuating.

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U.S. Rep. James Clyburn explains the hope he carries along with him in his career to his granddaughter Sydney Reed.

National

Relentless, Despite Losses: Congressman's Climb To The Hill

11:26am February 12, 2013

by NPR Staff

Rep. James Clyburn talks to his granddaughter about his long road to becoming a U.S. congressman. After many losses, he never gave up, even when others suggested it was time to move on. Today, he's the highest-ranking African-American in Congress.

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Bonnie Brown with her daughter, Myra, 15. Despite Bonnie's disability, Myra says her mom is everything she needs from a parent.

A Life Defined Not By Disability, But Love

12:28pm February 08, 2013

by NPR Staff

When she was younger, Myra didn't realize her mom, Bonnie Brown, was "different" than most. Her mother's intellectual disability was only something she realized later when her mother told her, "I know I am not like your friends' mothers, but I'm doing the best I can."

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Maltipoo Shaggy is dressed as a Yankees fan at the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade in New York City last year. Commentator Frank Deford says the Yankees are turning into a home for the assisted living.

It's The Dog Days For America's Sports Dynasties

10:51am February 06, 2013

by Frank Deford

We used to have three bona fide dynasties: the Yankees in baseball, the Celtics and Lakers in basketball, and the Cowboys in football. We even had dynasties in college sports. But no more. Commentator Frank Deford says our dynasties are melting as fast as the Arctic ice cap.

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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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Education

Op-Ed: To Close The Achievement Gap, Don't Lower The Bar

2:12pm January 31, 2013

Florida and Virginia have adopted new academic standards setting different performance goals for subgroups of students in low-performing schools. In a Miami Herald piece, syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts argues that lowering the bar is not the way to fix the education system.

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