Opinion

Books
Arts

'The Dinner' Offers Food For Thought

6:11pm February 20, 2013

by Rosecrans Baldwin

The novel by Herman Koch is structured around a five-course meal shared by two couples. But it's not all fun and food. What's really going on at this meal is much more gruesome. Reviewer Rosecrans Baldwin says the novel offers a fresh, modern take on basic moral questions.

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Oscar Pistorius, seen here at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, made history as the first double leg amputee to race in the Summer Olympics. He now faces charges that he murdered his girlfriend.

Reminders Flood In: Athletes Are People, Not Heroes

4:08pm February 20, 2013

by Frank Deford

We often put athletes on a pedestal. But after the latest accusations of bad behavior — accusations that include a murder charge against Oscar Pistorius — it may be time to lower that pedestal several notches, says Frank Deford.

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Letters: Radio Moments, Defense Spending

2:07pm February 20, 2013

NPR's Neal Conan reads from listener comments on previous show topics, including life-changing radio moments and opinions on defense spending.

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National

Op-Ed: It's Time To Recognize The Valor Of Cyber Warriors

2:47pm February 19, 2013

Outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta announced that the military will award a new medal to recognize exceptional accomplishments in areas including drone and cyber warfare. Brookings Institution senior fellow Peter Singer argues that this is an important step in recognizing the changing nature of war.

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Man Of Tomorrow: Superman, Orson Scott Card And Me

5:00pm February 17, 2013

by Glen Weldon

NPR contributor Glen Weldon talks about why he, a Superman nerd and a gay man, won't be reading a new iteration of the Man of Steel penned by author Orson Scott Card.

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Is Honest Abe's Stovepipe Hat A Fake?

10:06am February 16, 2013

by Scott Simon

State officials in Illinois want to conduct DNA tests on the top hat on display at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum to see if he ever really wore it. Museum officials think the idea is worse than bad.

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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.