Remembrances

Politics & Government

Richard Goodwin, Who Wrote Johnson's 'Great Society' Speech Dies At 86

8:27pm May 22, 2018

by Ron Elving

Richard Goodwin served as a speechwriter for President Lyndon Johnson and was the man responsible for the Johnson's "Great Society" speech. Goodwin died Sunday at 86.

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Artist Robert Indiana, who created the pop icon LOVE, has died at 89. He's seen here in his studio in Vinalhaven, Me., in 2008.

Artist Robert Indiana Dies At 89: The Story Behind 'LOVE'

12:03pm May 22, 2018

by Bill Chappell

Fifty years ago, his LOVE painting made Robert Indiana a worldwide sensation. But for the artist, the work also had an intensely personal meaning.

Sports

Former Greensboro Grasshopper Bat Dog, Miss Babe Ruth, Dies At 12

8:02pm May 21, 2018

by Sean Bueter

In Greensboro, N.C., the city's minor league team, the Greensboro Grasshoppers, is mourning their former bat dog, Miss Babe Ruth. She retired in 2015 after fetching bats and delivering balls for 649 consecutive home games over nine seasons. She died of cancer on Friday at 12.

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Richard Goodwin (left) worked for John F. Kennedy, first on his presidential campaign and then in the White House. He also wrote influential speeches for President Lyndon Johnson. Goodwin is seen here with Ted Sorensen (center) and Myer Feldman.

Richard Goodwin, Crafter Of Johnson's Famous 'We Shall Overcome' Speech, Dies

4:09pm May 21, 2018

by Bill Chappell

Speechwriter Richard Goodwin, a driving force in American politics during the upheavals of the 1960s and the husband of Doris Kearns Goodwin, has died at age 86.

Lifelike clay soldiers at the Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Xi'an, northwestern China. The first figures were reconstructed by archaeologist Zhao Kangmin, who died Wednesday.

World News

Archaeologist Who Uncovered China's 8,000-Man Terra Cotta Army Dies At 82

1:15pm May 20, 2018

by Sasha Ingber

Zhao Kangmin reconstructed the first warriors after farmers digging a well stumbled on fragments in 1974. They were commissioned by China's first emperor — to guard his tomb.

Tom Wolfe in 2008. He was known for his white suits.

Books

Remembering Tom Wolfe, 'The Man In The Ice-Cream Suit'

7:56am May 19, 2018

by Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon remembers writer Tom Wolfe for his unusual sartorial choices, and his "gorgeous, curlicue sentences."

Books
Arts

Tom Wolfe: Writing Nonfiction 'Became A Great Game And A Great Experiment'

2:21pm May 18, 2018

Wolfe began experimenting with nonfiction writing techniques in the 1960s. The "new journalism" pioneer and best-selling author died Monday. He spoke with Fresh Air in 1987 and 2012.

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Sports

Sumo Wrestling Commentator Doreen Simmons Dies At 85

4:21pm May 16, 2018

Doreen Simmons was born in Nottingham, England, and graduated from Cambridge University and somehow wound up in Japan commenting on Sumo wrestling. She died last month at 85.

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Novelist and journalist Tom Wolfe believed that techniques for fiction and nonfiction should be interchangeable. "The things that work in nonfiction would work in fiction, and vice versa," he said.

Books
Arts

Tom Wolfe, Best-Selling Author And Genre-Breaking Journalist, Dies At 88

2:32pm May 15, 2018

by Tom Vitale

The author of The Bonfire of the Vanities and The Right Stuff used to give himself a quota of 10 triple-spaced pages per day. He also experimented with literary techniques in his nonfiction.

Matt Marks was an integral member of the contemporary music group Alarm Will Sound.

Music & Culture

Matt Marks, Versatile Composer And Musician, Dies At 38

5:01pm May 14, 2018

by Tom Huizenga

A founding member of the contemporary music ensemble Alarm Will Sound, Marks inspired fellow musicians with his blend of "playfulness and gravity."