Arts
The Arts

BOOK REVIEW: ‘Normal People’ Appeals Across Genders And Generations
Sally Rooney avoids a sophomore slump with Normal People, a will-they-won’t-they love story with sympathetic protagonists whose lives are complicated by economic uncertainty and class differences. Continue Reading BOOK REVIEW: ‘Normal People’ Appeals Across Genders And Generations

‘Our Planet’ Nature Documentary Addresses The 800-Pound Gorilla: Human Impact
The new Netflix series takes a hard look at the effects of our behavior on the natural world. Series producer Alastair Fothergill says that this is a different, more urgent type of show. Continue Reading ‘Our Planet’ Nature Documentary Addresses The 800-Pound Gorilla: Human Impact

Life Imitates Art: Dystopian High School Musical Foresaw The College Admissions Scandal
A California high school is staging an original musical called Ranked, set in a world where class rank means everything, and some parents are willing to pay for their student to get a better spot. Continue Reading Life Imitates Art: Dystopian High School Musical Foresaw The College Admissions Scandal

Celebrate National Poetry Month By Submitting Your #NPRPoetry Tweets
It’s that time of the year when we tip our hats — and yours — to the art of the verse. All month, tweet your mini poems with the hashtag #NPRPoetry, and we’ll pick some to feature on-air and online. Continue Reading Celebrate National Poetry Month By Submitting Your #NPRPoetry Tweets

Salvador Dalí Meets The Marx Brothers In Resurrected ‘Giraffes On Horseback Salad’
Salvador Dalí’s friendship with Harpo Marx led him to write a Marx Brothers movie treatment, ‘Giraffes on Horseback Salad’. Studio head Louis B. Mayer killed it, but it lives again as a graphic novel. Continue Reading Salvador Dalí Meets The Marx Brothers In Resurrected ‘Giraffes On Horseback Salad’

Paint-By-Numbers Maestro Dan Robbins Dies At 93
Working at a paint company after World War II, Robbins used techniques he learned from Leonardo da Vinci to develop the system that let countless non-artists experience the pleasure of painting. Continue Reading Paint-By-Numbers Maestro Dan Robbins Dies At 93

BOOK REVIEW: In ‘She Could Fly,’ A Teen Wrestles With A Host Of Psychological Mysteries
Christopher Cantwell’s new graphic novel follows teenaged Luna, who’s struggling with mental health issues and finds a kind of hope in the appearance of a mysterious flying woman in the Chicago skies. Continue Reading BOOK REVIEW: In ‘She Could Fly,’ A Teen Wrestles With A Host Of Psychological Mysteries

Staging A Debate Over ‘What The Constitution Means To Me’
The play is a personal memoir and a civics town hall. It recreates the debate contests Heidi Schreck attended in high school and explores how the Constitution hasn’t protected all Americans equally. Continue Reading Staging A Debate Over ‘What The Constitution Means To Me’
The Forgotten Woman Who Designed The Creature From The Black Lagoon
A new book by Mallory O’Meara explores the life of artist Milicent Patrick, who worked on Fantasia and costumed a legendary Hollywood monster — and then ran afoul of misogyny in the workplace. Continue Reading The Forgotten Woman Who Designed The Creature From The Black Lagoon

BOOK REVIEW: ‘The Lost Gutenberg’ Traces One Bible’s 500-Year Journey
The depth of Margaret Leslie Davis’ research on the tome’s history cannot be understated — her writing is straightforward and, at times, heartbreaking, but outstanding reporting lies at the core. Continue Reading BOOK REVIEW: ‘The Lost Gutenberg’ Traces One Bible’s 500-Year Journey

FILM REVIEW: When You Meet The Enemy, And It Is ‘Us’
Though less thematically precise than Get Out, Jordan Peele’s latest film doubles down on horror — and excels at capturing the mundane, funny moments between the big scares. Continue Reading FILM REVIEW: When You Meet The Enemy, And It Is ‘Us’

A Lost ‘Little Boy’ Nears 100: Poet And Publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti
The Beat Generation icon and owner of City Lights bookstore and press in San Francisco is still writing. He celebrates his centennial March 24, and his new autobiographical novel is out now. Continue Reading A Lost ‘Little Boy’ Nears 100: Poet And Publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti