Arts & Life http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1008&ft=1&f=1008 Art and entertainment commentary plus interviews, book reviews, movie reviews, music reviews, comedy, and visual art. Subscribe to podcasts and follow trends in music, painting, art, architecture, photography, and design. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Sun, 19 May 2013 16:09:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Arts & Life http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1008&ft=1&f=1008 Decade Later And Across An Ocean, A Novel Gets Its Due John Williams' <em>Stoner </em>sold just 2,000 copies when it was originally published in 1965. It's now acknowledged as a classic work, is a best-seller across Europe and the No. 1 novel in the Netherlands. Sun, 19 May 2013 16:09:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184770657/decade-later-and-across-an-ocean-a-novel-gets-its-due?ft=1&f=1008 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184770657/decade-later-and-across-an-ocean-a-novel-gets-its-due?ft=1&f=1008 John Williams' Stoner sold just 2,000 copies when it was originally published in 1965. It's now acknowledged as a classic work, is a best-seller across Europe and the No. 1 novel in the Netherlands.

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]]> The Movie Katie Aselton Has 'Seen A Million Times' Actor-director Katie Aselton could watch Kathryn Bigelow's <em>Point Break</em> a million times. "It totally scoops you up and takes you for a ride," she says. Sun, 19 May 2013 16:09:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184870803/the-movie-katie-aselton-has-seen-a-million-times?ft=1&f=1008 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184870803/the-movie-katie-aselton-has-seen-a-million-times?ft=1&f=1008 Actor-director Katie Aselton could watch Kathryn Bigelow's Point Break a million times. "It totally scoops you up and takes you for a ride," she says.

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]]> Unacceptable Anger From 'The Woman Upstairs' "Women's anger is very scary to people," author Claire Messud says. Her new novel, <em>The Woman Upstairs</em>, features a seething main character, a young woman whose anger is unsettling. Sun, 19 May 2013 16:09:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/183712255/unacceptable-anger-from-the-woman-upstairs?ft=1&f=1008 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/183712255/unacceptable-anger-from-the-woman-upstairs?ft=1&f=1008 "Women's anger is very scary to people," author Claire Messud says. Her new novel, The Woman Upstairs, features a seething main character, a young woman whose anger is unsettling.

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]]> Three-Minute Fiction: 'Ten Ring Fingers' And 'Ghost Words' NPR's Bob Mondello and Susan Stamberg read excerpts of two of the best submissions for Round 11 of our short story contest. They read <em>Ten Ring Fingers</em> by Tamara Breuer of Washington, D.C., and <em>Ghost Words</em> by Matheus Macedo of Winthrop, Mass. Sun, 19 May 2013 06:54:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184333695/three-minute-fiction-ten-ring-fingers-and-ghost-words?ft=1&f=1008 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184333695/three-minute-fiction-ten-ring-fingers-and-ghost-words?ft=1&f=1008 NPR's Bob Mondello and Susan Stamberg read excerpts of two of the best submissions for Round 11 of our short story contest. They read Ten Ring Fingers by Tamara Breuer of Washington, D.C., and Ghost Words by Matheus Macedo of Winthrop, Mass.

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]]> Giant Renaissance Food People Descend Upon New York Giuseppe Arcimboldo was a 16th-century artist who liked to play with his food, transforming it into the building blocks of many of his fantastical portraits. Artist Philip Haas has taken those portraits out of museums, reinterpreting them as colossal statues that interact with the natural environment. Sun, 19 May 2013 08:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/19/184844448/giant-renaissance-food-people-descend-upon-new-york?ft=1&f=1008 http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/05/19/184844448/giant-renaissance-food-people-descend-upon-new-york?ft=1&f=1008 Giuseppe Arcimboldo was a 16th-century artist who liked to play with his food, transforming it into the building blocks of many of his fantastical portraits. Artist Philip Haas has taken those portraits out of museums, reinterpreting them as colossal statues that interact with the natural environment.

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]]> One Couple, Nearly 20 Years, All 'Before Midnight' We've already met Jesse and Celine, twice. In the 1995 film <em>Before Sunset</em>, they had a romantic encounter in Vienna. Nine years later, they found each other in Paris. In this third film, their relationship has progressed another nine years. The romance hasn't left, says director Richard Linklater, it's simply changed. Sun, 19 May 2013 05:41:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184818250/one-couple-nearly-20-years-all-before-midnight?ft=1&f=1008 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184818250/one-couple-nearly-20-years-all-before-midnight?ft=1&f=1008 We've already met Jesse and Celine, twice. In the 1995 film Before Sunset, they had a romantic encounter in Vienna. Nine years later, they found each other in Paris. In this third film, their relationship has progressed another nine years. The romance hasn't left, says director Richard Linklater, it's simply changed.

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]]> Siblings' Separation Haunts In 'Kite Runner' Author's Latest Khaled Hosseini's new novel, like his two earlier works, is set partly in Afghanistan — but this time, political turmoil isn't a major element of the plot. Instead, <em>And The Mountains Echoed </em>is a story of a family's loss that spans decades and continents. Sun, 19 May 2013 05:41:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184191561/siblings-separation-haunts-in-kite-runner-authors-latest?ft=1&f=1008 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184191561/siblings-separation-haunts-in-kite-runner-authors-latest?ft=1&f=1008 Khaled Hosseini's new novel, like his two earlier works, is set partly in Afghanistan — but this time, political turmoil isn't a major element of the plot. Instead, And The Mountains Echoed is a story of a family's loss that spans decades and continents.

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]]> Stories Of Hope Amid America's 'Unwinding' When the factory she worked at closed down, Tammy Thomas reinvented herself as a community organizer; and when Dean Price's truck stop business went belly up, he became a champion of biofuel. In a new book, George Packer examines how ordinary people are adapting to a new America. Sun, 19 May 2013 05:41:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184480850/stories-of-hope-amid-americas-unwinding?ft=1&f=1008 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184480850/stories-of-hope-amid-americas-unwinding?ft=1&f=1008 When the factory she worked at closed down, Tammy Thomas reinvented herself as a community organizer; and when Dean Price's truck stop business went belly up, he became a champion of biofuel. In a new book, George Packer examines how ordinary people are adapting to a new America.

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]]> Put On Your Thinking Hat Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase or name in which the first word starts with H-A and the second word starts with T. Sun, 19 May 2013 04:28:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/185127446/put-on-your-thinking-hat?ft=1&f=1008 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/185127446/put-on-your-thinking-hat?ft=1&f=1008 Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase or name in which the first word starts with H-A and the second word starts with T.

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]]> Ghost Ships, Murders, Bird Attacks: Stories To Keep You Awake Author Ethan Rutherford started reading Daphne du Maurier's collection of stories, <em>Don't Look Now, </em>while it was still light out and didn't move from his chair until dark. Each one features characters who endure the strange and the extreme, and who are forever changed by the events that befall them. Sun, 19 May 2013 07:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/177638074/ghost-ships-murders-bird-attacks-stories-to-keep-you-awake?ft=1&f=1008 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/177638074/ghost-ships-murders-bird-attacks-stories-to-keep-you-awake?ft=1&f=1008 Author Ethan Rutherford started reading Daphne du Maurier's collection of stories, Don't Look Now, while it was still light out and didn't move from his chair until dark. Each one features characters who endure the strange and the extreme, and who are forever changed by the events that befall them.

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]]> Ten Ring Fingers She found the first ring on a night that smelled of body odor and beer. The bar's last customers had finally given up hope of taking her to bed and staggered away, leaving her to clean the stains of their desperation. Sun, 19 May 2013 06:42:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184272963/ten-ring-fingers?ft=1&f=1008 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/19/184272963/ten-ring-fingers?ft=1&f=1008 She found the first ring on a night that smelled of body odor and beer. The bar's last customers had finally given up hope of taking her to bed and staggered away, leaving her to clean the stains of their desperation.

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]]> Ghost Words The letter smelled of lavender and vanilla, like she couldn't decide which perfume to use so she used both. Her hand-writing had been drawn with the careful precision only seventh-grade girls in love have patience for. Sun, 19 May 2013 06:41:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/15/184275112/ghost-words?ft=1&f=1008 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/15/184275112/ghost-words?ft=1&f=1008 The letter smelled of lavender and vanilla, like she couldn't decide which perfume to use so she used both. Her hand-writing had been drawn with the careful precision only seventh-grade girls in love have patience for.

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]]> New 'Trek' Goes 'Into Darkness,' But Not Much Deeper NPR's Bob Mondello says J.J. Abrams' latest <em>Star Trek</em> film knows how to make the sparks and feelings fly, but doesn't bother making the sparks and feeling matter very much. Sat, 18 May 2013 18:06:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/185120495/new-trek-goes-into-darkness-but-not-much-deeper?ft=1&f=1008 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/185120495/new-trek-goes-into-darkness-but-not-much-deeper?ft=1&f=1008 NPR's Bob Mondello says J.J. Abrams' latest Star Trek film knows how to make the sparks and feelings fly, but doesn't bother making the sparks and feeling matter very much.

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]]> Three-Minute Fiction Reading: 'Plum Baby' NPR's Susan Stamberg reads an excerpt of one of the best submissions for Round 11 of our short story contest. She reads <em>Plum Baby</em> by Carmiel Banasky of Portland, Ore. Sat, 18 May 2013 16:41:08 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184611091/three-minute-fiction-reading-plum-baby?ft=1&f=1008 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184611091/three-minute-fiction-reading-plum-baby?ft=1&f=1008 NPR's Susan Stamberg reads an excerpt of one of the best submissions for Round 11 of our short story contest. She reads Plum Baby by Carmiel Banasky of Portland, Ore.

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]]> 'Waiting To Be Heard' No More, Amanda Knox Speaks Out Less than two months into her study abroad program in Italy, Amanda Knox was accused and eventually convicted of murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher. After her conviction was overturned, Knox returned home to Seattle — and now faces a potential retrial. Knox tells her story in a new memoir. Sat, 18 May 2013 16:41:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184194378/waiting-to-be-heard-no-more-amanda-knox-speaks-out?ft=1&f=1008 http://www.npr.org/2013/05/18/184194378/waiting-to-be-heard-no-more-amanda-knox-speaks-out?ft=1&f=1008 Less than two months into her study abroad program in Italy, Amanda Knox was accused and eventually convicted of murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher. After her conviction was overturned, Knox returned home to Seattle — and now faces a potential retrial. Knox tells her story in a new memoir.

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