The Secret Strength Of Beef Soup
()It takes a few leisurely hours to draw the magic out of meaty beef bones. Boiled at length, they produce a savory base for all sorts of soups, from borscht to pho.
Our Media, Ourselves: Are We Headed For A Matrix?()
February 20, 2012 We're streaming our video, downloading our books and doing away with the hard copies that used to help communicate our personalities to one another. Bob Mondello points to a surprisingly early vision of that kind of digital future — and asks what's behind the worry it expresses.
Three Books...
Screen Time: 3 Books That Haven't Seen The Reel()
February 20, 2012 The Academy Awards are almost upon us, and among this year's nominations for best picture, five were based on books. But for author Tessa Harris, that number isn't high enough. She has three books that should be movies — and you can recommend others in the comments section.
Monkey See
'Warrior': Far More Terrifying Than Any Ordinary Brutal Battle()
February 21, 2012 Nick Nolte is nominated for an Oscar for his supporting work in Warrior, which might appear to be your basic kicking-and-punching catharsis. But commentator Mark Blankenship says it's actually far more frightening.
Author Interviews
'New Yorker' Cartoonist Imagines Washington At 7()
February 20, 2012 Through his many New Yorker covers, Barry Blitt has become one of the pre-eminent satirical cartoonists of America's recent presidents. Now Blitt has trained his eye and pen upon our first president in a new children's book, George Washington's Birthday.
Books News & Features
Forget Lincoln Logs: A Tower Of Books To Honor Abe()
February 20, 2012 There's a new, towering tribute to the 16th president in the nation's capitol: A three-story sculpture of 7,000 books written about the 16th president. The sculpture represents less than half of the 15,000 some books written about Lincoln, says Paul Tetreault, director of Ford's Theatre.
Movie Reviews
'Arrietty': Good Things, Small Packages()
February 17, 2012 In a Borrowers adaptation from Japanese animators Studio Ghibli, a spirited, inches-tall girl and her family negotiate the hurdles and hazards of the oversized human world. Critic Bob Mondello says in an age of hyperactive kid flicks, this gentle, imaginative and visually lush film deserves a look.
You Must Read This
A Depressive Diarist Chronicles His Descent()
February 20, 2012 How much do we read into ourselves when we write a diary? Author Patrick DeWitt recommends the dark, deep journal of a man suffering from a nervous breakdown.
The Salt
Dining After 'Downton Abbey': Why British Food Was So Bad For So Long()
February 19, 2012 Dining was a very, very big deal in Edwardian England — and the food, it turns out, was pretty sophisticated. So why was British food derided as boring, tasteless fare for much of the 20th century? Here's the story.
Author Interviews
'King Peggy': A Cinderella Story — With A Twist()
February 19, 2012 In her new book, Peggielene Bartels describes going from secretary at the U.S. Embassy to king of a fishing village in Ghana. Dividing her time between Otuam and Washington, D.C., she straddles two cultures — and says she loves every bit of it.
Books
At Last, They See: E-Books 'Democratize' Publishing()
February 19, 2012 Not known as a hotbed of experimentation, the world of publishing has been slow to embrace the transition from print to digital. But in New York this past week, the publishers who gathered were more interested in exploring new ideas than arguing about the death of books.
Author Interviews
Murder, Corruption And Cover-Ups In 'Bloodland'()
February 18, 2012 The seemingly accidental death of a troubled starlet is the catalyst for events in a new thriller that takes the reader from Dublin to New York to the Congo. "It's an exploration ... of the power dynamics that go on" between executive boardrooms and warlords, author Alan Glynn says.
Fine Art
6 Miles Of Silver Ribbon: Locals Protest Christo()
February 18, 2012 The artist famous for works measured in miles wants to drape long, billowing panels of silvery fabric over sections of a Colorado canyon. Not everyone is excited; some residents say art is no excuse for the damage it could cause.
Monkey See
Is There Hope In Friday Night Television's 'Time Slot Of Death'?()
February 17, 2012 For years, Friday nights have carried a grisly reputation — where shows on broadcast networks are sent to die. But a certain kind of cable show has recently performed well — even really well — on Friday nights. And even broadcast networks are finding flickers of life.
Book Reviews
Hell's Music: A 'Guide For Boys' With Adult Themes()
February 16, 2012 D.A. Powell's poems in Useless Landscape, or A Guide for Boys subvert Boy Scout imagery with cheekiness, and take on desire, salvation and HIV with courage. This is a book that looks death in the eye — and winks.
Movie Reviews
'On The Ice': Boys With A Secret, And A Chill Inside()
February 16, 2012 In Barrow, Alaska, three young men get into a squabble over a girl — and for one of them, it goes badly wrong. Critic Ella Taylor says Andrew Okpeaha MacLean's debut feature tells a hopeful story without resorting to sentimental wallowing.
Oscars 2012: The 84th Academy Awards
'Undefeated' Filmmakers Talk Friday Nights' Fights()
February 15, 2012 In an Oscar-nominated documentary, T.J. Martin and Dan Lindsay follow an inner-city high school football team in Tennessee, profiling its coaches and players, and showing their struggles on and off the field.
