Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto in Star Trek Into Darkness.
The Starfleet Divide: The 'Star Trek' Universe Revisits One Of Its Great Debates
()J.J. Abrams isn't the first guy to bait Star Trek fans by messing with the brand.
Book Reviews
American Voices On 'The Unwinding' Of America's Values()
George Packer's The Unwinding explores the social and economic upheavals that have transformed the U.S. over the past 30 years. In a nuanced work of literary journalism, colorful characters from across the class divide tell their own stories of a social contract in tatters.
Television
Mel Brooks: 'I'm An EGOT; I Don't Need Any More'()
May 20, 2013 The screenwriter, producer, director and actor, whose name has become synonymous with American comedy, talks about his penchant for spoofs and his decades-long friendship with Carl Reiner. Brooks, who is among a handful of people who've won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards, is the subject of a new documentary on PBS.
The Two-Way
Book News: Stephen King's New Bogeyman? Digital Publishing()
Also: the legacy of Kierkegaard; the creator of Lyle Crocodile has died; Aussie airliner Qantas commissions flight-length books.
Monkey See
Reaction Saturation And Sunday Night Television()
May 20, 2013 On Sundays, it can seem like we're a nation of critics. But we're not.
New In Paperback
May 20-26: A Coup, An Ancient Battle And One Steamy Diary()
May 20, 2013 In softcover nonfiction, Jenny Rosenstrach examines dinnertime, Kate Summerscale recounts a scandalous Victorian trial, and John Dramani Mahama looks back on his childhood in Ghana. In fiction, Victor Davis Hanson reimagines an ancient battle, and Marie NDiaye follows three women from Senegal to Europe.
The Two-Way
Book News: J.K. Rowling Tells 'Harry Potter' Backstories()
May 20, 2013 Quidditch was invented "in a small hotel in Manchester after a row with my then boyfriend," writes the Harry Potter creator. Other book news: Ireland puts an entire short story on a postage stamp; Daniel Handler on Midwestern literature; and the best books coming out this week.
Nostalgia For Sale As Captain Kangaroo's Pals Are Auctioned Off()
May 20, 2013 A giant lot of Captain Kangaroo memorabilia goes on the auction block this week in Los Angeles. Among the items up for auction are several of the captain's signature jackets, Mr. Green Jeans' famous jeans and the life-sized costume worn by Dancing Bear.
Author Interviews
Siblings' Separation Haunts In 'Kite Runner' Author's Latest()
May 19, 2013 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.
Movie Interviews
One Couple, Nearly 20 Years, All 'Before Midnight'()
May 19, 2013 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.
Author Interviews
Stories Of Hope Amid America's 'Unwinding'()
May 19, 2013 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.
Code Switch
'Scandal': Preposterous, Unmissable, Important()
May 18, 2013 The show has become a social event for a large and varied crowd of African-Americans and others on Twitter, for reasons mysterious, complex and worth exploring.
Author Interviews
'Waiting To Be Heard' No More, Amanda Knox Speaks Out ()
May 18, 2013 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.
Movie Reviews
New 'Trek' Goes 'Into Darkness,' But Not Much Deeper()
May 18, 2013 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.
Monkey See
Working Women On Television: A Mixed Bag At Best()
May 18, 2013 Research shows that prime-time television isn't a bad place to find portrayals of working women. Working moms and working women over 40 are another story.
Author Interviews
Dan Brown: 'Inferno' Is 'The Book That I Would Want To Read'()
May 18, 2013 Dan Brown, author of the blockbuster The Da Vinci Code, is back with his first novel in four years. Inferno follows academic hero Robert Langdon on a chase through Italy as he attempts to avert a biological catastrophe.
