In Character
Ramona Quimby: The Mischievous Girl Next Door()
July 23, 2010 Ramona has been making trouble ever since the 1950s, when she first appeared in print. Now she's the focus of a new movie, Ramona and Beezus. In a revival of NPR's 'In Character' series, Elizabeth Blair takes a look at Beverly Cleary's most beloved creation.
Robert Jordan, Hemingway's Bipartisan Hero()
October 14, 2008 Though fierce political opponents, John McCain and Barack Obama agree on a literary matter: Each picks Ernest Hemingway's 1940 novel For Whom the Bell Tolls, featuring the stoic freedom-fighter Robert Jordan, as a favorite.
Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' Still Haunts Singers()
October 9, 2008 The singer's 1973 hit "Jolene" has been covered more than any of her other songs. Parton says that "Jolene" remains popular in part because of how universal it is: Everyone relates to the singer's sense of inadequacy, and that comes through in each musician's rendition.
Charlotte A. Cavatica: Bloodthirsty, Wise And True()
August 4, 2008 She's a spider's spider — sophisticated, pretty (by her own account), authoritarian — and she says something profound about love and commitment. Melissa Block looks at the heroine of Charlotte's Web.
Auntie Mame's Secret: The 'Loco' In Her Parentis()
July 30, 2008 An eccentric, a free spirit and an unflaggingly open-minded heroine, Mame Dennis taught more than one protege — including NPR's Bob Mondello — how to open new windows without worrying about the view.
Henry Fleming, Reluctantly Wearing 'The Red Badge'()
July 20, 2008 When Henry Fleming joins the Union Army, he's got big ideas of what glorious battles await him. He's eager to impress his friends and a brown-haired girl he likes. But soon he questions himself — and his courage.
The Joker: Torn Between Goof And Evil()
July 16, 2008 When the movie The Dark Knight opens Thursday, thousands of people will be haunted by the late Heath Ledger's portrayal of The Joker. Batman's arch-nemesis has not always been such a menacing, sadistic fellow, however.
Norman Bates: A Most Terrifying Mama's Boy()
July 1, 2008 He was like the boy next door — if the boy next door never left his house and took up taxidermy as a hobby. For millions, Psycho's soft-spoken innkeeper made showering a dreaded experience.
'King Kong': The Eighth Wonder of the World()
June 29, 2008 In 1932, director Merian Cooper approached Fay Wray about playing a lead role in a new movie he was planning — King Kong. But when Cooper first proposed the film in 1931, not everyone thought it was a good idea.
Nancy Drew: Curious, Independent and Usually Right()
June 23, 2008 She was born in 1930, but she's perpetually 18 — and always one step ahead of the adults. For NPR's In Character series, Renee Montagne delivers the scoop on the iconic American girl sleuth: Nancy Drew.
