Pop Culture
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Monday, October 15, 2012
Books
Some Book! 'Charlotte's Web' Turns 60
October 15, 2012 E.B. White's classic children's book is ostensibly about a spider and a pig. But author Michael Sims says the story is really about the barn the critters live in, based on a real barn on White's Maine farm.
Books
A Startling Gap Between Us And Them In 'Plutocrats'
October 15, 2012 Reuters editor Chrystia Freeland traveled the world, interviewing multimillionaires and billionaires for her new book, Plutocrats. She says there's a startling disconnect between those at the very top and the rest of us — one that has the power to transform society in unfortunate ways.
Fine Art
One Dot At A Time, Lichtenstein Made Art Pop
October 15, 2012 Roy Lichtenstein is best known for his dotted, angst-filled comics featuring beautiful ladies in distress. But a major retrospective at the National Gallery shows that the painter found inspiration beyond the comic-book world; he also paid his respects to the masters — Picasso, Monet and more.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Author Interviews
Traveling The World Brings Andrew McCarthy Home
October 14, 2012 Former teen heartthrob Andrew McCarthy heads around the world to confront his own issues on intimacy and commitment in his new memoir, The Longest Way Home.
Movies
'Smashed': A Love Story Minus The Alcohol
October 14, 2012 Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Aaron Paul star in this modern tale of addiction that explores what happens to a young marriage when the one thing that once brought them together suddenly vanishes. Director and cowriter James Ponsoldt says the idea for the movie came from real-life experiences.
Sunday Puzzle
Where, 'O' Where Shall I Put You?
October 14, 2012 Every answer is a two-word phrase in which the letter "O" is added at the end of the first word to make the second word. For example, given the clue "pack animal owned by Thomas Jefferson's first vice president," the answer would be "Burr burro."
Strange News
For Middle-Earth, One Family Tree To Rule Them All
October 14, 2012 Author J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy world Middle-Earth is filled with hundreds of characters. So many in fact, that a Swedish university student has created a comprehensive census and family tree to catalog the more than 900 humans, elves, dwarves and hobbits.
Theater
'Beat Generation,' Kerouac's Lost Play, Hits Stage
October 14, 2012 WBURLegendary beat novelist Jack Kerouac shot to fame with On the Road, but unknown to many fans, he also wrote a play. The Beat Generation was never produced and quickly forgotten. Rediscovered in 2004, the play is now set to premiere in the writer's hometown.
Poetry
'A Thousand Mornings' With Poet Mary Oliver
October 14, 2012 Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver often writes about the natural world — the animals she sees and the woods she walks in. Her new book, A Thousand Mornings, collects her morning meditations as she stands by her door, notebook and pen in hand.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Movies I've Seen A Million Times
The Movie Callie Khouri Has 'Seen A Million Times'
October 13, 2012 When Nashville creator Callie Khouri saw Elia Kazan's A Face in the Crowd for the first time, she was "jaw-droppingly shocked at how current it was."
Author Interviews
How Lincoln's Fiercest Rival Became His Close Ally
October 13, 2012 Walter Starhr's new biography, Seward: Lincoln's Indispensable Man, tells the story of William Seward and Abraham Lincoln and how these two campaign adversaries became close White House allies.
The Salt
When It Comes To Falafel, The Flavors Of Home Can Vary
October 13, 2012 KALWA reporter's quest to understand differences in regional recipes of the Middle East staple yields homespun stories about their provenance.
Author Interviews
Michael Feinstein: What I Learned From The Gershwins
October 13, 2012 The musician and educator spent six years as Ira Gershwin's cataloger and archivist. His experience forms the basis of a new book, The Gershwins and Me, in which he explores George and Ira's work and influence.
Author Interviews
A Year's Worth Of Facts From An NPR Librarian
October 13, 2012 NPR's longest-serving reference librarian, Kee Malesky, is the author of a new book, Learn Something New Every Day: 365 Facts to Fulfill Your Life. Malesky offers facts for each day of the year, from the landing on the moon to the invention of sliced bread.
