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Monday, May 20, 2013

Book Reviews

Black In America: A Story Rendered In Gray Scale

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Chimamanda Adichie's Americanah is about a young Nigerian woman who moves to the U.S. It's a story of relocation, far-flung love and life as an outsider. But reviewer Rosecrans Baldwin says that despite the author's talent, much of the storytelling feels flat.

Summary

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NPR Double Take

Double Take 'Toons: Syria, What's Next?

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The visit of Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan brought the crisis in Syria into focus. Daryl Cagle wonders whether President Obama can resist the GOP's call for action, while Osama Hajjaj thinks the conflict already has enough participants.

Summary

Sunday, May 19, 2013

You Must Read This

Ghost Ships, Murders, Bird Attacks: Stories To Keep You Awake

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May 19, 2013 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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NPR Double Take

Double Take 'Toons: Graduated Pain?

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May 19, 2013 As the Class of 2013 enters the "real world," they'll be shouldering their share of $1 trillion in student loan debt. Nate Beeler wonders how diplomates will remain afloat, while Joel Pett points to the salaries of college presidents as one reason why the cost of higher education is so high.

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The Changing Lives Of Women

She Works: Standing Up And Speaking Out

Rachel Martin, host of Weekend Edition Sunday.

May 19, 2013 For our series on the Changing Lives of Women, we're asking NPR women about their careers — and inviting you to join the conversation. We asked Weekend Edition host Rachel Martin to recall an instance where she stood up to stand out.

Summary

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Commentary

Astronaut Chris Hadfield's Most Excellent Adventure

After a half-year mission at the International Space Station, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield lands in central Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

May 18, 2013 Hadfield just spent 146 days up at the International Space Station, during which time he performed rock concerts and shared his dazzling photographs with nearly a million Twitter followers.

Transcript

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Books

Author Elliott Holt Says: 'Go West, Young Woman'

Elliott Holt's short fiction has been published in the The Pushcart Prize XXXV, among other publications.

May 18, 2013 In this Q&A, author Elliott Holt discusses her six favorite novels about expatriates. She also talks about what it's like to be in your 20s, and the importance of travel and exploration.

Summary

NPR Double Take

Double Take 'Toons: A Hillary Too Far?

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May 18, 2013 Has the controversy over Benghazi damaged Hillary Clinton's reputation? Bob Englehart believes the former secretary of state's image is headed for a fall, while Mike Smith thinks the issue is much more about Nov. 8, 2016, than what happened in Libya on Sept. 11, 2012.

Summary

Friday, May 17, 2013

13.7: Cosmos And Culture

The Mutable Meanings Of Music

Drummer Roger Taylor and singer Freddie Mercury (1946 - 1991) of the British rock band Queen perform at the Playhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, 1st September 1976.

May 17, 2013 Songs, like all art, can take on a life of their own once they are thrust into the public domain. Their meanings can shift substantially, something commentator Alva Noë experienced recently during a school music recital.

Summary

Monkey See

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Cancellation Blues And Cultural Etiquette

A drawing of two clinking martini glasses.

May 17, 2013 On this week's show, we talk about grieving and fighting when shows are canceled, we come up with some rules of engagement when it comes to good manners and culture, and we talk about what's making us happy this week.

Summary

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Krulwich Wonders...

What Did I Do Last Summer? Oh, I Discovered How To Make Babies Without Sex. And You?

Aphid drawing 3

May 17, 2013 Sex is nice, but can animals make babies without it? One summer, two little boys, their tutor and the tutor's two friends did an experiment to explore this question. What they discovered, back in 1740, shocked the world.

Summary

Monkey See

Notes On A 'Scandal': Fitz Is The Most Dumpable Man On Television

Tony Goldwyn as Fitz on Scandal.

May 17, 2013 Viewers of Scandal know that Fitz is the worst. But do they know why? We do.

Summary

NPR Double Take

Double Take 'Toons: Trouble, Trouble, Trouble?

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May 17, 2013 Whether they're mountains or molehills, the Benghazi-IRS-Associated Press controversies have made President Obama fodder for the nation's cartoonists. John Cole thinks Obama's goal of a "transformative presidency" has taken an unfortunate turn. Jeff Parker sees a president at the mercy of events.

Summary

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