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Friday, July 23, 2010
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.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
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.
Thursday, October 09, 2008
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.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Monday, September 08, 2008
Monday, August 04, 2008
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.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
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.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
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.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
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.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
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.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
'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.
Monday, June 23, 2008
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.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Jo March, Everyone's Favorite Little Woman
June 9, 2008 The strong-willed second oldest sister of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, has inspired generations of femal—fans with her independence and pluck. But does she set too lofty an ideal?
