The Two-Way posts about Culture
by Matt Stiles
Are you a "mega-commuter"? That's a term used by the U.S. Census Bureau to describe those who commute at least 90 minutes and 50 miles to work. And nearly 600,000 Americans do. View an interactive map to see how your commute compares.
The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge "is the Rodney Dangerfield of bridges," as our friends at KQED say. While the Golden Gate gets respect and tourists, the Bay Bridge simply does its job. But the humble span will shine Tuesday, thanks to 25,000 LEDs.
by Serri Graslie
Wojciech Inglot was a chemist and entrepreneur who tried to come up with a more healthful alternative to traditional nail polish. He died Feb. 23.
©2013 NPR
by Gene Demby
After journalists on the Oscars red carpet struggled to pronounce the name of 9-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis, Twitter users shared their stories about the funny, annoying butcherings of their own "unconventional" and "ethnic" names. One example: "Jambalayaiah" for Jamelyahweh.
by Elise Hu
In its search for new revenue streams, the Postal Service is getting creative. Its entered into a licensing agreement for a new apparel and accessories line called Rain Heat & Snow.
by Lizzy Duffy
Pants-wearing Parisian women are finally fashionably legal: the law restricting women to dresses and skirts has been lifted. While the principle is exciting, Parisian women have been wearing pants for decades.
by Padmananda Rama
It's a tradition that goes back to 1887, and while he's not always correct, the Punxsutawney, Pa., groundhog has a massive following who watch his every move on Groundhog Day.
by Padmananda Rama
The first lady is well known for her wardrobe choices, and for the inauguration, Michelle Obama showed off her ability to make multiple style statements during a single day.
by Padmananda Rama
Many watching the news out of Connecticut do not have personal connections to those murdered in Friday's school shootings. But much of the nation is looking for ways to process their grief.
by Krishnadev Calamur
He was responsible for making Indian classical music popular in the West, collaborating with artists as diverse as The Beatles and Yehudi Menuhin.
by Krishnadev Calamur
Erdrich's novel is laced with emotional nuance, and demonstrates in painful detail the legal and cultural obstacles to prosecuting rapists on a North Dakota reservation. Katherine Boo's acclaimed Behind the Beautiful Forevers – about life in a slum in Mumbai, India — won the nonfiction award.
by Krishnadev Calamur
The feud began in 1997 in the letters pages of the Guardian, with Rushdie calling the author of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy "a pompous ass" and Le Carre accusing the author of The Satanic Verses of "self-canonization." Both writers now say they regret the literary war of words, and speak of their mutual admiration.
by Krishnadev Calamur
The British writer becomes only the third author to win the prestigious award twice, joining J.M. Coetzee and Peter Carey. She also becomes the first author to win with a sequel. Her novel Wolf Hall won in 2009.
With the slowing economy, professional orchestras and musicians are bargaining fiercely over wages and benefits. Two orchestras have locked out their musicians while others have agreed to play and negotiate.
by Maureen Pao
Turns out that a Renoir painting purchased for $7 in West Virginia wasn't just lost — it was stolen. Documents show it vanished from a Baltimore museum six decades ago. Its planned auction has been put on hold, and the FBI is investigating.
by Mark Memmott
A Swiss foundation claims to have evidence of an earlier version. Skeptics say they need more proof.
by Shula Neuman
The debate over states' rights versus federal power is as old as our country, but this time the subject of controversy is relatively new. As Americans' views on homosexuality change, more states are stepping up to challenge the federal definition of marriage.
Wikpedia has had to deal with accusations that its entries were edited too easily. But this week, the online encyclopedia is dealing with charges that its entries are too tough to edit — and the accuser is author Philip Roth, who wanted to correct a mistake about his novel The Human Stain.
by Mark Memmott
Michael Strahan, who won a Super Bowl with the New York Giants, has won the job to be Kelly Ripa's co-host on daytime TV. He'll also continue to be on Fox NFL Sunday.
by Mark Memmott
His "ooh, ooh, ooh, Mr. Kotter!" is a classic line from a classic '70s show. Palillo was 63.
