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Neda Ulaby Neda Ulaby reports on arts, entertainment, and cultural trends for NPR's Arts Desk.
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50 years ago, PFLAG's founder marched with her gay son. How's it keeping up in 2022?

PFLAG En Español members celebrate Pride in Los Angeles. PFLAG hide caption

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PFLAG

Culture

50 years ago, PFLAG's founder marched with her gay son. How's it keeping up in 2022?

PFLAG was started almost 50 years ago when gay people and their families were isolated and stigmatized. Now, the organization is finding new families to support and new legal battles to fight.

50 years ago, PFLAG's founder marched with her gay son. How's it keeping up in 2022?

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National

Jury sides with Johnny Depp in his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard

A jury has reached a verdict in the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial, finding that Heard defamed her ex-husband in a 2018 op-ed published by The Washington Post.

Jury sides with Johnny Depp in his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard

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A slavery-era instrument is on the National Mall, singing 'songs of liberation'

The Katastwóf Karavan is built from a steel frame mounted to lumber running gear with red oak and muslin wall panels, a propane fired boiler, water tank, gas generator and a brass and steel 38-note steam calliope. Robert Shelley/National Gallery of Art hide caption

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Robert Shelley/National Gallery of Art

Art & Design

A slavery-era instrument is on the National Mall, singing 'songs of liberation'

An old-fashioned steam calliope designed by luminaries in the worlds of art and jazz is on display at the National Sculpture Garden.

A slavery-era instrument is on the National Mall, singing 'songs of liberation'

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Culture

Encore: 'Mama's boy' is a flex, not an insult, for a new generation of men

Mama's boy has been viewed as an emasculating insult. But numerous men are now publicly embracing their identities as proud mama's boys. (Story first aired on Weekend Edition Sunday on May 7, 2022.)

Encore: 'Mama's boy' is a flex, not an insult, for a new generation of men

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2022 Pulitzer Prizes in arts and letters go to 'Fat Ham' and 'The Netenyahus'
New York Review Books

Culture

2022 Pulitzer Prizes in arts and letters go to 'Fat Ham' and 'The Netenyahus'

The 2022 Pulitzer Prizes in fiction, poetry, drama and other categories in arts and letters were announced in New York along with awards for journalism.

2022 Pulitzer Prizes in arts and letters go to 'Fat Ham' and 'The Netenyahus'

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'Mama's boy' is a flex, not an insult, for a new generation of men
Vystekimages/Getty Images/Photononstop RF

Culture

'Mama's boy' is a flex, not an insult, for a new generation of men

For eons, the term "mama's boy" was widely viewed as an emasculating insult. But numerous men are challenging such inherent misogyny and publicly embracing their identities as proud "mama's boys."

'Mama's boy' is a flex, not an insult, for a new generation of men

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Food

The 'Gandalf of pizza' speaks to the spiritual side of comfort food

In his new book "Pizza Quest," Peter Reinhart describes his spiritual obsession with what he calls "the ultimate comfort food."

The 'Gandalf of pizza' speaks to the spiritual side of comfort food

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The 'Gandalf of pizza' speaks to the spiritual side of comfort food

Peter Reinhart, master baker and James Beard-award winning author of the new book Pizza Quest: My Never-Ending Search For the Perfect Pizza. Peter Taylor/Andrews McMeel Publishing hide caption

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Peter Taylor/Andrews McMeel Publishing

Food

The 'Gandalf of pizza' speaks to the spiritual side of comfort food

In his new book Pizza Quest, Peter Reinhart describes his spiritual obsession with what he calls "the ultimate comfort food."

The 'Gandalf of pizza' speaks to the spiritual side of comfort food

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Actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are facing off in a defamation trial

Amber Heard listens during the trial of a $50 million defamation lawsuit against her by ex-husband Johnny Depp in Fairfax, Va. Brendan Smialowski/POOL/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Brendan Smialowski/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Culture

Actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard are facing off in a defamation trial

Depp is suing Heard, his ex-wife, for $50 million, asserting that she defamed him in a published essay about her experiences with sexual assault. The case was filed in Fairfax, Va.

The Library of Congress is preserving these major historical recordings for posterity

Singer Alicia Keys performing at Madison Square Garden in New York City, a few months after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. George De Sota/Getty Images hide caption

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George De Sota/Getty Images

Music News

The Library of Congress is preserving these major historical recordings for posterity

The Library of Congress adds 25 new recordings to a national registry every year to be preserved for posterity. The 2022 list includes an album by Alicia Keys and historical broadcasts from WNYC.

Museums turn to immersive tech to preserve the stories of aging Holocaust survivors

A young visitor experiences "A Promise Kept" at the Illinois Holocaust Museum. Scott Edwards/Illinois Holocaust Museum hide caption

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Scott Edwards/Illinois Holocaust Museum

Culture

Museums turn to immersive tech to preserve the stories of aging Holocaust survivors

Artificial intelligence and virtual reality are among the cutting-edge tools employed by the USC Shoah Foundation and Illinois Holocaust Museum

Museums turn to immersive tech to preserve the stories of aging Holocaust survivors

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