Arts

A Lonely Place of Dining: In the 1995 crime thriller Heat, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro famously shared the screen when their characters called a temporary truce.

Arts

Michael Mann's 'Heat' At 25: A Newly Relevant Study In Loneliness

7:00am September 05, 2020

by Marc Rivers

Like many of us, Marc Rivers has watched a lot of movies during self-isolation. But it was a 25-year old crime drama about emotional isolation that offered him the greatest comfort.

'Feels Good Man' Traces Pepe The Frog From Hate Symbol To Democracy Icon

5:28pm September 04, 2020

by Andrew Limbong

Pepe the Frog is one of the most prolific images on the Internet. A new documentary follows the frog's creator, cartoonist Matt Furie, as he fights to regain control over his character.

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Snow Way Out: A couple (Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons) takes a long road trip during a snowstorm in I'm Thinking of Ending Things on Netflix.

Arts

In 'I'm Thinking Of Ending Things,' A Couple Gets Stuck In A Dreamlike Limbo

2:06pm September 04, 2020

by Glen Weldon

In writer/director Charlie Kaufman's latest, a couple spouts pat, pseudo-intellectual bromides. But stay with it — because that's a clue to what's really going on in this tense, surprising film.

Books
Arts

Family, Identity And A Hot Ghost: Questions For 'Cemetery Boys' Author Aiden Thomas

1:57pm September 04, 2020

by Petra Mayer

Aiden Thomas' new YA novel, Cemetery Boys, follows a queer, trans Latinx teenager as he fights to prove himself to his conservative family — and deal with the troublesome ghost he's summoned.

Arts

Padma Lakshmi, Model, Actor And TV Host, Says Above All, She's A Writer

1:21pm September 04, 2020

by Terry Gross

The former model/actress is nominated for an Emmy Award for hosting Top Chef. Her new show, Taste the Nation, explores immigrant cooking. Originally broadcast July 6, 2020.

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Arts

RuPaul's Recipe For Success? Love Yourself And Stay Flexible

1:21pm September 04, 2020

by Terry Gross

In a March 2020 interview, the Emmy-nominated host of RuPaul's Drag Race said his drag look was "one-part Cher, two-parts David Bowie, one-part Diana Ross and two heaping spoonfuls of Dolly Parton."

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Joshua Powell appears in Trust the Hunter in Your Blood, a National Rifle Association fundraising film on YouTube.

Former Top NRA Exec Says Greed, Corruption Pushed Gun Group Into 'Death Spiral'

1:19pm September 04, 2020

by Brian Mann

Joshua Powell left the group facing claims of sexual harassment and improper spending. In Inside the NRA, he calls for gun reforms — and confirms the harshest criticisms against the group.

Jad Abumrad: How Journalism Taught Me A New Way To Resolve Conflict

9:00am September 04, 2020

by NPR/TED Staff

Radio journalist Jad Abumrad spent years developing a formula for storytelling—then one contentious report upended it all. He shares his journey of finding resolution in stories where truths collide.

Books
Arts

Claudia Rankine's 'Just Us' Is A Conversation, Not A Prescription

8:28pm September 03, 2020

by Audie Cornish

In her new collection, Just Us, Claudia Rankine, without telling us what to do, urges us to begin the discussions that might open pathways through this divisive and stuck moment in American history.

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The cast of the Beijing People's Art Theatre production of A Raisin in the Sun rehearse onstage this past August.

First Chinese-Language Production Of 'A Raisin In The Sun' Is Staged In Beijing

8:01pm September 03, 2020

by Emily Feng

Lorraine Hansberry's play is about a Black family's struggle against racism in 1950s Chicago. At the Beijing People's Art Theatre, director Ying Da is working to bring that story to Chinese audiences.

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