Arts

"She's challenging you to sit down in that chair," Los Angeles artist Alison Saar says of her 2019 sculpture, Set to Simmer.

Arts

'She's Challenging You': Alison Saar's Sculptures Speak To Race, Beauty, Power

12:05pm May 12, 2020

by Susan Stamberg

Saar says the nude in her 2019 sculpture Set to Simmer has a message for the viewer: "If you want to look at me, don't just give me a sideways glance. Sit down in this chair and know me."

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Books
Arts

For May, 3 Romantic Getaways — To Normalcy

7:00am May 12, 2020

by Maya Rodale

As the lockdown stretches on, we bring you three books that offer an escape to a time when people could gather — and fall in love — in a shop, at a book club, or even in an office.

Right: "Mask Up," a submission to Amplifier, an arts group. Left: "Grandmother's Affection — For Global Health," a submission to the United Nations.

Artists Paint A Portrait Of A Pandemic

4:47pm May 11, 2020

by Pranav Baskar

The United Nations and Amplifier, an arts group, called on artists to create inspiring and informative posters, graphics and animations around the coronavirus. Here's a selection of submissions.

Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World, by Dr. Vivek Murthy

In 'Together,' Former Surgeon General Writes About Importance Of Human Connection

4:47pm May 11, 2020

by Rachel Martin

Dr. Vivek Murthy tells NPR: "The reality is that loneliness is a natural signal that our body gives us, similar to hunger, thirst. And that's how important human connection is."

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Arts

Actress Patti LuPone Is Now Starring In 'Hollywood' Show On Netflix

3:56pm May 11, 2020

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with actress Patti LuPone about her role in the new Netflix show, Hollywood, and the future of the revival of the Broadway musical, Company, in which she was to star.

Palestine Herald-Press Editor Jeffery Gerritt won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Writing.

This Editor Turned What A Sheriff Said Was 'Not News' Into A Pulitzer-Winning Series

3:41pm May 11, 2020

by Austin Horn

Jeffery Gerritt's series, called "Death Without Conviction," started with a look into a local woman's death. It ended up shedding light on Texas' system of review for deaths in county jails.

Jerry Stiller performed in a comedy duo with his wife, Anne Meara, and also appeared in films and on Broadway and television. Onscreen, he was George Costanza's father; in real life, he was dad to actor Ben Stiller. He's pictured above in New York City in

Arts

Comedian Jerry Stiller, Who Played Hotheaded Dad On 'Seinfeld,' Dies At 92

1:11pm May 11, 2020

by Alex Cohen

Stiller performed in a comedy duo with wife Anne Meara and appeared in films and on Broadway and television. Onscreen, he was George Costanza's father; in real life, he was dad to actor Ben Stiller.

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Betty Wright, Soul Icon Who Sang 'Clean Up Woman,' Has Died At Age 66

7:44pm May 10, 2020

by Jason Slotkin

The singer is known for a roster of hits that included the songs "Dance With Me" and "No Pain No Gain." She died following a battle with cancer.

Arts

Julie Andrews And Daughter Host New Kids Podcast 'Julie's Library'

7:59am May 10, 2020

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks to Julie Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton about their new podcast "Julie's Library," which features a children's book in every episode.

Books
Arts

Murderbot Makes A Triumphant (And Cranky) Return In 'Network Effect'

7:00am May 10, 2020

by Steve Mullis

Martha Wells' freethinking robot stars in its first full-length adventure, remaining just as misanthropic and TV-obsessed as ever, even as it attempts to figure out who kidnapped it and its friends.