Arts

Arts

Not My Job: NASA's Charles Bolden Gets Quizzed On 'Charles In Charge'

11:09am July 23, 2016

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden flew four times on the space shuttle and was the first voice to be broadcast from Mars. We'll ask him three questions about the remarkable career of actor Scott Baio.

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Robert Irwin Brings 'Big' To Texas With Permanent Art Installation

8:53am July 23, 2016

by Tom Michael

The 87-year-old conceptual artist unveils a large-scale installation of his work in Marfa, Texas, this week. He's spent his career creating site-specific art that often treats light as its subject.

Heroes of the Frontier book cover detail

Books
Arts

In Dave Eggers' Latest, A Mother Moves Her Kids To The Alaskan 'Frontier'

8:37am July 23, 2016

by NPR Staff

Alaska's a state that's "not too precious about itself," Eggers says. In Heroes of the Frontier, he follows an out-of-work dentist as she moves her small family to an unfamiliar home.

Tami Sagher (left), Gillian Jacobs, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Birbiglia, Chris Gethard and Kate Micucci star in Don't Think Twice, about a improv troupe called The Commune.

Arts

How Mike Birbiglia Applies 'Yes, And ...' To Improv And Beyond

5:32am July 23, 2016

by Elizabeth Blair

Birbiglia's new film follows a fictional New York improv troupe. Don't Think Twice explores the tension between personal ambition and being an "endlessly generous" team player.

Caption from @emptyplatesofny: "Never meet your heroes. They always get eaten." — Julian, Fort Greene; Delicious Buffalo chicken meatball hero with French fries

Arts

Scraped, Splattered — But Silent No More. Finally, The Dinner Plate Gets Its Say

10:36pm July 22, 2016

by Natalie Jacewicz

Instagram is the Internet's semi-obsessive, borderline-creepy love letter to food. But behind every great meal is a plate doing a pretty-OK job. So a comedian made an Instagram to celebrate plates.

Malcolm Young and Chloe Dunbar are among the many people absorbed in Pokemon Go at this year's San Diego Comic-Con.

Arts

Comic-Con Has Become Poké-Con

7:29pm July 22, 2016

by Petra Mayer

At this year's San Diego Comic-Con, one of the biggest phenomena isn't just inside the convention center, it's all around: Swarms of people staring at their phones as they play Pokémon Go.

A gold flower-and-myrtle-leaf wreath, thought to have belonged to one of Alexander the Great's stepmothers, is now on display at the National Geographic Museum.

Arts

To Rebrand Itself, Greece Digs Deep Into Its Cultural DNA

5:38pm July 22, 2016

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

The news out of Greece has been terrible. But with a large new exhibition of ancient artifacts at Washington, D.C.'s National Geographic Museum, the Greek government is trying an image reboot.

Born This Way is produced by Jonathan Murray, the co-creator of MTV's Real World. Above, cast members Cristina Sanz (left), Rachel Osterbach, Steven Clark and Sean McElwee (top).

A Cast With Down Syndrome Brings Fresh Reality To Reality TV

4:32pm July 22, 2016

by Neda Ulaby

With the Emmy-nominated Born this Way poised to begin its second season July 26, the cast, co-creator and fans explain why the show has become such a hit.

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Books
Arts

3 Books To Take On Your Summer Getaway

4:32pm July 22, 2016

by NPR Staff

Bookseller John Evans recommends three vacation reads: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen, The Sport of Kings by C. E. Morgan and Under the Big Black Sun by John Doe and Tom DeSavia.

Arts

'Star Trek Beyond' Director Recalls Classic Show's 'Sense Of Family'

4:32pm July 22, 2016

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to director Justin Lin about leading the third installment of the Star Trek reboot, directing popular movie series, and the growing importance of international movie markets.