In Damascus, The Bars Are Packed And The Wine Is Flowing
Revelers drink, dance and listen to music in the Syrian capital's Old City bars. "No one talks about the war anymore," a bartender says. "We got used to it."
Arts
This Election Is Even Tough For Comedians
For the past two years this election season has been relentless. And it turns out it's especially tough for stand up comedians. Washington, D.C. comedian Rob Maher explains.
Not My Job: Country Star Wynonna Gets Quizzed On Other Judds
Wynonna doesn't just sing country music, she's lived it — she says she's gone from "an outhouse to the White House." As a member of the famous Judd family, we'll ask her questions about other Judds.
For Tippi Hedren, Hitchcock's Scares Came Off-Screen
In her new memoir, Tippi, the actress speaks frankly about Hollywood, her career, and her complicated relationship with Alfred Hitchcock — who made her a star, but also made her life hell.
Francine Prose's 'Mister Monkey' Novel Inspired By Her Granddaughter's Cheeky Comment
Mister Monkey is the latest novel by award-winning writer Francine Prose. NPR's Scott Simon chats with Prose about the novel which was inspired after a seeing a play with her granddaughter.
Beware The Hair: Trolls Hit The Big Screen — And Bring Scrapbooks With Them
The movie Trolls features not just big hair but surprisingly great music — and a fair bit of scrapbooking. The film, by a veteran animation director, aims to balance feel-good fun with offbeat humor.
Remembering Sheri S. Tepper, Eco-Feminist Sci-Fi Firebrand
Tepper wrote several classics of '80s sci-fi, but she's curiously unknown today. Her work is didactic and often uncomfortable, mixing eco-feminist politics with gripping characters and world-building.
'Loving' Tells Story Of Supreme Court Ruling Legalizing Interracial Marriage
NPR's Audie Cornish talks to Jeff Nichols, writer and director of the new film Loving, which tells the story of the interracial couple at the heart of the Supreme Court case that struck down anti-miscegenation laws in the country.
Author Viet Thanh Nguyen Discusses 'The Sympathizer' And His Escape From Vietnam
Nguyen and his family fled their village in South Vietnam in 1975. He won the Pulitzer Prize this year for his spy novel The Sympathizer. Originally broadcast May 17, 2016.
Syria's Leading Sculptor Keeps Creating In A Time Of Destruction
Mustafa Ali hunkers down in Damascus' Old City and sculpts figures that have made him famous in the Mideast and Europe. But his work has grown darker as the war grinds on.