Arts

Patsy (Joanna Lumley) and Edina (Jennifer Saunders) in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie.

Arts

The Enduring 'AbFab' Picks Up Right Where It Boozily Left Off

5:00pm July 21, 2016

by Scott Tobias

For Absolutely Fabulous to return as a movie 20 years after its sitcom phenom phase might seem absurd, but it's in line with the show's commitment to Patsy and Eddy's timeless lack of cachet.

Tami Sagher (Lindsay), Gillian Jacobs (Samantha), Keegan-Michael Key (Jack), Mike Birbiglia (Miles), Chris Gethard (Bill), Kate Micucci (Allison) in Mike Birbiglia's Don't Think Twice.

Arts

Comedy Really Is Hard Among Friends In 'Don't Think Twice'

5:00pm July 21, 2016

by Andrew Lapin

Mike Birbiglia wrote and directed this affecting story of the members of an improv troupe whose commitment to working together is mixed with rivalries and jealousy.

To The Secretary By Mary Thompson-Jones.

Books
Arts

'To The Secretary' Tries To Unwind The Tangles Of Diplomacy

7:00am July 21, 2016

by Genevieve Valentine

State Department veteran Mary Thompson-Jones sifts through a few choice WikiLeaks cables and parses them for a lay audience in To The Secretary, a fascinating primer on a complex and difficult field.

Books
Arts

Steinbeck Is An Influence — And A Character — In 'Monterey Bay'

6:20pm July 20, 2016

by Jean Zimmerman

Lindsay Hatton makes a bold move in her new novel: She lifts a character from John Steinbeck's 1945 classic Cannery Row -- and then the author himself — for a tale of thwarted romance by the sea.

Henry Winkler On Garry Marshall: 'He Was An Unstoppable Creator'

6:00pm July 20, 2016

NPR's Audie Cornish talks to actor Henry Winkler, who starred in Happy Days, about his memories working with writer and director Garry Marshall.

Queue Listen Now

Actors Diana Sands, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil and Sidney Poitier appear in the 1961 film adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun.

Arts
Economy

Hollywood And The Middle Class: Selling Dreams Of 'Somewhere That's Green'

6:00pm July 20, 2016

by Bob Mondello

We don't call Hollywood a "Dream Factory" for nothing. If you have a vision of the sort of place you'd like to live, Tinseltown can bring it to life.

'The Battle For Home' Traces Syria's History Through Architecture

6:00pm July 20, 2016

NPR's Kelly McEvers speaks with Homs-based architect Marwa al-Sabouni, about her new book The Battle for Home, which traces Syria's past, present and possible future through the lens of architecture.

Hollywood Legend Garry Marshall Dies At 81

4:40pm July 20, 2016

by Ted Robbins

Hollywood legend Garry Marshall died Tuesday at the age of 81. He was responsible for some of the biggest TV hits of the 1970s including The Odd Couple, Laverne & Shirley and Happy Days. He also made Julia Roberts a superstar with Pretty Woman.

The House At The Edge Of The Night By Catherine Banner

Books
Arts

'The House At The Edge Of Night' Is A Comforting, Familiar Place

3:58pm July 20, 2016

by Annalisa Quinn

Catherine Banner's new novel takes familiar tropes — it's a multigenerational family saga set in Sicily, and yes, there's limoncello and dancing in the piazza — and makes them fresh and inviting.

Arts

'Veep' Showrunner On Politics And The 'Thankless Task' Of Being Second In Command

1:48pm July 20, 2016

David Mandel, the Emmy-nominated writer, director and executive producer of the HBO series Veep, discusses the current season of the show, his work on SNL and the 2016 presidential election.

Queue Listen Now