Arts

Books
Arts

'Twain & Stanley' Finds Magic In An Unlikely Friendship

7:03am November 08, 2015

by Jason Sheehan

Oscar Hijuelos' posthumously published novel puts fictional flesh on the real-life friendship between Mark Twain and the explorer Henry Morton Stanley. Critic Jason Sheehan calls it a "great tale."

Lea Salonga realized what it takes to be a leading lady at age 9, during a chaotic production of Annie.

Arts

Lea Salonga's Big Break(out): An Allergy Attack At The Audition

9:50pm November 07, 2015

by NPR Staff

Tony Award winner Lea Salonga has long been a star on stage and screen. But she learned her grit and confidence years earlier — when she overcame allergy (and dog) attacks to win the role of Annie.

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'Tribal' Book Looks At College Football's Rabid Fans

6:34pm November 07, 2015

Florida State University Professor Diane Roberts talks about her book "Tribal: College Football and the Secret Heart of America" which examines the communities of rabid fans around college football.

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Arts

'Hopscotch' Opera Jumpstarts Traveling Concert Scene

5:46pm November 07, 2015

by Michelle Lanz

Hopscotch is a new opera that does just that — it literally hops from location to location across Los Angeles. Cars shepherd the audience and the performers from place to place.

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Robert Donaldson, who goes by the stage name Aspiring Mogul, describes himself as a "Republican Christian rapper."

Meet The Man Behind The Ben Carson Rap

5:44pm November 07, 2015

by NPR Staff

The Carson campaign recently dropped a rap ad aimed at young black voters. Aspiring Mogul, the rapper behind the track, explains his inspiration — and his reaction to harsh responses on social media.

An image from a new Christmas ad from British retailer John Lewis. Titled "Man on the Moon," the ad follows a girl's attempts to connect with a man she spots living on the moon.

Early Christmas Ad Melts Millions Of Hearts Online

2:29pm November 07, 2015

by Bill Chappell

Telling the story of a young girl's attempts to connect with an old man she spots living on the moon, a Christmas ad from British retailer John Lewis has sparked tears, views, and a bit of criticism.

Mary-Louise Parker says her father loved words; they used to send poems to each other in the mail.

Books
Arts

'Dear Mr. You' Is A Lifetime In Letters

11:33am November 07, 2015

by NPR Staff

Actor Mary-Louise Parker has written a memoir, Dear Mr. You, in the form of letters to important men in her life — among them her beloved father and the accountant who had to tell her she was broke.

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Now 35, Adnan Syed has been granted a new hearing by a Maryland circuit court. He's seen here in an undated photo provided by his brother, Yusuf Syed.

Adnan Syed, Subject Of 'Serial' Podcast, Gets Hearing On New Evidence

10:12am November 07, 2015

by Bill Chappell

Adnan Syed has been granted a hearing to let his lawyers present a possible alibi, and to probe both "alleged prosecutorial misconduct" and the competence of Syed's original attorney.

Cindy Crawford attends the CHANEL Dinner For NRDC 'A Celebration Of Art, Nature And Technology' held on May 31, 2013 in Los Angeles.

Arts

Not My Job: Supermodel Cindy Crawford Gets Quizzed On Scale Models

9:05am November 07, 2015

Cindy Crawford obviously knows everything there is to know about modeling. But what about scale modeling? You know, building those detailed miniature versions of things? We'll find out.

Books
Arts

There's Method To The Mad Satire Of 'Censorship Now!!'

6:12am November 07, 2015

by Jason Heller

Washington D.C. punk legend Ian Svenonius veers from anarchist tirade to Swiftian satire in this new essay collection, which takes aim at tipping, Ikea, censorship, music and yes, NPR too.