Arts

FXX Celebrates Halloween With 'The Simpsons' Treehouse Of Horror Marathon

8:58pm October 30, 2015

by Elizabeth Blair

FXX cable network is airing a week-long marathon of every episode of The Simpsons annual Halloween show, "Treehouse of Horror." It will culminate in a full day marathon of all 25 "Treehouse of Horror" episodes.

Queue Listen Now

Women operate a gum-wrapping machine, circa 1923. It was a pivotal decade in the rise of America's retail candy business.

Tainted Treats: Racism And The Rise Of Big Candy

6:06pm October 30, 2015

by Nina Martyris

Halloween's iconic candy corn first appeared in stores in the 1920s. The decade saw a boom in the retail candy business — and in advertising and production divided along racial lines.

You probably wouldn't want to eat these Jack O'Lanterns since they've been carved and sitting out. But this variety of pumpkin is perfectly edible and nutritious.

Do We Waste A Lot Of Pumpkins We Could Be Eating?

5:09pm October 30, 2015

by Alastair Bland

Halloween pumpkins are nutritious and perfectly edible — if they haven't been carved and left outside for days. And yet we throw almost all of them away. Here's what happened when we cooked with one.

Books
Arts

In 'Ghostly,' Phantoms Provide An Omniscient Point Of View

4:37pm October 30, 2015

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with best selling author Audrey Niffenegger about her love of ghost stories and her new collection, Ghostly.

Books
Arts

So Good You'll Scream? A Cookbook From Horror Icon Vincent Price

4:37pm October 30, 2015

by Mandalit del Barco

A Treasury of Great Recipes, by the famed horror film actor, was out of print for decades until this month. It turns out, Price was also a foodie with an "omnivorous appetite," his daughter tells us.

Queue Listen Now

A Fine Dessert, Dinner Scene, illustrated by Sophie Blackall

The Kids' Book 'A Fine Dessert' Has Award Buzz — And Charges Of Whitewashing Slavery

2:19pm October 30, 2015

by Leah Donnella

In a long discussion on Twitter, one critic called the illustrations "candy coated images of slavery." The illustrator says these images have been taken out of context.

Arts

'Our Brand Is Crisis' Stalls And Stumbles

2:02pm October 30, 2015

by Kenneth Turan

The political comedy Our Brand Is Crisis stars Sandra Bullock as an American campaign strategist hired to work for a Bolivian presidential candidate. Critic Kenneth Turan has this review.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

Author Richard Ford Says 'Let Me Be Frank' About Aging And Dying

1:50pm October 30, 2015

The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer's most recent book centers on a 68-year-old man dealing with his aging body, a dying friend and his ex-wife, who has Parkinson's. Originally broadcast Nov. 12, 2014.

Queue Listen Now

Arts

Dan Locklair's "Requiem," "The Importance Of Being Earnest," And Deonna Kelli Sayed On Ghost Stories

11:56am October 30, 2015

by Bethany Chafin, David Ford, and Eddie Garcia

Dan Locklair and the Premiere of "Requiem"

Queue Listen Now

Taraji P. Henson as Cookie, the Lyon family matriarch.

Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Back In Time To 'Empire' And Radio Voices

8:52am October 30, 2015

by Linda Holmes

We're taking a break this week while we pull off a live show, so we're replaying one of our favorite episodes — one that touches on Empire and the variety (or lack thereof) in public radio voices.

Queue Listen Now