Arts

Justin Theroux plays a former police chief who has moved from New York to Texas and is trying to create a new family in the second season of the HBO series, The Leftovers.

Arts

As One Of 'The Leftovers,' Actor Justin Theroux Explores Loss And Spirituality

5:19pm October 14, 2015

In the HBO series, Theroux is a man trying to make sense of the disappearance of 2 percent of the world's population. He describes Season 2 as moving into "spiritual territory."

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Randall Park plays Louis Huang on the ABC comedy Fresh Off the Boat. He says it was easy for the show to steer clear of "easy" racist jokes. "To us that's not funny," he says. "We weren't going to go there."

Arts

Actor Randall Park Says 'Fresh Off The Boat' Is Comedy Without The Cliché

4:22pm October 14, 2015

The Asian-American actor is determined to "do good by the community" in his work. He says the ABC comedy steers clear of "easy" and "tired" racist jokes.

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Director Jafar Panahi is a smiling and ever-sunny cab driver in his most accessible nonfilm yet.

Riding Rings Around Iran's Censors In 'Jafar Panahi's Taxi'

4:07pm October 14, 2015

by Bob Mondello

An Iranian director banned from making films skirts the rules again in Jafar Panahi's Taxi.

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Books
Arts

Book Review: 'The News,' By Tess Taylor

4:07pm October 14, 2015

by Tess Taylor

Critic Tess Taylor reviews journalist Jeffrey Brown's poetry collection, The News.

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Shahzia Sikander, pictured here, created the film Parallax (also pictured) to explore the layers of history and change that are remaking parts of the Middle East and South Asia.

Arts

Breaking The Mold: Artist's Modern Miniatures Remix Islamic Art

4:07pm October 14, 2015

by Bilal Qureshi

As an art student, Shahzia Sikander used her region's miniature painting tradition to tell the story of a modern Pakistani woman. Now her work has moved beyond the page into animation and video.

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Anna Akhmatova, who lived from 1889 to 1966, was a beacon of artistic courage in the face of repression during Soviet times. Her work is now receiving renewed attention.

An Unexpected Revival For A Beloved Russian Poet

3:10pm October 14, 2015

by Corey Flintoff

Singer Iris Dement's new album is based on the work of the late Anna Akhmatova, whose spare, insightful lines addressed the ambiguities of love and the tumult of Soviet times.

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In Indian Summers Sooni Dalal (Aysha Kala) is a bold revolutionary, determined to become a lawyer.

Arts

Ruling Class And Revolution Clash In Sumptuous 'Indian Summers'

3:05pm October 14, 2015

by NPR Staff

While the British gossip over gin and tonics, the Indian streets are brewing with calls for independence. The new 10-part British TV drama has just had its U.S. debut.

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The hundreds of original bronze postal boxes are still there.

Arts

In Argentina, Where Culture Is 'A Right,' A Free New Arts Center Opens

3:05pm October 14, 2015

by Bob Mondello

Argentina's newest tourist attraction is housed in a repurposed century-old Beaux Arts Central Post Office building. The Centro Cultural Kirchner is one of the largest cultural centers in the world.

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Grace Jones: 'I'm A Bit Split Personality'

3:04pm October 14, 2015

by NPR Staff

The gender-bending musician and supermodel discusses how her past and her personality inform her new book, I'll Never Write My Memoirs.

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Books
Arts

After 10 Years Of Bella And Edward, 'Twilight Reimagined' Brings A Twist

3:04pm October 14, 2015

by NPR Staff

NPR's Kelly McEvers talks with author Stephenie Meyer about the appeal of her Twilight books and her new novel, which reassigns the genders of the original characters.

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