Arts

Critic Juan Vidal says this copy of The Metamorphosis, a gift from his uncle, was a life-changing experience.

Books
Arts

Happy (?) Birthday, Gregor Samsa: 'The Metamorphosis' Turns 100

7:03am October 25, 2015

by Juan Vidal

Critic Juan Vidal says Kafka's classic tale of alienation — published 100 years ago this month — helped bring about a metamorphosis in his own life (though rather more positive than Gregor Samsa's).

"A photo of me once hung in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, sixteen inches high."

Books
Arts

In 10,000 Snaps Of The Shutter, A 'Photographic Census' Of A City

7:13pm October 24, 2015

by NPR Staff

Brandon Stanton left a life in finance for an entirely different quest: to snap the portraits of 10,000 people. The project eventually became Humans of New York, a blog and the basis for two books.

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Irish-American actress Maureen O'Hara, seen in 1947 and known as the "Queen of Technicolor," died Saturday at her home in Boise, Idaho. She was 95.

Arts

Maureen O'Hara, Hollywood's 'Queen Of Technicolor,' Dies At 95

3:48pm October 24, 2015

by Jacki Lyden

The Irish-American actress, known for her cascading red hair and sea-green eyes and who often starred opposite John Wayne, passed away at her home in Boise, Idaho, Saturday.

In Rock the Kasbah, Bill Murray plays Richie Lanz, a tough-luck agent who stumbles on an otherworldly talent.

Arts

Bill Murray Talks The 'Kasbah' — And The Merits Of A Life Lived Phoneless

2:23pm October 24, 2015

by NPR Staff

In Rock the Kasbah, he plays a tough-luck talent agent who finds a special voice in Afghanistan. In real life, the agentless Murray found something else after losing a phone: a "vacation from myself."

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Neil deGrasse Tyson at the 74th Annual Peabody Awards Ceremony in New York City in May 2015.

Arts

Not My Job: We Quiz Cosmos Expert Neil deGrasse Tyson On Cosmetology

2:14pm October 24, 2015

Sure, he knows a lot about stars, but what does he know about hair stylists and spa experts?

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Ceramics artist Ron Nagle says his greatest gift is his sense of humor -- "basically because I'm a melancholy person," he says.

Arts

Pottery Winner: An Artist's Dark, Funny Oeuvre Gets Major Show

12:35pm October 24, 2015

by Karen Michel

Ceramics artist Ron Nagle uses unconventional materials and bright colors to make odd, miniature marvels with punderful titles. His work has helped make modern ceramics a star at art museums.

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Books
Arts

CNN Anchor Talks 'Running Dangerously'

11:04am October 24, 2015

Tom Foreman, the CNN anchor and reporter, is training for Sunday's Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, D.C. He takes a break from his run to chat with NPR's Scott Simon about his new book on running.

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Dame Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger" isn't just the best-known James Bond theme: It's the standard by which all other Bond themes are measured.

From Shirley Bassey To Sam Smith, Bond Songs Remain A Pop Oddity

8:47am October 24, 2015

by NPR Staff

Scott Simon speaks with the authors of a new book about the two dozen theme songs produced by the James Bond films, and what they say about the times in which they were written.

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Books
Arts

A Dark And Stormy Night: Why We Love The Gothic

7:03am October 24, 2015

by Genevieve Valentine

Inspired by the new film Crimson Peak, critic Genevieve Valentine digs into our enduring love for stormy nights, eerie castles, romantically exotic monsters, swooning maidens and all things Gothic.

Anne-Marie Duff and Carey Mulligan are laundry workers who join the fight for women's votes in the new movie Suffragette.

Arts

The Bonnets Come Off In 'Suffragette'

7:54pm October 23, 2015

by NPR Staff

Screenwriter Abi Morgan's new movie focuses on the working-class women who fought for votes in the U.K. before World War I. She tells NPR she had no intention of making a polite British costume drama.

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