Arts

Reggie Watts calls his form of entertainment "disinformationist." He disorients his audience, sometimes talking non-sense and switching seamlessly between accents — all improvised on the spot.

Arts

Reggie Watts, Man Of Many Voices, Improvised His Way To Success

6:55pm August 01, 2015

by Daniel Hajek

The comedian and Late, Late Show band leader beatboxes, imitates and impersonates with amazing accuracy. It was a phone call from Conan O'Brien that put Watts' one-man show into the spotlight.

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Alan Cheuse was our guide to the best and worst of the written word for more than 30 years.

Books
Arts

Remembering Alan Cheuse, Our Longtime Literary Guide

5:40pm August 01, 2015

by Susan Stamberg

For some 30 years, Alan Cheuse was our guide to the best and worst of the written word. He passed away today at 75, after a car accident two weeks ago. NPR's Susan Stamberg has an appreciation.

Chance the Rapper performs at Los Angeles Grand Park on August 31, 2014.

Arts

Not My Job: Chance The Rapper Gets Quizzed On Saran The Wrapper

12:08pm August 01, 2015

Chicago hip-hop superstar Chance the Rapper got his name because nobody believed a guy named Chancelor Bennett could rap.

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Books
Arts

'Three Moments' Is A Symphony Of Short Story Strangeness

7:03am August 01, 2015

by Jason Heller

Acclaimed sci-fi author China Miéville hasn't been known for his short fiction, but reviewer Jason Heller says his new collection — subversive, strange and full of sick humor — will change that.

Arts

Despite Host Controversy, Amazon Takes A Chance On 'Top Gear'

7:53pm July 31, 2015

by Eric Deggans

The trio that made Top Gear the world's biggest car show will return to the small screen in a new show for Amazon Prime. The BBC canned one of its hosts last year after a fight with a producer.

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Books
Arts

Alan Cheuse, Novelist And Longtime NPR Contributor, Dies At 75

5:10pm July 31, 2015

by Colin Dwyer

The author and critic died Friday of injuries sustained in a car accident. For years, he was the voice of NPR's literature commentary — and, for many, the "guide to a very exciting world."

Sarah Hepola is the personal essays editor at Salon.com.

Books
Arts

A Path From 'Blackout' Drunkenness To Sobriety And Self-Acceptance

4:31pm July 31, 2015

Writer Sarah Hepola once got so drunk before giving a presentation to 300 people that she didn't remember it the next day. In Blackout, her memoir, Hepola wrestles with her reasons for drinking.

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Skyler Gisondo (from left), Steele Stebbins, Christina Applegate and Ed Helms star as the next generation of Griswolds in Vacation.

Arts

New Griswolds Take New Dysfunctions On A 'Vacation'

2:08pm July 31, 2015

by Scott Tobias

This time it's Rusty Griswold, the grown son of Chevy Chase's Clark Griswold, dragging his family on a doomed road trip. Critic Scott Tobias says the movie is overeager to provoke and offend.

Arts

For Key And Peele, Biracial Roots Bestow Special Comedic 'Power'

1:59pm July 31, 2015

Comics Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele satirize people of all races on their Comedy Central sketch show. Originally broadcast Nov. 20, 2013.

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Arts

Jon Stewart, Faking It and Making It

1:59pm July 31, 2015

As host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, Jon Stewart is a funny man with a serious message. Originally broadcast July 22, 2005.

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