A Mental Block May Help Solve This Puzzle
Today's puzzle is called "Monkey Business." Every answer is a familiar two-word phrase starting with "M" and "B" — as in "monkey business."
Arts
The Man Behind 'The Most Interesting Man' Is Interesting, Too
He drove a garbage truck in LA and fibbed his way into Hollywood westerns. But Jonathan Goldsmith's big break was getting cast in Dos Equis beer commercials as "The Most Interesting Man in the World."
Words Made Flesh: Literature And The Language Of Prayer
No American writer has been able to pin down the intersection of faith, prayer and art like Flannery O'Connor. Critic Juan Vidal reflects on her Prayer Journal, and the faith that words can live.
'Lester, You Changed Our Lives': Channeling Bangs In 'How To Be a Rock Critic'
Husband-wife team Erik Jensen and Jessica Blank talk about their play based on the life and writings of legendary rock scribe Lester Bangs.
Not My Job: Mindy Kaling Gets Quizzed On Do-It-Yourself Projects
Since Kaling was the star of The Mindy Project, we're going to ask her to play a game called "The Home Improvement Project."
Survival Is Insufficient: 'Station Eleven' Preserves Art After The Apocalypse
In Emily St. John Mandel's novel, Station Eleven, a Shakespearean troupe clings to scraps of civilization after a deadly pandemic. Mandel and NPR's Scott Simon talk about art at the end of the world.
After Verses Turn To Versus, Poet Emerges With Renowned Oxford Post
If you didn't know better, you might mistake the hubbub for American politics. But amid the fickle endorsements and dust-ups, poet Simon Armitage won election as the newest Oxford professor of poetry.
Tell Us About Your Favorite Romances — It's The NPR Books Summer Of Love!
This year our famous summer reader poll is all about romance. Whether you like contemporary, historical, suspense or inspirational, we want to hear about your favorite Happily Ever Afters!
Don't Know Much About History? Read A Romance
Pick up a historical romance and you'll find more than a pleasant read. Often, you'll find a new connection to people, places and history-- for example, the Battle of Waterloo, 200 years ago today.
The Weird — Weirder? — Thing About The Ferrell-Wiig Lifetime Movie
Despite the big stars, it's hard to make a straight-faced parody of something watched by people who often already think it's a joke.