The Boston Herald's Missed 'Cartoongate' Lessons
The newspaper's heartfelt column about a political cartoon that was widely criticized as racist raises a question: Did editors learn the right lessons from the uproar?
Arts
Book News: Toni Morrison's Collection Finds A Permanent Home At Princeton
The Nobel laureate taught at Princeton University for 17 years. Now, her papers — some 180 linear feet of them — are returning to be housed in the school's library. Also: a roundup of new releases.
The Art of Music Provides Hope in a Time of Horror in Scott E. Blumenthal's Novel The Kiss
Scott E. Blumenthal's debut novel is captivating, beautiful, and heartbreaking. Set in Rovno, Poland at the outset of World War Two, The Kiss follows three young musical prodigies who form a trio so talented and revered that their music and identities become that which myths are made of. Their music moves people to dream, to remember, and perhaps most importantly, to hope.
Starring In 'Fury': The Horrors That People Are Capable Of In War
The WWII drama Fury is about a U.S. sergeant and his five-man crew on a mission behind enemy lines. Kenneth Turan reviews the film, directed by David Ayer and starring Brad Pitt and Shia LaBeouf.
Waterless Worlds The New Hot Dystopia
Following years worth of news stories about climate change and drought, books and movies are starting to capture those stories, too. Worlds without water are the settings for quite a few new projects.
Amid The Chaos Of Debt Collection, 'Bad Paper' Offers A Riveting Roadmap
It's not often that a book can mix machetes with hedge funds. Then again, few industries are as chaotic, and compelling, as debt collection — which Jake Halpern's book reveals in alarming detail.
The Man Who Coined 'Genocide' Spent His Life Trying To Stop It
Polish lawyer Raphael Lemkin coined the word in 1943, as part of his lifelong campaign to make the world acknowledge and prosecute the crime. A new documentary, Watchers of the Sky, tells his story.
Back Across The Wall: Questions For Garth Nix
Author Garth Nix returns to the world of the Old Kingdom with Clariel, the story of a young woman of great magical power who, denied the freedom to live as she wants, chooses a dangerous path.
A Funny Philosopher Tackles A Tough Query: 'Does Santa Exist?'
Eric Kaplan's son had a zoo trip canceled because one mom worried about reindeer-induced questions. So Kaplan, a comedy writer and philosophy grad student, started pondering the puzzle of St. Nick.
Fracking Boom Town Wary Of Pastor's 'Overnighters'
Jesse Moss tells NPR's Scott Simon about his documentary, The Overnighters. It follows a pastor in a North Dakota oil boom town whose life is upended when he opens the church to down-and-out workers.