Arts

Books
Arts

Dickensian Ambition And Emotion Make 'Goldfinch' Worth The Wait

3:39pm October 31, 2013

by Maureen Corrigan

Donna Tartt is a writer who takes her time — she's published just one novel per decade since her debut in 1992. But critic Maureen Corrigan says she'd gladly wait another 10 years for a book as extraordinary as Tartt's latest work, The Goldfinch, an "exuberantly plotted triumph."

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In Dallas Buyers Club, Jared Leto plays Rayon, a transgender woman who is HIV-positive and struggling with a drug habit. "I always saw Rayon as someone who wanted to live ... life as a woman, not just someone who enjoyed putting on women's clothing," Leto

Arts

Jared Leto Was 'Seduced' By Role Of Rayon In 'Buyers Club'

3:25pm October 31, 2013

In Dallas Buyers Club, Leto plays Rayon, a transgender woman who is living with HIV and a drug habit. Rayon becomes an unlikely friend to Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey), a rodeo cowboy who starts smuggling HIV drugs from Mexico in the 1980s after he's diagnosed as HIV-positive and given just a few weeks to live.

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Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has spent a total of six months in space. In his new book, he writes that getting to space took only "8 minutes and 42 seconds. Give or take a few thousand days of training."

Books
Arts

Astronaut Chris Hadfield Brings Lessons From Space Down To Earth

2:30pm October 31, 2013

The former International Space Station commander achieved Internet stardom with his in-space rendition of David Bowie's "Space Oddity." After three missions and a total of six months in space he shares what he's learned in a new book, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth.

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The Sandman: Overture explores the back story of the central character, Orpheus, to explain how he wound up in captivity at the start of The Sandman.

Books
Arts

Recurring Dream: Morpheus Returns In Gaiman's 'Sandman' Prequel

10:54am October 31, 2013

by NPR Staff

The last issue of Neil Gaiman's Sandman comics came out a decade ago. Now, the author returns to Dream's world with a prequel series, The Sandman: Overture. Gaiman speaks with NPR's Steve Inskeep about the freedom of starting something new and why he, like all writers, is a Sandman himself.

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Ricker's grilled eggplant salad with egg and dried shrimp.

How A Portland Cook Became A 'Proud Copycat' Of Thai Food

10:48am October 31, 2013

by Joel Rose

Andy Ricker spent years eating in roadside restaurants, noodle stands and home kitchens across Thailand before opening his first restaurant, Pok Pok, in Portland, Ore. But he avoids using words like "traditional" and "authentic" when talking about this food. He'd rather call it "accurate."

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Arts

Stained Glass Playhouse Presents Agatha Christie's "The Unexpected Guest"

8:47am October 31, 2013

by David Ford

Agatha Christie's The Unexpected Guest is a thriller and a real puzzler set in a foggy Wales estate. The mystery opens as a strange gentleman walks into a house to find a recently murdered man, and his dazed widow standing over him with a gun. Her confession to the murder is unconvincing, so the unexpected guest decides to help her by blaming the murder on an intruder. But in so doing, he opens a Pandora's box of love and hate, suspicion and intrigue.

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Barnes & Noble is one of several stores that have refused to carry Amazon Publishing's books.

Books
Arts

Brick-And-Mortar Bookstores Play The Print Card Against Amazon

5:24am October 31, 2013

by Lynn Neary

When Amazon revamped its publishing wing, a lot of booksellers said enough is enough: They refused to stock Amazon Publishing's books, and Barnes & Noble followed suit. Now, with the departure of a star talent and some book releases that fell flat, many say Amazon Publishing may in trouble.

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Jon Stewart, shown here interviewing President Obama on The Daily Show in October 2012, has been lampooning the problems with the Affordable Care Act website in recent episodes.

Arts

Medicinal Laughs: Could 'Daily Show' Sour Millennials On ACA?

6:00pm October 30, 2013

Jon Stewart's news-driven comedy show has mined many a joke from the Affordable Care Act's rocky rollout. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans spoke with All Things Considered's Audie Cornish about whether the mockery could have a real impact on younger viewers' responses to the health care law.

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In Memoir, Linda Ronstadt Describes Her 'Simple Dreams'

10:37am October 30, 2013

Last month, Ronstadt revealed that she has Parkinson's disease and can no longer sing. Her new memoir, Simple Dreams, reflects on a long career. In this conversation with Fresh Air's Terry Gross, she offers frank insights on sex, drugs, and why "competition was for horse races."

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Arts

North Carolina Dance Festival Begins at UNC-Greensboro

8:56am October 30, 2013

by David Ford

The 23rd season of the NC Dance Festival opens at UNC-Greensboro, Friday, November 1st and 2nd at 8:00 PM with a different show each night in Aycock Auditorium. It's the third stop in the Festival's statewide tour from the High Country of Boone to the Wilmington coast, and it features work by eight of the best modern dance choreographers in Our State. Among them is Jen Guy Metcalf, founder and director of TERRANOVA Dance Theatre. She's joined by Dance Project and Van Dyke Dance Group founder Jan Van Dyke.

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