Arts & Life

Konner, pictured here in 2015, helped Lena Dunham create, write and produce her HBO series.

Arts

Meet Jenni Konner, The Off-Screen 'Grown-Up' Who Helped Make 'Girls'

4:32pm March 24, 2017

by Mandalit del Barco

For six seasons, Konner has been a sort of den mother to the show's millennial actresses. Today, she and Girls creator Lena Dunham are creative partners and best friends.

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The Supreme Court Ruling That Led To 70,000 Forced Sterilizations

3:46pm March 24, 2017

In the early 20th century, American eugenicists used forced sterilization to "breed out" traits considered undesirable. Adam Cohen tells the story in Imbeciles. Originally broadcast March 7, 2016.

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Arts

A Middle-Aged Misanthrope Reconnects With His Long Lost Daughter In 'Wilson'

3:46pm March 24, 2017

by David Edelstein

Daniel Clowes' angst-ridden graphic novel is the basis for a new film starring Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern. Critic David Edelstein says Wilson's abrasive protagonist is worth getting to know.

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Last Friday night, the Berlin bookstore Shakespeare and Sons hosted a Sabbath dinner as part of the pre-kickoff activities for Nosh Berlin, the German capital's first Jewish food festival. Guests at the bookstore included many non-Jewish Germans who purch

A Food Festival Celebrates The Rebirth Of Jewish Life In Berlin

2:46pm March 24, 2017

by Verónica Zaragovia

The German capital is experiencing growing Jewish immigration, despite a rise in anti-Semitism. Organizers of the city's first Jewish food festival are hoping it can help foster unity and pride.

Emma Watson plays Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast, a live-action remake of the 1991 animated film.

'Beauty And The Beast,' Music, And More From South By Southwest

11:14am March 24, 2017

by Linda Holmes

This week, we visit the new Disney live-action adaptation of Beauty And The Beast, and we all report back from Austin about the happenings at South By Southwest.

Fatima Avelica, 13, daughter of of Romulo Avelica-Gonzalez, attends a rally with loved ones and supporters for his release outside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) offices on March 13, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.

This Week In Race: ICE Sends Chills Across U.S., Kaepernick, Others, Write Big Checks

9:46am March 24, 2017

by Karen Grigsby Bates

While much of the focus has been on deportations of Latinx, other groups have been under increased scrutiny.

Sandi Toksvig on the TED Stage at TEDWomen 2016 in San Francisco, California.

Sandi Toksvig: Can Social Change Start With Laughter?

9:10am March 24, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

When comedian and TV host Sandi Toksvig came out as gay in the early 1990s, she used humor to recover from the onslaught of vitriol.Today, she says, humor can help bring about social change.

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Maysoon Zayid: Should Humor Make Us Uncomfortable?

9:10am March 24, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Maysoon Zayid teases herself for all the ways she's different: she has cerebral palsy, she's Muslim, she's Palestinian. By making us laugh at it, she gets us to think about acceptance.

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Negin Farsad on the TED stage at TED2016 in Vancouver, Canada.

Negin Farsad: Can Humor Fight Prejudice?

9:10am March 24, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Comedian Negin Farsad traveled all over the U.S. to clear up misconceptions about Islam while making people laugh. She calls this form of activism "social justice comedy."

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Kevin Breel: What Can Depression Teach Us About Comedy?

9:10am March 24, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

The image of the "sad clown" can seem like a cliche. But for Kevin Breel, it's very real. He describes how he struggled with depression while performing as a stand-up comedian.

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