Arts & Life

Starting in October, seven police officers and seven civilians got together once a week to get to know one another and do improvisational exercises. At the end of the 10-week journey they starred in To Protect, Serve, and Understand, a free show at the Br

Arts

Brooklyn Police And The People They Serve Improvise 'Understanding' On Stage

7:41am December 31, 2016

by Jeff Lunden

What happens when you put seven cops and seven civilians in a rehearsal room once a week for 10 weeks? The result is a free show called To Protect, Serve, and Understand at the Brooklyn Music School.

Books
Arts

'Lost Journalism' Revisits The Golden Age Of Ring Lardner

7:41am December 31, 2016

by NPR Staff

Ron Rapoport, himself the recipient of the Ring Lardner Award for sportswriting, has collected the legendary columnist's work in a new book. Lardner wrote about sport, but also his family and travels.

Milo Yiannopoulos, a conservative columnist and Internet personality, confirmed that he has a book deal with Simon & Schuster, saying on his Facebook page: "They said banning me from Twitter would finish me off. Just as I predicted, the opposite has happe

Simon & Schuster Will Publish Book By Breitbart Editor, Despite Criticism

7:39pm December 30, 2016

by Maggie Penman

Some Simon & Schuster authors are outraged over plans to publish the book by Milo Yiannopoulos, widely known for his attacks against actress Leslie Jones on Twitter.

Books
Arts

Remembering Elie Wiesel, In His Words

4:51pm December 30, 2016

Elie Wiesel survived concentration camps in Auschwitz and Buchenwald to become a Nobel Laureate, activist and defender of human rights. He died this summer at age 87.

Arts

'Late Show' Host Says He Has Finally Found His Post-'Colbert Report' Voice

1:27pm December 30, 2016

The comic initially avoided joking about politics on The Late Show for fear that he would fall into his Colbert Report persona. Originally broadcast Nov. 2, 2016.

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How did your predictions and resolutions for 2016 stack up?

Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: In One Year And Out The Other, 2017 Edition

10:20am December 30, 2016

by Linda Holmes

Every year at this time, we revisit our resolutions and our predictions from 2016 and we make new ones for 2017. From creating more to who might win Oscars, we're working hard to figure out 2017.

Ben Affleck and Sienna Miller in Live by Night.

Arts

Affleck's 'Live By Night': An Ambitious, Frenetic But Overstuffed Gangster Film

9:01pm December 29, 2016

by Chris Klimek

Ben Affleck wrote the screenplay, directed and stars in this bloated genre exercise, which never slows down enough to pack any real emotional impact.

I Am Not Your Negro uses the words of James Baldwin to analyze American attitudes toward race.

Arts

Studios And Audiences Had Lots To Celebrate In 2016

8:01pm December 29, 2016

by Bob Mondello

This is the time of year when critics release their best-of lists. Usually, they pick the 10 best — but our film critic Bob Mondello couldn't narrow it down that much. He picked 18 of his favorites.

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Moe stands behind her tiny bar in Shanghai, where there are only eight seats and reservations are a must.

In A Massive City, This Bar Serves Up Diverse Drinks — To 8 People At A Time

7:07pm December 29, 2016

by Rob Schmitz

Bar Moju in Shanghai is tiny and only serves authentic concoctions created by its owner, Moe. To visit, you must make a reservation.

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Debbie Reynolds and her daughter, Carrie Fisher, at the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards in 2011 in Los Angeles. Reynolds' death, just one day after her daughter's, has led many to ask whether it's really possible to die of a broken heart.

Science
Arts

Is It Possible To Die Of Grief?

6:26pm December 29, 2016

by Maggie Penman

Actress Debbie Reynolds died just one day after her daughter Carrie Fisher's sudden death — which has led some to speculate that grief might have been a contributing factor.