Superlatives Notwithstanding, Even 'The Force' Has Its Limits
NPR film critic Bob Mondello's been listening to the Star Wars hype train. Here's why he isn't climbing aboard.
Arts & Life
The Real Woods Behind Winnie-The-Pooh's Forest
Winnie-the-Pooh's Hundred Acre Wood is based on a real forest in the English countryside. NPR's Ari Shapiro visits Ashdown Forest with Kathryn Aalto, author of The Natural World of Winnie-the-Pooh.
Amid Controversy, Scholastic Pulls Picture Book About Washington's Slave
The book tells the story of Hercules, a slave who President George Washington used as a chef. The book shows Hercules and his daughter happy and taking pride in making Washington a birthday cake.
When Ancestry Search Led To Escaped Slave: 'All I Could Do Was Weep'
Regina Mason's great-great-great-grandfather, a man named William Grimes, was a runaway slave and the author of what is now considered to be the first fugitive slave narrative.
Actor Idris Elba To U.K. Politicians: More Diverse Roles Needed
"When you don't reflect the real world, too much talent gets trashed," the Golden Globe winner says. Elba is scheduled to speak to senior TV executives and more than 100 members of Parliament.
A Belgian Playwright Tackles Muslim Radicalization With Comedy
"We have a problem," says Belgian Muslim playwright Ismaël Saïdi. His solution: writing and producing a comedy play about three men who go to fight a holy war. It's become an unlikely hit in Brussels.
'Fake Missed Connections' A Genre Of Its Own
Brett Fletcher Lauer was lost after his divorce and began posting fake "missed connections" on Craigslist. NPR's Rachel Martin talks to him about his book "Fake Missed Connections."
'The Crooked House' Is Haunted, In A World That Denies Ghosts
Christobel Kent's literary thriller follows a young woman who reinvents herself — even taking a new name — after the mysterious murder of most of her family. But she can't escape the past forever.
In 'Anything For You,' Raising A Last Glass To Blue Heron Vineyard
This weekend, we're rewinding the NPR Books Time Machine to look at Kristan Higgins' beloved Blue Heron romance series, which wrapped up last month with book five, Anything For You.
With Leap To HBO, Big Bird's Got A Brand-New Way To Get To 'Sesame Street'
Shiny new digs (in more ways than one) are reshaping the children's TV show, which premieres Saturday on HBO. The show's executive producer — and Elmo himself — tell how the neighborhood's changed.