Bowie was an explorer of what it meant to be human. In a 1999 interview, he predicted the power of the Internet — "an alien life form" — to break down the divisions between artists and the audience.
Sunil Yapa's new novel follows a group of characters through the 1999 World Trade Organization protests in Seattle. Critic Michael Schaub praises Yapa's ambition, but says his execution is amateurish.
This year's Golden Globes did not come without some surprises, especially in the TV categories. Amazon's Mozart in the Jungle won best TV comedy, and the show's main character, Gael Garcia Bernal, won best actor in the category. USA's Mr. Robot beat out Fox's Empire and HBO's Game of Thrones in the Best TV drama category. NPR reviews some of these unexpected wins.
Matt de la Pena's Last Stop on Market Street won the Newbery Medal for the best children's book of 2015. Finding Winnie, the story behind A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh, has won the Caldecott Medal for the top illustrated book.
Bowie died Sunday after a long battle with cancer, according to a representative. He released his latest album, the critically acclaimed Blackstar, on Friday, which was also his 69th birthday.
David Bowie may have been best-known for his music, but NPR's movie critic Bob Mondello points out that he was also a gifted actor, both onstage and in movies like The Man Who Fell To Earth.
Matt de la Peña becomes the first Hispanic author to win the Newbery award for children's literature, while the Caldecott picture-book prize went to a book about the real-life Winnie the Pooh.
For the Latina actress, diversity in casting helped her new show broach difficult material. "This diversity gives us the opportunity to approach topics like race from a place of experience," she says.
Social scientists and health workers worked with screenwriters and studio execs to create a binge-worthy show designed to help young Latinas make healthy life choices.