Arts & Life

Books
Arts

Swordswoman, Opera Singer, Runaway: 'Goddess' Chronicles A Fabled Life

10:43am October 03, 2015

by NPR Staff

Author Kelly Gardiner's new novel is a fictionalized version of the life of Julie d'Aubigny, a swashbuckling 17th-century fencer-turned-opera singer whose exploits often seem stranger than fiction.

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Arts

The Mysteries Of Family, Captured In 'Invisible Ink'

7:03am October 03, 2015

by Etelka Lehoczky

Cartoonist Bill Griffith discovered as an adult that his mother had had a 16-year affair with another man, also a cartoonist. In Invisible Ink, he digs into the secrets surrounding his family.

'Uniquely Nasty' Remembers The U.S. Ban On Gay Federal Workers

7:01pm October 02, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel talks to Michael Isikoff and Charles Francis about their documentary Uniquely Nasty, which explores the government's campaign against gay workers starting in the 1950s.

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Women have long been told their place is in the kitchen — but not as chefs. To this day, only about 20 percent of chefs are women.

Arts

Taking The Heat: Is Foodie Culture Making Room For Female Chefs?

4:53pm October 02, 2015

by Jasmine Garsd

Women have long been told their place is in the kitchen — but not as chefs. To this day, only about 20 percent of chefs are women. With the growth of "foodie" culture, that might finally be changing.

Arts

'The Martian' Is A Gripping, Out-Of-This World Space Saga

4:02pm October 02, 2015

by David Edelstein

Ridley Scott's new film stars Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded on Mars. Critic David Edelstein says The Martian features special effects that make you feel like you are seeing the real red planet.

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The Great Bluff That Led To A 'Magical' Pill And A Sexual Revolution

4:02pm October 02, 2015

In the '50s, four people collaborated to create a pill that would allow women to enjoy sex. Jonathan Eig details the history in The Birth of the Pill. Originally broadcast Oct. 7, 2014.

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Books
Arts

'M Train' Is A Poetic Journey Through Life And Loss

3:12pm October 02, 2015

by Heller McAlpin

Patti Smith's new memoir is a dreamy, elegiac recollection of loved ones gone too soon, energized by her interests and travels. It jumps in time, from her husband's death in 1994 to Hurricane Sandy.

Books
Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Ms. Marvel' And Regrettable Television

2:20pm October 02, 2015

by Linda Holmes

This week's show has Ms. Marvel, terrible television, live show news, and a lot of laughing, not to mention what's making us happy this week.

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Books
Arts

Grief Is Unpredictable In 'After You'

12:27pm October 02, 2015

by Bobbi Dumas

Jojo Moyes' follow-up to her 2012 best-seller Me Before You picks up with heroine Lou, heartbroken after the death of her love Will. Stuck in a bad job and numb with grief, Lou must build a new world.

Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) faces insurmountable odds as he tries to survive on a hostile planet.

Arts

Ridley Scott Finds An Optimistic Space In 'The Martian'

11:57am October 02, 2015

by Chris Klimek

Starring Matt Damon as an astronaut stranded on Mars, The Martian retains the humor and ingenuity of Andy Weir's novel, even if Damon's crewmates are a bit too good-looking after months in space.