Arts & Life

"I don't want you in the frame. I don't want you in the window. I want you through the window. I want you on the other side, in the world, inhabiting the world." — Chris Milk

Science
Arts

What Happens When We Step Inside The Screen?

9:13am September 12, 2015

by NPR/TED STAFF

Filmmaker Chris Milk uses cutting-edge technology to create a film experience that immerses the viewer. He explains how virtual reality has allowed him to create the "ultimate empathy machine."

Queue Listen Now

"The one thing that a child never says or never thinks when ... they interact with typical passive media is 'I did it'." — Dimitri Christakis

When It Comes To Kids, Is All Screen Time Equal?

9:13am September 12, 2015

by NPR/TED STAFF

Pediatrician Dimitri Christakis explains how different forms of screen time affects kids and their ability to learn and develop.

Queue Listen Now

Undermajordomo Minor, by Patrick DeWitt.

Books
Arts

A Fable's Foibles: In Gilded Language, This Folk Tale Gets To The Point

7:03am September 12, 2015

by Colin Dwyer

Author Patrick DeWitt knows well how to mine delight from despair. But his distinctive dark humor gathers a few rays of light in Undermajordomo Minor -- a scrambled folk tale that keeps a quick pace.

It took volunteers 25 hours to move 750,000 plastic balls from the National Building Museum's "Beach" installation to Dupont Underground, a creative arts institution in Washington, D.C.

Doomsday For The Dunes Of Plastic Balls: The End Comes For 'The Beach'

11:17pm September 11, 2015

by Mallory Yu

Dozens of volunteers moved more than 750,000 plastic balls this week from the National Building Museum's Beach installation to Dupont Underground, a creative arts institution in Washington, D.C.

Queue Listen Now

President Obama presents the 2014 National Humanities Medal to Alice Waters during an East Room ceremony at the White House on Thursday. Alice Waters was honored for celebrating the bond between the ethical and the edible as a chef, author and advocate.

Arts

Alice Waters, Healthy Food Advocate, Receives Humanities Medal

6:49pm September 11, 2015

by NPR Staff

President Obama awarded chef and author Alice Waters with the National Humanities Medal on Thursday. The advocate of sustainable eating explains what it means to have her work recognized this way.

Queue Listen Now

Ravi Patel and his sister, Geeta, worked together on the documentary Meet the Patels, in which Ravi struggles to find a partner both he and his parents love.

'Meet The Patels': One Man's Quest To Find Love, The Old-School Indian Way

6:43pm September 11, 2015

by Karen Grigsby Bates

Ravi Patel had tried and failed to find "The One." So he reluctantly let his parents arrange for him to meet dozens of prospects. And his sister has filmed the whole thing — for our viewing pleasure.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

An Afghan Writer Wants To Return Home, But It Could Cost Him His Life

6:43pm September 11, 2015

by Elizabeth Ross

Qais Akbar Omar's memoir has been translated into more than 20 languages. But his outspoken criticism of Afghanistan's government has created problems for him and his family back in Kabul.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

A Doctor Reflects On Race And Medicine In 'Black Man In A White Coat'

4:25pm September 11, 2015

Black Man in a White Coat is Damon Tweedy's memoir of his experience as a young black doctor. NPR's Linda Wertheimer speaks to him about how the medical field addresses race.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

'Not Funny' Proves Potent On A Tough Subject

3:10pm September 11, 2015

by Etelka Lehoczky

Leah Hayes' new graphic novel presents, in simple terms and unassuming pinkish illustrations, the story of two women who decide to get abortions, the choices they make and the steps they go through.

This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by Jonathan Evison

Books
Arts

With A Touch Of Snark, 'Harriet Chance' Lays Its Protagonist Bare

3:03pm September 11, 2015

by Jason Sheehan

The heroine of Jonathan Evison's new novel is 78 years old, chronically drunk and talks to the ghost of her dead husband. Critic Jason Sheehan says the book portrays "darkness with a forced smile."