Arts & Life

Books
Arts

Carnivals, Curses And Mermaids Fall Slightly Flat In 'Speculation'

7:03am June 23, 2015

by Jason Heller

Erika Swyler's generous yet somewhat disappointing debut follows a young man and a mysterious book — but despite rich language and observations, it suffers from going in too many directions at once.

Apatow (who dressed up as Harpo Marx for Halloween in 1975) was one of the youngest kids in his grade. "When you're little, that year is impactful," he says. "You are smaller, you are behind in every possible way."

Books
Arts

Judd Apatow: A Comedy-Obsessed Kid Becomes 'Champion Of The Goofball'

1:07am June 23, 2015

When Apatow was a teen he landed interviews with an impressive roster of comics for his high school radio show. Sick in the Head is a collection of those conversations, and more recent ones as well.

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Arts

'Infinitely Polar Bear' Director Relives Childhood With Mentally Ill Parent

10:32pm June 22, 2015

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Maya Forbes and her daughter Imogene Wolodarsky about their new film, Infinitely Polar Bear. Forbes wrote and directed the fictionalized take on her own childhood.

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Books
Arts

From Civilian To Spy: How An Average Guy Helped Bust A Russian Agent

7:39pm June 22, 2015

by NPR Staff

You'd think spying on the Russians would require some training, but Naveed Jamali had none. "Probably some Magnum P.I. episodes and a few movies here and there," he says. "That was about it."

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Boston's North End is full of authentic Italian eateries. The Olive Garden is most definitely not one of them. But this weekend, an Olive Garden food truck parked there, handing out free food samples.

Arts

Mamma Mia! Olive Garden Food Truck Invades Boston's Italian Neighborhood

7:00pm June 22, 2015

by Craig Lemoult

That's right: The Italian food chain has jumped on the food truck craze. And this weekend it parked in Boston's North End, where Italian food is most sacred and many eateries go back generations.

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Arts

Obama Visits Marc Maron's Garage; Cats Annoyed They Were Shut In Bedroom

2:56pm June 22, 2015

Several months ago, the White House contacted the comedian to see if he'd be interested in having the president as his guest. "I just didn't think that it would ever happen," Maron says.

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Books
Arts

Summer Of Love: Meet Our Expert Panelists!

1:20pm June 22, 2015

by Petra Mayer

While our intern plugs away at tallying the 18,000 nominations that came in for the summer reader romance poll, we thought we'd introduce you to the expert panelists who'll help shape the final list.

Books
Arts

This Weekend, 'Caminar' Navigates Horrors With Poetry

10:26am June 22, 2015

by NPR Staff

In this installment of our Weekend Reads series, author Meg Medina selects Skila Brown's novel in poems Caminar, which follows a young boy who survives the slaughter of his village in Guatemala.

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Pilgrims leaving Canterbury, from text of the end of the Prologue to The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer.

Books
Arts

Longest Thou To Go On Summer Pilgrimage? Chaucer Hath Advice

10:19am June 22, 2015

by LeVostreGC

Our favorite medieval advice columnist returns, dispensing knowledge on everything from avoiding sunburn to glamping to road trip etiquette. And "slushy icye thinges," the best of all summer treats.

USA's Mr. Robot tells the story of a cyber-security engineer and vigilant hacker (played by Rami Malek) who also suffers from anxiety.

Arts

The Human Drama Of Hacking Fuels TV Thriller 'Mr. Robot'

10:13am June 22, 2015

by NPR Staff

The new show, which focuses on a vigilante programmer, has gotten some rave reviews from real-life hackers. But the show's creator, Sam Esmail, says he wasn't inspired by any individuals in the news.

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