Arts & Life

Books
Arts

Lewis And Clark Battle Giant Spiders In 'Dead Lands'

2:43pm April 15, 2015

by Jason Sheehan

Benjamin Percy's new thriller re-tells the story of Lewis and Clark's expedition, against a postapocalyptic future backdrop where the Mississippi has dried up and monsters roam the West.

Arts

'Justified' Ends With An Unpredictable, Poetic And Memorable Finale

2:22pm April 15, 2015

by David Bianculli

After six seasons on the FX network, Justified ended Tuesday. "What a triumph," says critic David Bianculli who adds that he loved the finale's "touches of grace" and "emphasis on character and tone."

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Books
Arts

'The Fishermen' Ventures Into Dark Waters

12:19pm April 15, 2015

by Michael Schaub

Chigozie Obioma's novel follows a group of young boys who disobey their elders to spend afternoons fishing on the banks of an unlucky river, and the terrible consequences that flow from that choice.

In Ex Machina, the world's first artificial intelligence, played by Alicia Vikander, possesses more emotional intelligence than originally intended.

Arts

More Fear Of Human Intelligence Than Artificial Intelligence In 'Ex Machina'

7:45pm April 14, 2015

by NPR Staff

"The anxiety in this film is much more directed at the humans," director Alex Garland tells NPR's Audie Cornish. "It was more in defense of artificial intelligence."

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Timothy Olyphant plays Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens on FX's Justified. The series finale airs tonight.

Arts

The 'Justified' Finale Brings An End To Another TV Western

5:30pm April 14, 2015

by Eric Deggans

FX's powerful modern-day Western 'Justified' airs its series finale tonight. NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans says its end underscores the decline of a once-powerful TV genre.

Books
Arts

'The Children's Crusade': A Heavily Plotted Family Saga To Dive Into And Savor

5:13pm April 14, 2015

by Maureen Corrigan

Ann Packer's latest is about a young Navy doctor who, after the Korean War, builds a house south of San Francisco. Fifty years later, his four adult children argue over the property.

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In House of Cards, Kevin Spacey plays Frank Underwood, a politician who climbs to power using ruthless manipulation. Underwood's wife is Claire, played by Robin Wright.

Arts

Forget Right And Wrong: 'House Of Cards' Is About Pragmatism And Power

3:05pm April 14, 2015

Kevin Spacey strangles a dog in the pilot, which creator Beau Willimon says producers balked at because they'd lose viewers. But "why not provide that litmus test right at the beginning?" he says.

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A pear in a bottle at Westford Hill Distillery's orchard in Ashford, Conn.

Arts

Clear Fruit Brandies Pack An Orchard Into A Bottle

2:26pm April 14, 2015

by Jill Neimark

French-style eaux de vie have made a comeback in the U.S. thanks to the farm-to-table movement. Dozens of distilleries are now crafting dry, fragrant spirits from fruits that might have been wasted.

Books
Arts

'Gutshot' Is Gloriously Grand Guignol

12:22pm April 14, 2015

by Colin Dwyer

Amelia Gray's new story collection is brimming with gore, guts, madness and deviance. Reviewer Colin Dwyer says Gray is reclaiming a place in literature for our bloody, clumsy, inconvenient bodies.

Sandwich Monday: Breakfast In A Tin

11:14am April 14, 2015

by Gillian Donovan

This week, we try a British delicacy: All Day Breakfast in a can. We may be using the word delicacy incorrectly.