culture

Arts

Robin Thede wants her sketch show to open doors for other Black voices

1:39pm August 15, 2022

by Tonya Mosley

Thede's HBO series, A Black Lady Sketch Show, is the first sketch comedy show solely written, directed and starring Black women. "It is a nonstop job," she says of the various hats she wears.

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Emily Meggett, the author of Gullah Geechee Home Cooking. Meggett published her cookbook at age 89.

For this 89-year-old Gullah Geechee chef, cooking is about heart

6:30am August 15, 2022

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

Emily Meggett has spent decades caring for her community and family with her delicious, traditional Gullah Geechee food from South Carolina. Now, she's sharing that cuisine with the world.

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Rafael López poses with his mariachi stamps in a classroom at the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum. The set was launched in August.

For the first time, the Postal Service features mariachi musicians on stamps

7:19pm August 14, 2022

by Gabriel J. Sánchez

Artist Rafael López used his upbringing in Mexico City for inspiration. It took two years of development before the set launched, and each stamp will carry on a cultural legacy forever.

Books
Arts

The Chautauqua Institution's role after the Salman Rushdie attack

5:20pm August 14, 2022

Following Salman Rushdie's stabbing at an event in western New York, NPR's Michel Martin speaks with the Chautauqua Institution's Emily Morris about the organization's role going forward.

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People ride a shopping cart down a street as a cloud of clothes and smoke billows behind them.

Arts

T-boy swag: Claiming space where trans people feel we don't inherently belong

7:00am August 14, 2022

by Reanna Cruz

I've spent a lot of time figuring out my gender by clinging to objects. I dress like Turtle from Entourage – his presentation of gender embodies a distinct vibe that I wish to harness in my journey.

Olivia Newton-John at a London press conference in 1978. The pop singer, actress and activist died August 8 at 73.

Olivia Newton-John, a sexy nerd for the rest of us

5:00am August 14, 2022

by Evie Nagy

She was never just that prim prude from the start of Grease, nor the strutting vamp from its finale. Her superpower, for over 50 years, was embodying both at once.

Vera Farmiga plays Dr. Anna Pou in Five Days at Memorial.

Arts

'Five Days at Memorial' showcases John Ridley's skill at tough stories

7:34pm August 13, 2022

by Eric Deggans

Executive producer, writer and director John Ridley says he tried to take an unbiased view of this new Apple+ drama based on what actually happened.

Lars Ulrich of Metallica performs in concert.

Arts

'Wait Wait' for August 13, 2022: Live from the Past!

10:06am August 13, 2022

It's summertime and the living is still sort of complicated. While we enjoy our summer break, we bring you a show filled with some of our favorite in-person guests!

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The award-winning novelist Chibundu Onuzo has lately been thinking about her life in London and her visits to Nigeria, where she was born: "What do I love most about my trips to Lagos? I lose my self-consciousness there. If I stand out, it's for something

My brother made it in Lagos — and taught me lessons about my life in London

8:34am August 13, 2022

by Chibundu Onuzo

The author Chibundu Onuzo reflects on her older brother's path to success after leaving the U.K. for their native Nigeria — and wonders whether she should consider joining him.

Author Salman Rushdie was attacked on a lecture stage in New York

7:54pm August 12, 2022

by Dustin Jones

Rushdie was apparently stabbed in the neck by an attacker who rushed the stage at the Chautauqua Institution. The suspect was taken into custody and Rushdie was transported to a nearby hospital.