culture

Alexander Skarsgård is on a quest to avenge his father's murder in The Northman.

Arts

Alexander Skarsgård lost his voice — and found catharsis — as a Viking berserker

1:41pm May 04, 2022

by Terry Gross

The Swedish actor describes himself as "quite a mellow guy." Playing a Viking warrior in the film The Northman gave Skarsgård a chance to tap into his animalistic nature.

Queue Listen Now

Actress Bea Arthur (left) portrayed the title character of Maude in the 1970s. Gina Rodriguez starred in Jane the Virgin. Both of their characters had a decision to make about abortion.

Arts

TV has brought the abortion debate home since the 1970s

10:03am May 04, 2022

by Elizabeth Blair

Bea Arthur as Maude had an abortion in 1972. Jane the Virgin's lead character made a different choice decades later.

Mark Hamill (right) and Anthony Daniels reprise their roles of Luke Skywalker and C-3PO in the radio adaptation of Star Wars.

Arts

On May the 4th, let's remember the time NPR had a 'Star Wars' radio drama

8:02am May 04, 2022

by Derek John

Some of you may have forgotten (and some might not even know) that the network created three radio dramas based on George Lucas' original three movies.

Comedian Dave Chappelle attends a boxing bout Nov. 6, 2021, in Las Vegas.

Arts

Dave Chappelle was physically attacked in the middle of his performance in LA

6:44am May 04, 2022

The incident comes months after Chappelle faced controversy over his 2021 Netflix special The Closer, in which he makes jokes about transgender women.

Critics say Ron Carter left a big footprint in music, especially for bassists.

85-year-old bassist Ron Carter has no plans on slowing down

6:17am May 04, 2022

by Tom Vitale

The roster of musicians Carter has worked with ranges from Ornette Coleman to Aretha Franklin, Roberta Flack and A Tribe Called Quest.

Silhouette of boy in front of a television screen.

Arts

There's too much TV to keep up. Have we hit the limit?

2:11pm May 03, 2022

by Linda Holmes

It's not that there are too many bad shows. It's that there are too many perfectly fine ones. That has implications for jobs in Hollywood.

Books
Arts

'Family Of Liars' reveals secrets at the core of the Sinclair family

11:22am May 03, 2022

by Gabino Iglesias

E. Lockhart's prequel to We Were Liars works perfectly well, too, as a standalone coming-of-age novel about grief, addiction, young love, and learning to navigate the world.

Books
Arts

'The Premonitions Bureau' considers whether some can sense future events

5:00am May 03, 2022

by Ilana Masad

Though winding at times, Sam Knight's book is thought-provoking and deeply researched, presenting the oddity of realized premonitions while allowing readers to come to their own conclusions.

Tracey Collins and New York City Mayor Eric Adams at the 2022 Met Gala on Monday in New York City.

NYC mayor's 'End Gun Violence' Met Gala jacket sparks criticism online

10:20pm May 02, 2022

by Jonathan Franklin

The tuxedo jacket features iconic features of New York, including the Brooklyn Bridge. It also displays a large handgun with a red slash through it.

Arts

See All The Best Looks From The Met Gala 2022

9:49pm May 02, 2022

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

It's the annual high-stakes fashion soiree is a major money-maker for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute and an opportunity for mega-wattage stars and influencers to turn out in style.