Accessibility links
Culture Art and entertainment commentary plus interviews, book reviews, movie reviews, music reviews, comedy, and visual art. Subscribe to podcasts and follow trends in music, painting, art, architecture, photography, and design.

Culture

Mary Trump, E. Jean Carroll and Jennifer Taub launch romance novel on Substack

An illustration for Backstory Serial, the Substack home for Mary Trump, E. Jean Carroll and Jennifer Taub's romance project The Italian Lesson. James Lake hide caption

toggle caption
James Lake

Books

Mary Trump, E. Jean Carroll and Jennifer Taub launch romance novel on Substack

Love works in mysterious ways. The unlikely trio has teamed up on a story called The Italian Lesson. "An American woman goes to a hill town in Tuscany, opens a café, meets this hunk," Trump says.

Mary Trump, E. Jean Carroll and Jennifer Taub launch romance novel on Substack

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1179599933/1179850237" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Little Richard Documentary celebrates the talent — and mystery — of a legend

Rock 'n' roll legend Little Richard is the subject of a new PBS American Masters documentary. He's shown above rehearsing at London's Wembley Stadium in 1972. Tim Graham/Evening Standard/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Tim Graham/Evening Standard/Getty Images

Review

Movie Reviews

Little Richard Documentary celebrates the talent — and mystery — of a legend

Fresh Air

A new PBS American Masters documentary showcases the influence of Little Richard, a dynamo performer who never let himself be defined for long by any one musical category or sexual identity.

Little Richard Documentary celebrates the talent — and mystery — of a legend

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1179426606/1179781328" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Tupperware once changed women's lives. Now it struggles to survive

Tupperware is now selling some products at Target, but it still makes most of its money through individual sellers. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Business

Tupperware once changed women's lives. Now it struggles to survive

The brand turned homemakers into saleswomen and became synonymous with kitchen storage. But it has relied on Tupperware parties for sales--and struggled to keep its business fresh. Is its fate sealed?

Tupperware once changed women's lives. Now it struggles to survive

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1178876648/1179524283" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Our 5 favorite exhibits from 'This Is New York' — a gritty, stylish city celebration

In a town where private space is at a premium, this 1953 photo from Michael "Tony" Vaccaro taken for LOOK magazine shows off a stylish way to get a city view. Michael "Tony" Vaccaro /Museum of the City of New York hide caption

toggle caption
Michael "Tony" Vaccaro /Museum of the City of New York

Pop Culture

Our 5 favorite exhibits from 'This Is New York' — a gritty, stylish city celebration

The Museum of the City of New York is marking its centennial with an exhibition of NYC-inspired film, TV, music and fashion. But this is real New York, "not a love letter," says one of the curators.

Our 5 favorite exhibits from 'This Is New York' — a gritty, stylish city celebration

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1178001907/1179378219" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Tony Awards have gendered actor categories — where do non-binary people fit?

Alex Newell has been nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Emilio Madrid/Shucked hide caption

toggle caption
Emilio Madrid/Shucked

Theater

Tony Awards have gendered actor categories — where do non-binary people fit?

"We don't gender other people's professions," says actor Alex Newell. "You say ... I'm going to my dentist and I need to hire a plumber." But Broadway's highest honors have male/female distinctions.

Tony Awards have gendered actor categories — where do non-binary people fit?

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1178027738/1179524289" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
In 'You Hurt My Feelings,' the stakes are low but deeply relatable

Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Beth in You Hurt My Feelings. A24 hide caption

toggle caption
A24

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

In 'You Hurt My Feelings,' the stakes are low but deeply relatable

You Hurt My Feelings is the latest film from the writer and director Nicole Holofcener. It stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as a writer who discovers that her husband (Tobias Menzies) doesn't like her new book. She's rattled so hard that it threatens her marriage. The supporting cast also includes Michaela Watkins, Arian Moayed, and Owen Teague.

In 'You Hurt My Feelings,' the stakes are low but deeply relatable

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1176702339/1179107325" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
He was expelled after he refused to cut his afro. 57 years later, he got his degree

Otis Taylor at his belated graduation in May, 2023. Evan Semón hide caption

toggle caption
Evan Semón

Main Character of the Day

He was expelled after he refused to cut his afro. 57 years later, he got his degree

In 1966, Otis Taylor was refused his high school diploma from Manual High School in Denver, Colo., for refusing to cut off his afro at the administration's request.

He was expelled after he refused to cut his afro. 57 years later, he got his degree

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1179255665/1179297373" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Browse archive or search npr.org