Siblings' Separation Haunts In 'Kite Runner' Author's Latest
()Khaled Hosseini's new novel, like his two earlier works, is set partly in Afghanistan — but this time, political turmoil isn't a major element of the plot. Instead, And The Mountains Echoed is a story of a family's loss that spans decades and continents.
Author Interviews
'Waiting To Be Heard' No More, Amanda Knox Speaks Out ()
May 18, 2013 Less than two months into her study abroad program in Italy, Amanda Knox was accused and eventually convicted of murdering her roommate, Meredith Kercher. After her conviction was overturned, Knox returned home to Seattle — and now faces a potential retrial. Knox tells her story in a new memoir.
Movie Reviews
New 'Trek' Goes 'Into Darkness,' But Not Much Deeper()
May 18, 2013 NPR's Bob Mondello says J.J. Abrams' latest Star Trek film knows how to make the sparks and feelings fly, but doesn't bother making the sparks and feeling matter very much.
Monkey See
Working Women On Television: A Mixed Bag At Best()
May 18, 2013 Research shows that prime-time television isn't a bad place to find portrayals of working women. Working moms and working women over 40 are another story.
Author Interviews
Dan Brown: 'Inferno' Is 'The Book That I Would Want To Read'()
May 18, 2013 Dan Brown, author of the blockbuster The Da Vinci Code, is back with his first novel in four years. Inferno follows academic hero Robert Langdon on a chase through Italy as he attempts to avert a biological catastrophe.
Books
Author Elliott Holt Says: 'Go West, Young Woman'()
May 18, 2013 In this Q&A, author Elliott Holt discusses her six favorite novels about expatriates. She also talks about what it's like to be in your 20s, and the importance of travel and exploration.
Author Interviews
'That's That': A Memoir Of Loving And Leaving Northern Ireland()
May 18, 2013 Colin Broderick's new memoir, That's That, chronicles his childhood in Northern Ireland during the modern-day "Troubles." Broderick says growing up in what was essentially a war zone seemed normal to him at the time.
The Salt
'Picture Cook': Drawings Are The Key Ingredients In These Recipes()
May 17, 2013 Designer Katie Shelly's upcoming cookbook offers 50 illustrated recipe "blueprints" for basic meals — from simple snacks to more hefty dishes like eggplant Parmesan. She hopes they'll inspire any level of cook to improvise in the kitchen.
Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!
Not My Job: Three Headless Chicken Questions For Alice Cooper()
May 18, 2013 We've invited the heavy metal rocker to answer three questions about Mike, a chicken in the 1940s who lost his head and still went on to achieve fame and fortune.
Movie Interviews
Quinto Turns Inward To Find Spock's Soul()
May 17, 2013 Playing the famous half-Vulcan requires a little meditative depth and a lot of brow-shaving. Heroes villain Zachary Quinto plays Spock in the reboot of the Star Trek franchise, with the blessing of original Spock Leonard Nimoy. Quinto tells NPR about befriending Nimoy, shaping eyebrows and more.
Around the Nation
Michigan LGBT Youth Center Does Outreach With A Dance 'Hook'()
May 17, 2013 MRThe Ruth Ellis Center in Highland Park, Mich., is making an effort to meet its clients where they are — on the dance floor, specifically with the dance form known as "vogue." From there, the center can connect them with counseling, health services, tutoring and clean clothes.
Code Switch
'Venus And Serena': An Extraordinary Story, Told On Film()
May 17, 2013 The amazing tale of two sisters from a poor neighborhood — who play tennis unlike anyone before them and each reach No. 1 in the world — is one we're not likely to see again.
Movie Reviews
Greta Gerwig, Blithely Spirited As 'Frances Ha'()
May 16, 2013 The indie darling returns in a winning collaboration with Noah Baumbach that tracks her developmentally arrested dancer heroine through the transition from protracted adolescence to reluctant adulthood. (Recommended)
Movie Reviews
'Into Darkness,' Boldly And With A Few Twists()
May 16, 2013 The 12th film based on Gene Roddenberry's '60s sci-fi TV show is the second to star a new group of actors as Kirk, Spock and their crew. J.J. Abrams returns as director, and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch plays the memorable villain.
Monkey See
A Farewell To 'The Office': The 10 Best Episodes()
May 16, 2013 As The Office reaches its end, we look at 10 favorite episodes.
Tina Brown's Must-Reads
Tina Brown's Must-Reads: On Luck, Good And Bad()
May 16, 2013 In the latest edition of Word of Mouth on Morning Edition, Steve Inskeep talks to Newsweek editor Tina Brown to get her reading recommendations.
Movie Reviews
'Augustine' And Her Diagnosis Get Another Look()
May 16, 2013 A 19th-century neurologist develops an intense relationship with an illiterate teenage maid who experiences erotic pleasure during intense bouts of "hysteria." French writer-director Alice Winocour's feature debut is based on an actual 19th-century case history.
