Savage Beauty: The Top 3 Poems Of 2011
()Poet Tracy K. Smith's three favorite poems of 2011 blur the private and public, the personal and political, and will refresh how you look at language and the world.
Best Books Of 2011
Truth And Beauty: 2011's Best American Poetry()
December 29, 2011 Critic David Orr surveys the "jumbled landscape" of American poetry to select his favorite collections of the year: five books that will alternately comfort and challenge you.
Movie Reviews
A Good Daughter, But A 'Pariah' Among Her Own()
December 29, 2011 In a vital first feature, director Dee Rees turns in a clear-eyed study of a largely unknown subculture — and one of the finest coming-of-age movies in years. (Recommended)
Movie Interviews
Coming Out, Coming Of Age As A Teen 'Pariah'()
December 28, 2011 A black 17-year-old struggles with how to be in the world in a new film directed by Dee Rees. Pariah charmed audiences at the Sundance Film Festival in January — and Rees and producer Nekisa Cooper say the film has been cathartic for their own families as well.
Opinion
A Poem A Day: Portable, Peaceful And Perfect()
December 26, 2011 Want a bit of quiet in a harried world? Author Alan Heathcock has found the solution — he reads a poem every morning, and he's found himself in love with the genre.
Movies
2011 In Film: Five Breakthrough Documentaries()
December 28, 2011 It's been a great year for documentary films — and the best of the bunch succeeded because they challenged the norms of the form.
Best Books Of 2011
Staff Picks: The Best Music Books Of 2011()
December 28, 2011 The NPR Music staff presents 12 titles that range from the art of album covers to disco to Def Jam to metal to MTV. This year, our favorite music reads were mostly revealing biographies and wide-spanning analyses.
New In Paperback
At Home: A Widow's Life, A Tiger Mother's Tale, And A Call For Compassion()
December 28, 2011 Just in time for New Year's reading, Stewart O'Nan returns with a captivating look at the life of a widow, while Deborah Harkness offers a tale of magical mayhem unleashed by a manuscript at Oxford. In nonfiction, Karen Armstrong invites readers to deepen their compassion and Amy Chua offers a call to arms for "Tiger Mothers."
Movies
2011 In Film: Two Pictures That Hit The Right Notes()
December 28, 2011 In two of the year's notable indie movies, a character performs a song — in its entirety — in a way that recasts the meaning and tone and reveals character.
The Best Of Fresh Air 2011
Aaron Paul: Playing Bad On 'Breaking Bad'()
December 27, 2011 Student-turned-drug dealer Jesse Pinkman was supposed to die in the first season of the AMC drama. But the writers decided the chemistry between high school teacher Walter White (Bryan Cranston) and Jesse (Aaron Paul) was too good to let go.
Fine Art
Abstract Artist Helen Frankenthaler Dies At Age 83()
December 27, 2011 At a time when the art world was still dominated by men, Frankenthaler's canvasses earned the respect of critics and influenced generations of artists. One of the major abstract expressionist painters of the 20th century, Frankenthaler died Tuesday at her home in Connecticut.
Author Interviews
Bill Cosby Enlists Santa's Staff For A Silent Night()
December 25, 2011 Every year, the comedian's three young grandchildren visit him for Christmas. Problem is, "they're annoying," he says. So Cosby came up with a plan to calm the squabbling children and restore Christmas cheer to his household.
Food
Jewish And Mexican Cooking Meet In 'Challa-peño'()
December 25, 2011 Alex Schmidt's grandparents say that the best Jewish food they've ever eaten came from Mexico. They remember a legendary husband-and-wife catering team who made downtown Mexico City feel like the shtetls of Eastern Europe. Schmidt visits her grandmother to find out more about fusing two culinary traditions.
Author Interviews
A Jewish Perspective On The New Testament()
December 24, 2011 The New Testament is constantly being re-interpreted from a variety of perspectives — from feminists, to socialists, to traditionalists; there's even a version as seen through the prism of Star Wars. Now you can add to the collection The Jewish Annotated New Testament, the first annotated version of the New Testament from an entirely Jewish point of view.
The Salt
Pride And Prejudice: For Latinos, Tamales Offer Up A Delicious Serving Of Both()
December 24, 2011 Latin America has hundreds of interpretations of this Christmas Eve treat – tamales vary not just by country but often by region. So whose version is best? That's a question likely to elicit a fiercely partisan response.
Television
The Good Old Yule Log Spreads To HDTV()
December 24, 2011 The yule log debuted on WPIX in New York City 45 years ago this Christmas. Since its first broadcast, the log has inspired a quirky genre of film that's finding new popularity on high-definition televisions and beyond.
Movie Reviews
'Blood And Honey': In Bosnia, In The Enemy's Arms()
December 23, 2011 Set during the Bosnian War, Angelina Jolie's directorial debut is about the strained relationship between a Serbian soldier (Goran Kostic) and a Bosnian captive.
