Arts News

Three-Minute Fiction: And The Winner Is ?
The clock on our Three-Minute Fiction contest is ticking. Stay tuned, and we'll reveal our latest winner on Sunday.
Clinging To The Past And 'The Invisible World'
Set in the buildup to Indonesia's 1965 civil war, Tash Aw's Map of the Invisible World is the story of a 16-year-old boy on a quest to find his stepfather.
Paddy Moloney Of The Chieftains Plays Not My Job
For Paddy Moloney, March is about St. Patrick's Day — he founded the traditional Irish band The Chieftains 48 years ago. But for us, March is about March Madness. So we've asked Moloney to answer three questions about Fighting Irishmen, and other NCAA mascots.
In A Texas Jail, An Exclusive SXSW Concert
At the South by Southwest Music Festival this week in Austin, Texas, one of the most exclusive events was an unofficial, invitation-only concert — at the Travis County Correctional Complex. Wayne Kramer of MC5, Billy Bragg, and others were there to launch a music therapy initiative called Jail Guitar Doors.
Kathleen Turner Channels Molly Ivins' 'Kick-Ass Wit'
Kathleen Turner stars in Red Hot Patriot: The Kick-Ass Wit of Molly Ivins, a one-woman show based on the life and work of a brassy Texan columnist who helped break journalism's glass ceiling. The show runs in Philadelphia through April 18.
Abraham Lincoln Reborn As A Vampire Slayer
Then suppose that, in 19th-century America, the forces of good and evil battled for the soul of the new republic — what we now know as the Civil War. Author Seth Grahame-Smith explores that premise in a new book you can really sink your teeth into.
My Very Own Gagavolution
Lady Gaga, you make me feel like a teenage gay boy again. Maybe you could sprinkle some meaning in your lyrics? Or not. Just whatever you do, keep making people squirm.
Punk Hacker, Meet Punk'd Hack: Discuss
Based on a popular novel by Swedish author Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo follows the unlikely partnership between a brilliant young hacker and a discredited investigative journalist who team up to solve a 40-year-old murder. Hollywood already plans to remake it, but you're better off catching the original.
Keeping The Russian Revolution Alive
When Vladimir Lenin — leader of the Russian Revolution — died, Stalin hired two scientists to preserve his body. A new play called Lenin's Embalmers explores the story. Stuart Firestein and Vern Thiessen explain how the play brings together science, politics and, strangely enough, humor.
'Life' (And Other Good Things) Premiering On TV
The AMC series Breaking Bad and the new Discovery Channel nature series Life premiere on Sunday night — and Showtimes' Nurse Jackie and The United States of Tara are back Monday. TV Critic David Bianculli reviews all four — and tells you which ones are worth watching.
Actor Bryan Cranston, 'Breaking' With Type
Best known as the dad on Fox TV's Malcolm in the Middle, Cranston talks with Terry Gross about his latest role — a meth-cooking high-school chemistry teacher in AMC's Breaking Bad.
Selling Girl Power, With A Man Counting The Cash
A story of the sultry all-girl '70s rock band fronted by Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, The Runaways is an exhilarating story of female self-expression that's also a cautionary tale of female exploitation. Kristen Stewart co-stars as Jett, but critic David Edelstein says it's Dakota Fanning as Currie who gives the film its electricity.
Shake Or Stir, But Please Don't Sweeten
A proper martini isn't made with vodka. It isn't green, and its ingredients do not include fruit flavoring or chocolate. For food commentator Bonny Wolf, these points are not insignificant, so Wolf shares her recipe for the perfect martini, a pleasure that needs no sweetening.
Tehran Halts Travel By Poet Called 'Lioness Of Iran'
Simin Behbahani, Iran's most prominent poet, was about to board a flight to Paris when police seized her passport. Behbahani, 82 and nearly blind, has not been charged with any crime. Many fear her treatment may signal a rise in repressive tactics by Iran's government.
The Word Is Out: A New Voice For 'On Language'
This weekend, Ben Zimmer will take over The New York Times Magazine column William Safire originated in 1979 and continued to write until his death last year. Zimmer's first column will be on the word "no."