Search results for

NPR's Tavis Smiley checks in with tech guru Omar Wasow of Blackplanet.com about cool tech toys for the summer. Among the new items: waterproof digital cameras for the beach and soaker-style water toys for the kids, including a water-powered rocket.

E.L. Doctorow became famous with his 1975 best-seller Ragtime. The author says voracious reading and the ever-present music of his youth helped nurture his talent for turning a phrase and honing a tale. He speaks with NPR's Susan Stamberg for Intersections, a series on artists' inspirations.

NPR's Madeleine Brand speaks with NPR arts editor Bill Wyman about the cancellation of this year's Lollapalooza music festival, due to poor ticket sales.

The phrase "extreme sports" may conjure up images of skiiers leaping from airplanes -- but probably not dodgeball. The one-time gym-class activity is becoming a hot sport, and there's a new television show dedicated to it. Day to Day TV critic Andrew Wallenstein takes a cynical look at GSN's Extreme Dodgeball.

The parade of summer blockbusters continues this week, with the most eagerly awaited sequel of the year. Spiderman 2 swings onto thousands of screens on Wednesday. NPR's Bob Mondello has a review.

Spider-Man 2 weaves its way into U.S. movie theaters Wednesday. Tobey Maguire returns as the title superhero, this time suffering a crisis of confidence. Alfred Molina joins the cast as his evil nemesis, Dr. Otto Octavius -- better known to Spidey fans as Doctor Octopus. Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan has a review.

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks with Zalmai Ahad about his new book Return, Afghanistan, a photography collection of Afghanistan. An exhibition of his work opens Wednesday at the National Geographic Museum.

Despite commentator Joseph C. Phillips' diatribe against the movie Soul Plane and the African-American stereotyping he says it represents, the film still made it back into the top 12 films nationwide last weekend. This Father's Day, Phillips is looking outside the multiplex to gatherings taking place in cities across the country.

In the final installment of our bi-annual motivation series, NPR's Tavis Smiley talks with best-selling author and financial consultant Dennis Kimbro.

Animation critic and historian Charles Solomon reports on the growing popularity of Japanese animation, known as anime, in the United States.