Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'adventure'

'Angelology': A Cross-Bred Monster Of A Mystery

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:00:00 EST

The first novel by Danielle Trussoni follows the struggle between nefarious human-angel hybrids and the band of mortals trying to keep them in check. Trussoni, author of the acclaimed memoir Falling Through the Earth, maintains a balance between literary artistry and complex adventure.

Years Beyond The Rabbit Hole, 'Alice' Looks Back

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:01:00 EST

Melanie Benjamin's Alice I Have Been imagines the life and regrets of Alice Liddell, the real-life girl who served as the inspiration for Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Alice knew Carroll as Charles Dodgson, a neighbor who told her stories and photographed her as a young girl.

Paperback Nonfiction Bestsellers For Feb. 25

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:05:00 EST

In The Possessed: Adventures with Russian Books and the People Who Read Them, Elif Batuman explores the lives of the great Russian authors, from Pushkin to Platonov, and of the people they continue to influence up through today. Her story makes the list at No. 14.

Creepy Or Clever, Ads Offer Adventures In Voyeurism

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 11:15:00 EST

Before there was online dating, there was the personal ad. Author David Rose compiles clever, charming — and sometimes creepy — personals in Sexually, I'm More of a Switzerland. Rose's favorite ads tend to include the phrase, "You know who you are."

The Astonishing Story That Inspired 'Kidnapped'

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 08:00:00 EST

Birthright is the dramatic 18th-century story of the kidnapping of 12-year-old British aristocrat James Annesley, whose story inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure tale, Kidnapped. Host Liane Hansen speaks with award-winning author A. Roger Ekirch about Birthright: The True Story that Inspired Kidnapped.

As Europe Watches, A 'Murder Wall' Awaits

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:25:00 EST

Director Philipp Stolzl takes the viewer to dizzying heights in North Face, an adventure drama inspired by the true story of two German mountaineers who tackled one of the most dangerous climbs in the Swiss Alps.

'Best Job' Winner Stung By Dangerous Jellyfish

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 06:00:00 EST

Six months ago Ben Southall nabbed the "Best Job in the World." The British man won a contest and was paid to spend six months snorkeling, swimming and exploring around the Great Barrier Reef. He then had to blog about his adventures. Just days before the job ended, he was stung by a potentially deadly jellyfish. Fortunately, he made it to a doctor in time and survived to blog another day.

A Smarty-Pants Sleuth Aims For An Action-Hero Hit

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:30:00 EST

Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes update, starring Robert Downey Jr. as the iconic sleuth, looks to put a bullet in the popular conception of the deerstalker-wearing detective — though exactly what drives the protagonist in Ritchie's indecipherable adventure remains something of a mystery.

Australian Chamber Orchestra: Tiny Desk Concert

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST

The adventurous ensemble has been widely praised for its risk-taking attitude. Gathered around Bob Boilen's desk, a stripped-down incarnation of the group plays music by Ravel, then unpacks several Egyptian instruments for an original composition.

Big-Screen Memories Of A New York Adventure

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:41:00 EST

It was 1939, the year of the New York World's Fair, Germany's invasion of Poland, and the publication of Steinbeck's classic The Grapes of Wrath. It's also the year two 18-year-old girls from Denver took a train to the East Coast for an adventure that inspired a Hollywood musical.

These Aren't Your Geek's Graphic Novels

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST

You don't have to be crazy about comic-book heroes, fantasy worlds or galactic adventures to fall in love with these three magnificent graphic novels — but it helps if you're a girl. Author Harriet Reisen shares what makes these girl-power reads so colorful.

An Animated Chat With 'Up' Director Pete Docter

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Up, the smash-hit animated adventure about a grouchy elderly man, a chubby scout, a 13-foot bird and a house borne aloft by balloons, is now out on DVD. Director and screenwriter Pete Docter talks about the joys of researching and creating animated films.

What We're Reading: Nov. 24 - 30, 2009

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

This week, Michael Crichton's last book, ever, sails the seas of pirate adventure. In story collections: Alice Munro's strong and subtly mysterious women; Ha Jin's immigrants caught between two worlds. And a space-program history finds surprising drama in the unmanned voyages.

Alan Cheuse's Book Picks To Warm A Winter's Night

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:15:00 EST

Book reviewer Alan Cheuse selects the highlights of this holiday season: futuristic dystopias; things that go bump in the night; portraits from Norman Rockwell's America; gay New York; a celebration of our immigrant adventures; one writer's journey to manhood; and, of course, Long John Silver.

'Turning Green,' Longing For Red, White And Blue

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Set in 1979, this black comedy tracks the adventures of an Irish-American teenager sent back to the Old Sod after his mother's death. Desperate to return to the U.S., James (Donal Gallery) ditches school, collects debts for a pair of bookies and otherwise cuts corners; critic Mark Jenkins says the film's just inventive and perceptive enough to be lively.

New Cookbook Chronicles A Year Of Cakes At NPR

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:19:00 EDT

All Things Considered producer Melissa Gray describes her adventures in baking — and the staff's adventures in eating — in All Cakes Considered. Gray brings a new cake into the office every Monday. She says she loves to see the staff's childish joy at seeing her latest confection.

'Ong Bak 2': In Ancient Thailand, A Bang-Up Fight

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT

If business as usual at the theaters is getting you down, how about a hot new martial-arts adventure from Thailand? Film critic Kenneth Turan says Tony Jaa's astonishing physicality is the signal attraction in Ong Bak 2.

Erin McKeown Lets Out The 'Lions'

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:58:00 EDT

McKeown has quietly assembled an impressive musical resume in the past 10 years. Filled with great creativity and artistic diversity, McKeown's latest album, Hundreds of Lions, showcases her musically adventurous spirit. Hear a session from WFUV.

First Listen: Cecilia Bartoli's 'Sacrificium'

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:56:00 EDT

Inspired by the emotionally charged and virtuosic music of the Baroque era, the adventurous mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli's new CD is devoted to the dazzling music associated with the age of the castrati. Hear the album in its entirety for the week leading up to its Oct. 27 release.

Michael Chabon On 'Manhood For Amateurs'

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:01:00 EDT

Author Michael Chabon has seen manhood from just about every angle — as a boy obsessed with comic books, as a husband serving as a surrogate son to his father-in-law, and now as a dad trying to be honest with his kids about his early years smoking pot. The author, who won a Pulitzer for The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, tells host Guy Raz about his amazing adventures in domesticity, chronicled in his new book of essays, Manhood for Amateurs: the Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son.

'Exquisite Corpse' An Online Adventure For Kids

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:15:00 EDT

Host Guy Raz strolls down to the National Mall, where kid-book authors Jon Scieszka and Kate DiCamillo are introducing The Exquisite Corpse Adventure, an online serial story written by a posse of children's authors. It premiered Saturday at the National Book Festival.

Craig Ferguson's Adventures As An 'Unlikely Patriot'

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:52:00 EDT

When Craig Ferguson dropped out of high school at age 16, he had no idea of what he wanted to do with his life. In his new memoir, American On Purpose, Ferguson chronicles the story of his life, from Glasgow, to big time comedy, to host of CBS's Late Late Show.

What Walt Disney Learned From South America

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EDT

In 1941, on the eve of America's entry to World War II, President Franklin Roosevelt wanted to curb the influence of Nazis and fascists in South America. So the President enlisted someone who embodied the American capitalist spirit: Walt Disney. Guest host Mandalit del Barco talks to film director Ted Thomas, who's new documentary ''Walt & El Grupo'' chronicles Walt Disney's adventure and public relations mission to South America.

Tortoise: Lighting Up Electronic 'Beacons'

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:49:00 EDT

For nearly two decades, Tortoise has been expanding the definition of indie prog-rock, which wasn't too rigidly defined to begin with. With influences ranging from John Coltrane to ZZ Top, there's an adventurous, creative bent at work. In a session from WXPN, Tortoise performs songs from its electronic-heavy Beacons of Ancestorship.

'Ponyo,' Swimming Magically Against The Tide

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT

A goldfish gets her chance to live above sea level in a sweet-natured film by animation visionary Hayao Miyazaki. Film critic Kenneth Turan says the film's special mixture of fantasy, adventure and affection make Ponyo unforgettable.