Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'fantastical'

Jon Scieszka, A Seriously Funny 'Knucklehead'

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:14:00 EST

Children's author Jon Scieszka has written two dozen fantastical books, including The Stinky Cheese Man and the Time Warp Trio series, but his most recent work is an autobiography geared toward children.

'How About You': A Fantastic Foursome, At Odds

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:59:00 EST

A familiar story — about cranky senior citizens running roughshod over an inexperienced rest-home manager at the holidays— is redeemed by a crop of thoroughbred actors who burnish the material to a warm glow.

Skinhead Plot To Kill Obama Thwarted, Officials Say

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 17:29:00 EDT

Federal authorities say they broke up a plot by two neo-Nazis to assassinate presidential nominee Barack Obama. Authorities say the plan was fantastic in its scope and that Obama was never in any danger.

Five More In 5/4

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:35:00 EDT

When it comes to odd time signatures, classics like "Take Five" and the theme to Mission Impossible are excellent places to start. But a small bit of digging turns up many other fantastic, and often lesser known works. Here are a five more songs that successfully employ the 5/4 time signature with great diversity and show how playing in 5 can be used in a variety of approaches and styles.

The Music of PCP, Ra Ra Riot, And More

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 21:59:00 EDT

The New York rock group Ra Ra Riot returns from an emotional roller coaster with a fantastic new CD. Hear a cut from The Rhumb Line. Singer Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley mixes it up on her latest solo CD, Acid Tongue. Argentinian singer Juana Molina has a mesmerizing new album out in October. We've got a sneak preview. Also on the show: Brooklyn duo High Places, the "Dreamend" songs of Ryan Graveface, "Failure" from singer Laura Marling, and PCP, also known as the Portland Cello Project.

Forget The Granola: Camp Cooking Goes Gourmet

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:42:00 EDT

Camp cooking doesn't have to mean dehydrated, over-salted soups and powdered potatoes. With a little experimentation and forethought, most cooks can turn out fantastic meals from scratch — even outside of a kitchen.

New Exhibit Honors Jim Henson's 'Fantastic World'

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EDT

The Smithsonian Institution is opening a new exhibit this weekend in honor of the wondrous world of Jim Henson. Henson elevated the simple craft of puppetry to new levels of complexity and importance, and this exhibition gives a glimpse into Henson's creative process. Curator Karen Falk takes host Andrea Seabrook on a tour of "Jim Henson's Fantastic World."

Asbury: 'Covered in Acrylic'

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 16:02:00 EDT

The music of Asbury plays like a soundtrack to a haunted circus. It jangles and rattles with dirge-like rhythms and scratchy, distant voices. The instrumentation — glockenspiel, synths, piano — is drenched in reverb, with the wispy voice of frontman David Franklin tiptoeing delicately through the haze. Asbury's debut CD, Under the Asbury is a calming, if fantastical world, with rich character studies, sometimes haunting narratives and a touch of humor.

'Fantastic to Be Free,' BBC Reporter Says

Wed, 04 Jul 2007 06:00:00 EDT

Alan Johnston, the BBC journalist released after 114 days in captivity in Gaza, is talking about his ordeal. Kidnapped by a group of militants calling themselves the Army of Islam, he was released to Hamas-run security forces in the Gaza Strip.

'Fantastic Four' Simplistic, Inoffensive

Fri, 15 Jun 2007 06:00:00 EDT

Hollywood puts the planet in peril again with Fantastic Four: Rise of The Silver Surfer. The comics were hip enough to last for more than 40 years, but the movie treatment is far from must-see cinema.

Sounds of the '80s, Minus the Artifice

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 17:54:00 EDT

Media shorthand has reduced the music of the '80s to a set of telltale signifiers: big hair, skinny ties, and so on. But a few surviving documents, among them Richard Barone's fantastic Cool Blue Halo, demonstrate that the era was fruitful for classic pop.

Mars Surveyor May Have Fallen to Software Issue

Thu, 11 Jan 2007 16:00:00 EST

NASA is investigating the possibility that a software glitch caused the recent demise of the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. It had been orbiting Mars for nearly a decade, sending back fantastic pictures. It mysteriously went silent in November.

G. Love and Special Sauce, Making 'Lemonade'

Fri, 29 Sep 2006 14:49:00 EDT

Since the release of their debut album in 1994, Philadelphia natives G. Love and Special Sauce have been continuously refining their laid-back blend of blues, alternative rock, soul and hip-hop into tighter and more sophisticated song structures. The band's newest record, Lemonade, is a fantastic back-to-basics effort.

Karen Russell, Telling Fantastic Tales

Sun, 03 Sep 2006 16:46:00 EDT

Ten of Karen Russell's short stories make up her first book. One character's father is a Minotaur; another sings in an Alaskan boys choir. The title story is St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves. The Florida-born Russell, 25, has also graced the pages of The New Yorker and other magazines.

Now That's a Stretch! (And It Won't Hurt a Bit)

Thu, 27 Jul 2006 15:41:00 EDT

Shorter and gentler is better. And focus on one muscle at a time. The result can be fantastic flexibility.

Prized 'Tales of Hoffmann' Opera on DVD

Wed, 11 Jan 2006 00:00:00 EST

Prized 'Tales of Hoffmann' Opera on DVD January 11, 2006 · The 1951 film version of the Offenbach opera The Tales of Hoffmann, now on DVD, is recognized as a masterpiece of darkly fantastical storytelling from the British team of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.

Bringing Narnia to the Screen

Tue, 15 Nov 2005 00:00:00 EST

Disney is poised to release The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, a film based on the fantastical children's books by C.S. Lewis. Kim Masters reports on the journey from book to film and the quirky family behind it.

The Masked Men of Mexican Movies

Sun, 30 Oct 2005 00:00:00 EDT

On this Halloween eve, we put the spotlight on Mexico's obsession with wrestlers in masks. Bobb Cotter, author of The Mexican Masked Wrestler and Monster Filmography, takes us into the world of characters like El Santo and Blue Demon, and their silverscreen battles with fantastical monsters and villains.

'Fantastic Four' Director Tim Story

Wed, 20 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EDT

Tim Story directed just two feature films before he landed the plum assignment to take on Fantastic Four The thirty-something director talks about growing up in Los Angeles and creating his first movies when he was 12 years old.

Erin McKeown Spreads Her Wings on 'Birds'

Tue, 12 Jul 2005 00:00:00 EDT

Erin McKeown's new album, We Will Become Like Birds, is a fantastic work of simple, yet elegant, songs -- and it's quickly becoming her best-received effort so far.

'Montana Vice': Big Al and the Monkeys

Wed, 13 Apr 2005 00:00:00 EDT

David Greenberger relates the fantastical story of FBI agent Big Al and his run-in with dope-running monkeys. The story is based on a conversation with Albert Entzel of Chattanooga, Tenn., and is collected on the CD The Mayor of Tennessee River, music by Shaking Ray Levis.

Dan Flavin's Fantastic Lights

Wed, 06 Oct 2004 00:00:00 EDT

Dan Flavin took an everyday object, found in most stores, homes and offices, and made it extraordinary. The late artist used fluorescent lights of varying lengths and colors and arranged them to create light sculptures. NPR's Susan Stamberg visits an exhibit of his works at the National Gallery of Art.