MEMETERIA by Thomas May

Arts & Culture Stories from NPR

• A Marvel Of A Man: Stan Lee Dead At 95
  Lee gave us over six decades' worth of superheroes we could identify with, characters like Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk, who reacted to super-powered crises in believably flawed, human ways.
• Counting The Bugs And Bacteria, You're 'Never Home Alone' (And That's OK)
  Ecologist Rob Dunn's new book describes the tiny life forms, helpful and risky, that live in different parts of the home, including on floors and in water faucets, basements and heating systems.
• Stolen Stories: A Literary Con Man Climbs To Success In 'Ladder To The Sky'
  A charismatic young writer poaches plot points from the lives of established authors in John Boyne's new novel. Critic Maureen Corrigan calls A Ladder to the Sky "erudite and ingeniously constructed."
• Sourdough Hands: How Bakers And Bread Are A Microbial Match
  In Robert Dunn's new book, Never Home Alone, he explores our symbiotic relationship with food: Not only do we impact the bacteria in our food, but the microbes in our food imprint our bodies.
• What About America Are You Thankful For? Tell Us
  As part of the regular poetry segment on NPR's Morning Edition, we are asking you to send us what about American you are most thankful for. Kwame Alexander will turn your responses into a poem.
• EXCLUSIVE: Michelle Obama Reads From Her Forthcoming Memoir 'Becoming'
  In two audio clips from her memoir, set to hit shelves Tuesday, the former first lady reads about her life at Princeton and about her difficulties having a baby.
• On 'SNL,' Lil Wayne And Future Address Consent
  Two rappers find themselves in a comedy skit as foils for a serious message.
• 'Big Little Lies' Author Places 'Perfect Strangers' In A High-End Health Resort
  In Liane Moriarty's new novel, nine strangers gather at a 10-day wellness retreat looking for transformation — and end up getting a lot more than they bargained for.
• 'It's Lovely Being Mean': Benedict Cumberbatch Gets Into Character As The Grinch
  Cumberbatch voices the classic Christmas villain in a new movie, out this week. It's a new take on the Grinch, portraying him as an orphaned outcast, traumatized by overflowing holiday emotion.
• For November, 3 Perfect Sweater-Weather Romances
  Leaves are turning, the wind has a snap to it — it's finally fall, and we've got some great romance novels for you to cozy up with as the days get shorter and darker.