MEMETERIA by Thomas May

Arts & Culture Stories from NPR

• High School Reunion: Making A 'Teachable Moment'
  Rachel Martin talks with her former English teacher, Shirley Murphy. Mrs. Murphy was the only African-American teacher at Idaho Falls High School when Rachel attended.
• 'Patti Cake$' i$ $weet But $light
  A Jersey girl dreams of rap stardom in this "conventional dramedy" that highlights star Danielle Macdonald's charisma but reduces other characters to types.
• 'California Typewriter': A Love-Letter To The Carriage-Return Lever
  Doug Nichol's documentary profiles the stubborn holdouts — collectors, repairmen, and a few celebrities — who treasure the tactile pleasures of the humble typewriter.
• 'Dave Made A Maze,' But Dave Forgot A Script
  In this gorgeously designed movie, the walls of an elaborate cardboard maze are more substantial than the characters inside it.
• A NASCAR Caper Comedy Fueled By Thick Southern Accents: 'Logan Lucky'
  Steven Soderbergh's return to filmmaking after a brief hiatus features strong chemistry between its two leads, a great cast, and the faint whiff of condescension.
• 'Cabaret Hurricane' Bridget Everett Moves To The Big Screen In 'Patti Cake$'
  The comic and cabaret performer says she's had audience members walk out of her raunchy live act. In her new film, she plays a washed-up local rock star whose daughter is an aspiring rap artist.
• In Movies, A Solar Eclipse Means Change Is Coming
  Over the years, Hollywood filmmakers have used solar eclipses as devices to mark moments of irrevocable transformation for their characters.
• In 'Columbus,' John Cho Reckons With His Own First-Generation Culture Clash
  Cho, who moved to the U.S. from South Korea as a child, says the cultural distance his Columbus character feels towards his immigrant father was "an unwelcome reflection of my own life."
• Judith Light: The Content And The Context Of A Varied Career
  Judith Light has done soaps, sitcoms, theater, drama — and now, she sits down with Pop Culture Happy Hour to talk about her long career.
• In 'Good Booty,' Our Hot And Heavy Love Affair With Pop Music
  Sex is such an inextricable part of pop music, it's easy to overlook, but NPR Music critic Ann Powers rectifies that in her new book, a portrait of America's obsession with sex as it manifests in pop.