MEMETERIA by Thomas May

Arts & Culture Stories from NPR

• Knausgaard Comes Up Short: In 'Autumn,' Less Isn't Always More
  Karl Ove Knausgaard — famed for his epic memoir My Struggle -- goes for short and sweet in Autumn, a meditative seasonal reflection. But while there are lovely moments, the book strays into banality.
• 'What Carter Lost' Tells The True Story Of 'Friday Night Lights' Football Rivals
  Carter High School is really an afterthought in Friday Night Lights — the thug-like football team that stole the state title. A new film follows Carter's rise to the top, and its fall from grace.
• From Rolls-Royce To Grey Poupon, A Look At Brand Mentions In Chart-Topping Songs
  Musicians love to sing about cars — but they've also referenced mustard, bandages and chocolate. Bloomberg reporter Kim Bhasin talks about analyzing the lyrics of popular songs for brand mentions.
• Knausgaard's 'Autumn' Considers Everything From Toilet Bowls To Twilight
  Karl Ove Knausgaard — known for his six-volume autobiographical series My Struggle — is now writing meditative, short texts, focused on a variety of topics, interspersed with letters to his daughter.
• If You Want Groundbreaking Noir, Try Looking 'In A Lonely Place'
  The 1950 film starring Humphrey Bogart and Gloria Grahame was adapted from a lesser-known 1947 novel by Dorothy B. Hughes, who belongs in the crime-writing pantheon. The novel's just been re-released.
• FBI Profiler Says Linguistic Work Was Pivotal In Capture Of Unabomber
  James R. Fitzgerald says Ted Kaczynski's writings helped cracked the case that confounded the FBI for more than 17 years. Manhunt: Unabomber, a TV series on the Discovery Channel, retells the story.
• Books Become A Bridge Out Of Grief In 'The Futilitarians'
  Anne Gisleson was reeling from a series of family tragedies when she began meeting with friends to discuss books and life in post-Katrina New Orleans. Her new book chronicles a year of those meetings.
• Despite Different Styles, Dick Gregory And Jerry Lewis Inspired Generations Of Comics
  Two giants of comedy died this weekend. Dick Gregory and Jerry Lewis had very different styles, but both were hugely influential. There are many comedians who drew equal parts inspiration from them.
• 'Godzilla' Descends On Mexico City As Filmmakers Shoot Scenes In The Metropolis
  While America was consumed by the total eclipse of the sun, residents of Mexico City witnessed a spectacle of a different order: Godzilla attacked the metropolis. Scenes from the new film were shot in the Mexican capital.
• Pamela Adlon Started Working At Age 9, But 'Better Things' Happened At 50
  Adlon has four titles in the credits of the FX comedy series Better Things: actress, writer, director and producer. "I want to elevate the mundane ..." she says. "This is the way I live my life."