MEMETERIA by Thomas May

Arts & Culture Stories from NPR

• Uncovering The Story Of Cyclist Major Taylor, America's 1st Black Sports Star
  At the height of America's Jim Crow era, Taylor broke barriers by becoming the country's fastest and most famous cyclist. Michael Kranish tells his story in the new book, The World's Fastest Man.
• 'The Accident Of Color' Looks At The Failure Of Reconstruction
  Daniel Brook has written a book that goes a long way toward injecting thoughtfulness into popular notions of the history of race and racism in America but doesn't delve far enough into class conflict.
• 'Avengers,' But Make It Without Women, Or Men Hugging, Or Levity In General
  A fan edit of smash hit Avengers: Endgame circulating online has cut out anything deemed feminist or homosexual. Such "defeminized edits" are now notorious in some corners of fandom.
• A Clearer Map For Aging: 'Elderhood' Shows How Geriatricians Help Seniors Thrive
  Physician Louise Aronson treats patients who are in their 60s — as well as those who are older than 100. She writes about changing approaches to elder health care in her book Elderhood.
• Sotheby's Announces Its Biggest Sale — Itself — For $3.7 Billion
  The deal puts the auction house, which was founded in 1744, on a path to becoming a private company again.
• Artist, Heiress And Designer Gloria Vanderbilt Dies At 95
  Vanderbilt, the mother of CNN journalist Anderson Cooper, was known for vivid paintings and collages, and for designing glamorous jeans.
• For June, 3 Romances To Heat Up Your Summer
  This month, we've got love stories about teenage girls who pull patriarchy-smashing pranks, a realistic discussion of female biology and a story about learning how to be your own Tom Hanks.
• The Score Of 'The Last Black Man In San Francisco' Sounds Like No Other In 2019
  The Last Black Man in San Francisco is a whimsical elegy to a fading San Francisco. It features a score by Emile Mosseri that's exuberant and poetic, positioning music front and center in the film.
• 'The Shanghai Free Taxi' Delves Deep Into China's Troubles
  NPR's Frank Langfitt wanted to get to know the real China, so he started a free taxi service in an effort to have conversations with a variety of people. His new book is the result of this reporting.
• These 'Ties That Bind' Explore Life With Father
  A group of women calling themselves the Catskilled Crafters took apart hundreds of donated neckties to make fabric art exploring their relationships with their fathers and the men in their lives.