MEMETERIA by Thomas May

Arts & Culture Stories from NPR

• Scott Simon Draws The Mystery Of 'Sunnyside Plaza' From His Own Past
  When NPR host Scott Simon was in his teens, he took a job in an assisted living facility in Chicago. "It really opened my eyes into seeing the world differently," he says.
• 'Cleanness' Revisits Familiar Ground, Beautifully
  Garth Greenwell's new story collection — like his previous novel — follows young, gay American men teaching English in Bulgaria. It's part heartbreaking, part forward-looking, and all beautiful.
• Star Boors: Humanity Is Cruising For A Bruising In Sci-Fi Comedy 'Avenue 5'
  It takes HBO's space-cruise comedy (from the creator of Veep and The Thick Of It) a while to find its footing — but that's understandable, given how wonky the ship's gravity turns out to be.
• Not My Job: We Quiz Food Writer Alison Roman On Cooking The Books
  We ask the author of Nothing Fancy and Dining In three questions about financial fraud.
• 'Little Gods' Reminds Us Some Questions Are Better Left Unasked
  Meng Jin's new novel shows us a complex woman through the eyes of her husband, her daughter, and her daughter's nanny — all of whom see different, sometimes contradictory facets of her character.
• 'Why Religion?' Asks 'How Hearts Can Heal' After Tragedy
  Religion scholar Elaine Pagels lost her young son to terminal illness and her husband a year later in an accident. She spoke to Fresh Air in November 2018 about loss and faith.
• Final Round
  The final two contestants test their knowledge of everything from world leaders to puppets in this rapid-fire game of smarts and strategy.
• The Swing Of Things
  In this music parody game, songs from the New Jack Swing movement are rewritten about things that very literally swing — or can be swung.
• This Is United States
  The contestants swap two-letter terms and phrases for states that share those same two letters in this high-concept word game. It's that simple!
• Hashtag Challenge
  In this audio quiz, contestants strike a pose and stay verrrrry still as they identify viral internet challenges.