MEMETERIA by Thomas May

Arts & Culture Stories from NPR

• In 'Amatka,' A Warped And Chilling Portrait Of Post-Truth Reality
  Karin Tidbeck's new novel is set in the mysterious city of Amatka, an agricultural colony ruled by a totalitarian government — but this is no standard dystopia. In Amatka, language has strange power.
• With Chemistry And Care, Conservators Keep Masterpieces Looking Their Best
  Armed with cotton swabs, strong solvents and a lot of training, conservators are entrusted with restoring priceless works of art. At the National Gallery of Art we learn that varnish is enemy No. 1.
• Tituss Burgess Says He Plays The Most 'Everyman' Character On 'Kimmy Schmidt'
  Titus Andromedon "doesn't have money to pay the rent; he can't keep a job; he gets racially profiled," Burgess says. "I mean, so what that he ... wears women's clothes?"
• On Harry Potter's 20th Anniversary, Listen To His NPR Debut
  The first Harry Potter book came out 20 years ago today. One year later, in 1998, was the first time we mentioned the book, on All Things Considered. Here's Margot Adler's piece in its entirety.
• Video: K-Pop Dance Routines Are A Workout For Body And Brain
  In NPR's Elise Tries series, correspondent Elise Hu tries out new experiences in East Asia. In this episode from Seoul, K-pop dance steps prove too complicated for completion.
• 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Winner Sasha Velour Cut From A Different Fabric
  "I try to tune out all the drag that's out there and tap into the drag I was doing when I was a little kid — when I didn't even know the word 'queer' or that gay people were out there," Velour said.
• The Call-In: Your Questions About Making Relationships Last
  It's wedding season! For this week's Call-In, Mandy Len Catron, author of the new book How to Fall in Love with Anyone, answers your questions about love and relationships.
• A New Delhi Family Learns To Navigate Wealth After A 'Windfall'
  Diksha Basu's new novel was inspired by the explosion of wealth she saw in 1990s India. She says money is a complex thing, and it takes a while for her characters to see that.
• An Ancient Curse Awakens In 'The Suffering Tree'
  A family curse, a resurrection and a vengeful witch are at the center of Elle Cosimano's Southern Gothic chiller The Suffering Tree. But the book elides its setting's history of racial violence.
• 'But Seriously,' Tennis Great John McEnroe Says He's Seeking 'Inner Peace'
  Known for his on-court outbursts, McEnroe famously yelled, "You cannot be serious!" at one official. Now, decades later, he says it's a "miracle" if he goes a full day without hearing that line.