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A novelist's time in the MMA cage informed his book on memory loss and identity

John Vercher is the author of the novels Three-Fifths and After the Lights Go Out. Karen Maria Photography/Soho Press hide caption

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Karen Maria Photography/Soho Press

Author Interviews

A novelist's time in the MMA cage informed his book on memory loss and identity

Fresh Air

John Vercher trained in mixed martial arts as a young man. His novel, After the Lights Go Out, centers on a veteran MMA fighter who struggles to remember everyday things.

A novelist's time in the MMA cage informed his book on memory loss and identity

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Musicians react to Supreme Court decision on right to abortion

Megan Thee Stallion, performing at Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, U.K. on Sat. June 25, 2022. During her set, Megan spoke out against the Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty Images hide caption

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Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty Images

Reproductive rights in America

Musicians react to Supreme Court decision on right to abortion

After Friday's Supreme Court decision, artists from around the world spent the following days sharing their reactions and plans for the immediate future.

Pinball is more than a game — it's where I found my community
Josie Norton for NPR

I'm Really Into

Pinball is more than a game — it's where I found my community

There are pinball leagues and tournaments big enough to fill a whole convention center. For NPR host Juana Summers, a league gave her a way to connect — and it led to some lifelong friendships.

How I fell in love with pinball

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When parents say sorry on-screen
Allyson Riggs/A24

It's Been a Minute

When parents say sorry on-screen

Family conflict is a cinema staple. But recently Hollywood has come out with a slew of stories about parents and children confronting gaps in culture, generation and identity — from animated films like Encanto and Turning Red, to the recent miniseries Ms. Marvel and the indie hit Everything Everywhere All at Once. Vox entertainment critic Emily St. James calls the subgenre the "millennial parent apology fantasy." She shares with guest host B.A. Parker how the form came to be, what its limits are and how it could pave the way for new perspectives about trauma and family.

When parents say sorry on-screen

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We recap the 2022 BET Awards

Jack Harlow and Brandy perform onstage during the 2022 BET Awards. Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET hide caption

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Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for BET

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We recap the 2022 BET Awards

Sunday's BET Awards were a four-hour celebration of Black culture, with a heavy emphasis on music. The night was packed with live performances from Latto and Jack Harlow, and surprise guests Mariah Carey and Brandy, and featured a lavish tribute to Lifetime Achievement Award winner Sean "Diddy" Combs.

We recap the 2022 BET Awards

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Life in the Middle Ages is more gross than engrossing in this ruthless novel

Lapvona, by Ottessa Moshfegh Penguin Random House hide caption

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Penguin Random House

Review

Book Reviews

Life in the Middle Ages is more gross than engrossing in this ruthless novel

Fresh Air

Ottessa Moshfegh's Lapvona follows the life of Marek, a 13-year-old peasant boy who lives in a cruel world of sadism and stink, cannibalism and self-flagellation.

Life in the Middle Ages is more gross than engrossing in this ruthless novel

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Street Symphony plays in harmony with Skid Row's 'sacred spaces'

Vijay Gupta performing with some of the professional musicians in Street Symphony at the Midnight Mission on LA's Skid Row. David Zimmerman hide caption

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David Zimmerman

Deceptive Cadence

Street Symphony plays in harmony with Skid Row's 'sacred spaces'

Vijay Gupta was a 19-year-old violin prodigy when he joined the LA Philharmonic. Now he runs Street Symphony, an organization bringing music to clinics, jails and homeless shelters on Skid Row.

Street Symphony plays in harmony with Skid Row's 'sacred spaces'

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Stars use BET Awards stage to criticize Roe v. Wade ruling

Janelle Monae presents the award for best female R&B/pop artist at the BET Awards on Sunday, June 26, 2022, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Chris Pizzello/Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP hide caption

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Chris Pizzello/Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Stars use BET Awards stage to criticize Roe v. Wade ruling

Hosts and entertainers at the annual show recognizing Black excellence in the arts and sports criticize the recent Supreme Court decision the landmark overturning Roe v. Wade.

'Peanuts,' one of the world's most popular cartoons, pushed for Title IX in the 1970s

The Peanuts characters reminded readers of the importance of Title IX at a moment when many schools and athletic programs were resistant to it. Peanuts © 1979 Peanuts Worldwide LLC hide caption

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Peanuts © 1979 Peanuts Worldwide LLC

'Peanuts,' one of the world's most popular cartoons, pushed for Title IX in the 1970s

Peanuts was a place where female athletes saw their presence on the playing field explicitly supported.

'Peanuts,' one of the world's most popular cartoons, pushed for Title IX in the 1970s

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'Wait Wait' for June 25, 2022: With Not My Job guests Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda
Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Paramount+

Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

'Wait Wait' for June 25, 2022: With Not My Job guests Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda

Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda won a Peabody for their true crime parody American Vandal, and now their back with Players, a mockumentary about Esports, but what do they know about C-Sports?

'Wait Wait' for June 25, 2022: With Not My Job guests Dan Perrault and Tony Yacenda

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