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Wednesday

Elizabeth Taylor, (from left) George Segal, Richard Burton and Sandy Dennis starred in the 1966 film adaptation of Edward Albee's play, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? A theater director in Portland recently cast an African-American actor as Nick (Segal's role) — and found the Albee estate withheld rights to the play.

Elizabeth Taylor, (from left) George Segal, Richard Burton and Sandy Dennis starred in the 1966 film adaptation of Edward Albee's play, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? A theater director in Portland recently cast an African-American actor as Nick (Segal's role) — and found the Albee estate withheld rights to the play. Keystone/Getty Images hide caption

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Keystone/Getty Images

Code Switch

Why A Theater Director Made A 'Color-Conscious Choice' In 'Virginia Woolf' Casting

A small theater in Portland, Ore., cast an African-American actor in Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? But the Albee estate wouldn't grant the rights to produce the 1962 play.

Why A Theater Director Made A 'Color-Conscious Choice' In 'Virginia Woolf' Casting

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David Sedaris On The Life-Altering And Mundane Pages Of His Old Diaries

David Sedaris lives in West Sussex, England, where he's known for picking up trash along the side of the road. Ingrid Christie/Little, Brown and Company hide caption

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Ingrid Christie/Little, Brown and Company

Author Interviews

David Sedaris On The Life-Altering And Mundane Pages Of His Old Diaries

Fresh Air

Sedaris' Theft by Finding is a collection of excerpts from those diaries. In it, he revisits major turning points, like how he met his longtime boyfriend and his decision to stop drinking.

David Sedaris On The Life-Altering And Mundane Pages Of His Old Diaries

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Total Failure: The World's Worst Video Game
Isabel Seliger for NPR

Technology

Total Failure: The World's Worst Video Game

In the late summer of 1982, one man worked around the clock to program the video game version of Steven Spielberg's E.T. in just five weeks. The result wasn't pretty.

Total Failure: The World's Worst Video Game

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Meet Frédéric Bazille, The Impressionist Painter Who Could Have Been

Frédéric Bazille's The Family Gathering has none of the quick, airy brushstrokes his future impressionist peers would discover; but the sunshine is there, as are the bright colors. Musee d'Orsay, Paris/Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art hide caption

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Musee d'Orsay, Paris/Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art

Fine Art

Meet Frédéric Bazille, The Impressionist Painter Who Could Have Been

Bazille was part of a circle of artists eager to make a mark on the 1860s art scene. He helped lay the groundwork for the impressionist movement, but died in battle before it was fully formed.

Meet Frédéric Bazille, The Impressionist Painter Who Could Have Been

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Tuesday

From Pez To Ticks, 'Atlas Obscura' Discovers 'Wonderfully Specific' Museums

The Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia in California includes a comprehensive collection of Pez dispensers. Flickr user Doctor Popular/Flickr Creative Commons hide caption

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Flickr user Doctor Popular/Flickr Creative Commons

From Pez To Ticks, 'Atlas Obscura' Discovers 'Wonderfully Specific' Museums

People often become obsessed with collecting certain types of objects and then, before you know it, they have the basis for what writer Molly McBride Jacobson calls a "wonderfully specific museum."

From Pez To Ticks, 'Atlas Obscura' Discovers 'Wonderfully Specific' Museums

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For A Few Hours, A Sculpted Dog Was Urinating On The 'Fearless Girl'

Fearless Girl, the statue installed in front of New York City's famous Charging Bull, got some unexpected company for a few hours Monday: the statue of a dog, with one leg raised as if urinating. Alex Gardega says his Sketchy Pug was intended to support the artist behind the bull, who has been upset his creation's meaning has been co-opted. Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

The Two-Way

For A Few Hours, A Sculpted Dog Was Urinating On The 'Fearless Girl'

The statue of a defiant girl has confronted Wall Street's Charging Bull for months, much to the chagrin of the bull's sculptor. Briefly Monday, another sculptor made clear which side he's on.

Philadelphia Says Goodbye To Little Pete's, An All-Night Dining Icon

Customers line up outside of Little Pete's on Monday, the diner's last day in business. The landmark and pride of Philadelphia will be razed to make way for a luxury hotel. Kimberly Paynter/WHYY hide caption

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Kimberly Paynter/WHYY

The Salt

Philadelphia Says Goodbye To Little Pete's, An All-Night Dining Icon

WHYY

For nearly 40 years, the old-fashioned diner has served up round-the-clock Reubens and eggs Benedict to all walks of life. But on Monday, the landmark served up its last meals.

Philadelphia Says Goodbye To Little Pete's, An All-Night Dining Icon

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Sen. Al Franken On Comedy, Trump And The 'Curdling' Of Washington
Twelve

Politics

Sen. Al Franken On Comedy, Trump And The 'Curdling' Of Washington

Fresh Air

As a former SNL cast member, Franken tends to see humor in politics. Despite this, he says his gut reaction to the Trump administration isn't levity: "This guy is outside the norm in many ways."

Sen. Al Franken On Comedy, Trump And The 'Curdling' Of Washington

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An Illustrated Guide To Master The Elements Of Cooking — Without Recipes
Courtesy of Wendy MacNaughton

The Salt

An Illustrated Guide To Master The Elements Of Cooking — Without Recipes

In her new cookbook, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, Samin Nosrat says the key to good food is learning to balance those elements when cooking — and to trust your instincts.

An Illustrated Guide To Master The Elements Of Cooking — Without Recipes

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Sen. Al Franken Embraces 'The Funny' Again In New Book

Sen. Al Franken, shown during the Peabody Awards ceremony in New York City on May 20, talks about running for office in his new book. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Peabody hide caption

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Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Peabody

Politics

Sen. Al Franken Embraces 'The Funny' Again In New Book

The Minnesota Democrat recounts his journey from Saturday Night Live to the Senate — and explains why comedy works in confirmation hearings: "Comedians kind of get to the point in an effective way."

Sen. Al Franken Embraces 'The Funny' Again In New Book

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