Month: May 2025

I’ve gotten too used to crying in public. I could never live somewhere where there is literally any chance that someone might come up to me and ask me what’s wrong.

New books out this week look at everything from pressing political concerns — Original Sin — to perspective-altering riddles about life itself, like in Is A River Alive? and The Book of Records.

Murderbot is a very smart, very funny new sci-fi comedy series on Apple TV+. It stars Alexander Skarsgård as a cyborg who works security for a team of hapless, bumbling scientists exploring a dangerous planet. He’s hacked his own system and gained free will – a fact he tries to hide from them, even as he sardonically judges their naïve and foolhardy actions, and craves nothing more than to be left alone to watch his soap operas.

To access bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening for Pop Culture Happy Hour, subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour+ at plus.npr.org/happy.

Rapper and producer Dezzy Hollow is a master of modern day West Coast funk. Earlier this year he released an album called OCEANSIDE, which he named after his hometown. He chats with us about the record, what he hopes his music can bring to the city and much more.

Escola gives the former first lady a wild second act in the Tony-nominated play Oh, Mary! “This play is about a woman with a dream that no one around her understands,” Escola says.

Ocean Vuong’s sweeping new novel centers on a depressed 19-year-old college dropout who becomes the caregiver to a widow with dementia.

Young, male capuchin monkeys have started kidnapping the babies of nearby howler monkeys. Why? Maybe boredom.

(Image credit: Brendan Barrett)

Not so different from a Trump Cabinet meeting. Jeff Garlin: “When we’re in a scene together, I’m just watching you in awe.” Susie Essman: “How lucky we are to be in the presence of such a genius.”

Some toy ideas for kids lamenting their new two-doll allowance, including Dusty the Dust Bowl, Potato Princess, and more.

The pandemic helped supercharge a niche craft into a fine arts movement. Now the scene is more detailed and thoughtful than ever before.

(Image credit: Marina Totino)