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Thomas Mallon's latest work of historical fiction is Bandbox. It's set in 1920s New York, amidst the ruthlessly competitive world of magazine publishing. For years Mallon soaked himself in the tabloids and novels and music of the era -- the key, he says, to writing authentic dialogue and narration. Hear Mallon and NPR's Scott Simon.

The House Jan. 6 panel says former Trump White House trade adviser Peter Navarro documented, in his own book, efforts to delay certification of 2020 election results.

Documentaries are bigger than ever at this year's Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, and many are finding mainstream distributors. Two of the best are about food: I Like Killing Flies -- about the battles of an eccentric chef at a small restaurant -- and Super Size Me, the tale of a man who ate nothing but fast food for a month. Hear NPR's Scott Simon and New York Times critic Elvis Mitchell.

Actress Uta Hagen died Wednesday at her home in Manhattan at age 84. Hagen gained her biggest Broadway success in the early 1960s with her portrayal of Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. She also taught dozens of actors how to ply their trade. NPR's Neda Ulaby reports.

A genre of fiction known variously as "street lit," "ghetto lit," "urban lit" or "hip-hop lit" has begun registering impressive sales, catching the attention of the publishing industry. Previously sold as typewritten photocopies on street corners, these pulp-fiction books now appear in slick paperbacks available in bookstores and online. Karen Michel reports.

From taboos against tomatoes to blessings from bread, the history of food is filled with associations between meals and morality. Author Stewart Lee Allen chronicles sinful treats of the past in his new book, In the Devil's Garden. NPR's Susan Stamberg talks with Allen in the conclusion to her series on food.

When the Beatles broke up in 1970, the group had one final album in the can. Let It Be was a collection of live studio performances that was marinated with orchestra, chorus and overdubs by producer Phil Spector. Now, EMI has released a new "back to the roots" version of the album, stripping away Spector's add ons. Music critic Tim Page has a review of Let It Be... Naked.

The fall TV season has been so lackluster that even the programming chief of NBC admits that new shows leave much to be desired. Audiences are tuning out -- especially young men -- and the networks have yet to offer any shows to lure them back. NPR's Kim Masters reports.

A new feature film about serial killer Aileen Wuornos stars Charlize Theron as the rough-and-tumble drifter who was executed in Florida in 2002. Critics are praising Theron's portrayal of a woman whose story has inspired at least two documentary films in addition to a Hollywood studio picture. NPR's David D'Arcy reports.

For freelancers and artists living in expensive cities like New York, the home-sharing site Airbnb has become a way to subsidize their rents. It's also often illegal. With the site's users in the crosshairs of New York's attorney general, and questions elsewhere, some now wonder if the good times are going to end.