Glen Weldon
Glen Weldon is a host of NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast. He reviews books, movies, comics and more for the NPR Arts Desk.
Over the course of his career, he has spent time as a theater critic, a science writer, an oral historian, a writing teacher, a bookstore clerk, a PR flack, a completely inept marine biologist and a slightly better-ept competitive swimmer.
Weldon is the author of two cultural histories: Superman: The Unauthorized Biography and The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture. He has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New Republic, The Atlantic, Slate, McSweeney's and more; his fiction has appeared in several anthologies and other publications. He is the recipient of an NEA Arts Journalism Fellowship, an Amtrak Writers' Residency, a Ragdale Writing Fellowship and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts for Fiction.
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Linda Holmes takes a look at the list of this year's nominees, which includes some heartening nods and surprising snubs.
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The Netflix reality series follows drag queen Alyssa Edwards (and her alter ego, Justin Johnson) through her/his offstage life as a dance instructor in Texas.
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From the big studio flicks to the festival favorites, here are some of the best and otherwise noteworthy films coming to theaters.
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Broadcast, cable and streaming networks have a lot on tap for the remainder of 2018. Our television and pop culture team has assembled a list of the most promising shows coming your way.
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The Netflix series features lush animation and strong voice work, but its three core characters are so reminiscent of Futurama's central trio they struggle to stand on their own.
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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is making three major changes, a move that on its face looks like a tie to weak ratings.
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A four-minute fake movie trailer created by the Trump administration for Kim Jong Un is decidedly odd. Culture critic Glen Weldon asks National Security Correspondent David Welna what it all means.
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At last, we take a deep, overdue dive into the sweet, tangy jars of emotional marmalade that are the Paddington films.
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They're the major MacGuffins of the Marvel Cinematic Universe — but there's a lot of them, and you need a scorecard to keep track of which does what. We're here for you.
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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.
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NPR's resident Bat-scholar Glen Weldon offers a personal remembrance of the late Adam West, explains how the actor rescued the character of Batman from oblivion, and explores his enduring legacy.
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Silvers co-founded the journal with Barbara Epstein in 1963. It quickly became a leading forum where authors and critics grappled with cultural issues — and with each other.