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After Obama Visit, Assessing U.S.-China Relations
November 19, 2009
China expert Orville Schell explains to host Terry Gross how the fates of the United States and China are connected, and how the protectionist policies of the past are no longer viable.
NPR
Civil Rights Champion Remembered
November 19, 2009
Birmingham, Ala., barber and civil rights champion James Armstrong died Wednesday, at age 86. The Army veteran carried the American flag from Selma to Montgomery during the 1965 Voting Rights March. He continued to be active in the Birmingham community throughout his life.
NPR
A Son's Premonition, And A Final Baseball Game
November 20, 2009
Dr. Gregg and Kathryn Korbon tell the story of the Brian C. Korbon Field in Charlottesville, Va., named in honor of their son. Before his ninth birthday, Brian told his parents he wouldn't make it to his "double digits." He died months later. "That's what he was trying to tell us all that time," Kathryn recalls.
NPR
OMG! The Cast Of 'Glee'!
November 18, 2009
Lea Michele (Rachel), Cory Monteith (Finn) and Amber Riley (Mercedes) from the cast of Glee join David Dye to chat about the runaway hit show and its music in this session from World Cafe.
NPR
100 Years Of Johnny Mercer, Pop Poet Laureate
November 18, 2009
He wrote the words, and sometimes the music, for more than 1,500 songs, among them "Skylark," "Blues in the Night" and "Moon River." He had a few hits himself on Capitol Records — which he started. He was a great American lyricist, and today marks the 100th anniversary of his birth.
NPR
Maya Shankar: A Violinist Lost And Found
November 18, 2009
Years after suffering a debilitating hand injury, young violinist Maya Shankar recently made a joyful return to music. Here, she returns to From the Top, the classical kids program that celebrates its 10-year anniversary by checking back with some of its alumni.
NPR
Museum of Chinese in America opens in New York
November 19, 2009
The exhibits, which narrate 200 years of struggle for the Chinese in the United States, puncture old stereotypes and some that still lurk.
The Christian Science Monitor
Comedian George Carlin's 'Last Words'
November 17, 2009
Before his death in June 2008, comedian George Carlin spent 10 years working on a memoir, Last Words, with his longtime friend Tony Hendra. Hendra, a writer and comedian, talks with Rebecca Roberts about Carlin's life and legacy.
NPR
Is Palin's 'Going Rogue' A Good Read?
November 17, 2009
Just one day after its release, Sarah Palin's new memoir, Going Rogue, is already on its way to the bestseller lists. Pundits are combing the book for signs of the former vice presidential candidate's political ambitions — and prospects. NPR's Congressional correspondent Andrea Seabrook gave it a read.
NPR
An Unlikely African-American Music Historian
November 17, 2009
One hundred years ago this past Friday, a bandleader named Polk Miller put together an unusual recording session. Miller — who was white — recorded seven songs with a black vocal quartet. But the man who led these sessions was no civil rights activist.
NPR
Joshua Kosman, Predicting The Next Credit Crisis
November 16, 2009
In a new book, journalist Joshua Kosman predicts a coming credit crisis, and assigns blame to private equity firms. While such firms make a fast profit from buying companies, improving them and reselling them, the companies take on the debt incurred from the purchase, leaving them in danger of financial collapse.
NPR
A Haunting American Dream Set In 'Luna Park'
November 16, 2009
Writer Kevin Baker says he never thought he'd be "hip enough" to venture into graphic novels. But with illustrator Danijel Zezelj, he has created Luna Park — a ghostly graphic novel set in the decaying amusement parks of Coney Island. It profiles a Russian immigrant plagued by nightmares of the Chechen War.
NPR
China's Newest Export: Punk Rock
November 16, 2009
America is used to exporting its culture. It's called soft power, this ability to dominate the tastes of people in other countries. So it's not such a big deal for an American band to tour in China. But a Chinese rock band taking the stage in New York? That's new.
NPR
Remembering Former U.S. Envoy To China
November 16, 2009
James R. Lilley, the U.S. ambassador to China during the Tiananmen Square crisis in 1989, died last week from complications connected to prostate cancer. He was 81. J. Stapleton Roy, who succeeded Lilley as ambassador to China, says when Sino-U.S. ties began to improve, Lilley played an important role.
NPR
Wagner's Overtures In Full-Spectrum Sound
November 17, 2009
The German composer utilizes powerful orchestral sounds, as well as silence, to elicit a psychological and emotional response from the listener. Who better than conductor Daniel Barenboim, a veteran of the opera pit, to pull it all off?
NPR
Hafez Nazeri: From Iran, Music Beyond Politics
November 14, 2009
On Nov. 14, Hafez Nazeri will headline at Carnegie Hall. The young Iranian musician has been attracting attention for "Sounds of Peace," an East-meets-West program inspired by a progressive political vision. Or is it?
NPR
Between Albums, Rivers Cuomo Digs Up Solo Work
November 13, 2009
Since Weezer's debut in 1994, the band has released six more albums, gone through a re-organization, and earned a devoted following. Their new album is called Raditude. Last year, Rivers Cuomo, Weezer's lead singer, guitarist and principal songwriter, released two solo CDs of songs that didn't make it onto the band's albums.
NPR
Hardcover Fiction Bestsellers For Nov.12, 2009
November 13, 2009
Topping the list: Barbara Kingsolver's The Lacuna, Kathryn Stockett's The Help and Dan Brown's Lost Symbol. And making their list debut: John Grisham's Ford Coutnty and Kurt Vonnegut's Look at the Birdie.
NPR
Obama's Half-Brother Recasts Story Of Their Father
November 13, 2009
One person who plans to meet with President Obama during his trip to China is his half-brother, Mark Obama Ndesandjo, who lives in China. Ndesandjo has recently released a semi-autobiographical novel, revealing the abusive nature of their father.
NPR
Marin Alsop's Shared Musical Roots
November 14, 2009
The Baltimore Symphony conductor chooses a season of music built on the belief that understanding where we come from, and celebrating diversity, can create a sense of continuity, history and belonging — not to mention some great concerts.
NPR
A Basketball Hoop Changed UNC Coach's Life
November 14, 2009
The next time you see Roy Williams prowling the sidelines in a dapper Alexander Julian suit at University of North Carolina games, you might remember what a dime his mother left on their kitchen table once meant to him. Williams, the winningest active college basketball coach, has written the story of his life with Tim Crothers. Host Scott Simon talks to Williams about his book, Hard Work: A Life On and Off The Court.
NPR
Fareed Zakaria Tells Of The Mumbai Terror Attacks
November 14, 2009
One year ago, 170 people were murdered when 10 terrorists set off a barrage of gunfire and grenades in Mumbai, India, at two hotels, a railroad station and a Jewish center. Those harrowing hours are recounted in a new HBO documentary called Terror in Mumbai. Host Scott Simon speaks with CNN host and Newsweek international editor, Fareed Zakaria, who narrates the new documentary.
NPR
A Rock Royal Finds Himself In The Digital Age
November 14, 2009
His father was a Beatle, but Dhani Harrison wanted a musical project that didn't carry the burden of his family name. So he started a band called thenewno2, where he's created a sound and a promotional strategy that is all his own.
NPR
These Days, Anne Rice Prefers Angels
November 15, 2009
Anne Rice doesn't write about vampires anymore, but in her latest book she turns her attention to another supernatural being: angels. Host Liane Hansen talks with Anne Rice about contemporary vampire fervor and her novel, Angel Time.
NPR
Mike Cahill, The Only Civilian To Die At Fort Hood
November 15, 2009
Funerals are being held this weekend for some of the 13 people killed in the Fort Hood shootings. Among them is a service for 62-year-old Mike Cahill, whose family and friends are gathering in Cameron, Texas. Nathan Bernier of member station KUT reports.
NPR
Television Writer David Lloyd Dies At 75
November 15, 2009
One of television's most successful comedy writers, David Lloyd, died this week. He was 75. Lloyd wrote for Jack Paar, Johnny Carson and Dick Cavett. He penned episodes of Cheers, Taxi, Rhoda, The Bob Newhart Show, Wings and Frasier. But his most memorable work may have been on The Mary Tyler Moore Show. An episode he wrote called "Chuckles Bites the Dust" was cited by TV Guide as the funniest sitcom episode ever.
NPR
'Mad Scientists,' Building The Future For 50 Years
November 15, 2009
If you've used a GPS system — or if you happen to be using the Internet to read this — you can thank DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. For 50 years, the smallish, somewhat secretive division of the Pentagon has been mostly off-limits to reporters. Now author Michael Belfiore has profiled the agency in a new book.
NPR
Pavement's Spiral Stairs
November 16, 2009
Pavement's co-founding guitarist, Scott “Spiral Stairs” Kannberg chats with Paste Magazine prior to highly anticipated 2010 Pavement reunion
Paste
How Safe Is It? Seymour Hersh On Pakistan's Arsenal
November 12, 2009
Pakistan has an estimated 80 to 100 nuclear warheads. How secure are they? Veteran investigative journalist Seymour Hersh talks with host Terry Gross about Pakistan's nuclear arsenal and what Pakistan and the U.S. are doing to keep it safe.
NPR
Hudson Landing An Engineering Miracle, Pilot Says
November 12, 2009
In January, pilot Chelsey "Sully" Sullenberger was hailed as a hero, after he glided his U.S. Airways plane — which had lost both engines — to a safe landing in the Hudson. In Fly by Wire, writer and former pilot William Langewiesche argues that it was the engineering of the plane, and not Sullenberger's skill, that made the "miracle" possible.
NPR
Scalia Book Explores The Man Behind The Justice
November 12, 2009
In American Original: The Life and Constitution of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, author Joan Biskupic examines the justice's life as the son of Italian immigrants. She also explores his conservative views from interviews with him, his critics — and his writing. "His core essence comes out not so much in the majority opinion, but in his dissents," she says.
NPR
Remembering A Pioneering Smoke Jumper
November 12, 2009
Laird Robinson, a former smoke jumper, talks to Melissa Block about Earl Cooley, who was with the first National Forest team that jumped into a fire in 1940. Cooley died Monday at 98. Smoke jumpers are elite teams who fly out over raging wildfires in the West, parachute down into the burning forests and battle the flames until they're under control.
NPR
A Mother's Journey: Growing First, Then Loving
November 13, 2009
Mala Fernando got married in Sri Lanka on her 22nd birthday. She was an adult by then — but not in her husband's eyes. Mala discussed those days recently with her daughter, Ashanthi Gajaweera. "It was tough," Mala said. "He used to treat me like a little girl. I told him, 'I'm not your daughter. I'm your wife.'"
NPR
A Tennis Star Who Hates Tennis?
November 11, 2009
Widely considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Andre Agassi admits in a new autobiography that he hates tennis, "with a dark and secret passion." Always has. He's here to talk with host Terry Gross about what he calls the "contradictions" at the core of his life.
NPR
In Essays, Author Zadie Smith Reveals Her Process
November 11, 2009
In the new collection Changing My Mind: Occasional Essays, author Zadie Smith explores her writing process and the people who have influenced her. Smith tells NPR she doesn't write every day, though she wishes she did — and that she used writing as a way to mourn her father.
NPR
Unlikely Word Origins Defined In 'Anonyponymous'
November 12, 2009
Did you know that the word "Frisbee" is derived from Mary Frisbie, a woman who made pies in Connecticut? Or that "silhouette" originated with Etienne de Silhouette, an 18th century French finance minister? John Marciano shines light on these and many other etymological mysteries in Anonyponymous: The Forgotten People Behind Everyday Words.
NPR
Jared Hess
November 12, 2009
Director Jared Hess walks through the memories that inspired him and describe the process of being a left-field comedian in a mainstream market
Paste
Maya Shankar: A Moving Reunion with Music
November 11, 2009
From the Top alumna Maya Shankar was on a course to becoming a professional violinist when a terrible set back turned her life in a completely new direction. Music was a part of her past until a surprising phone call changed everything, again.
From The Top
Service Held At Fort Hood To Remember Victims
November 10, 2009
A gunman killed 13 and wounded more than 40 when he opened fire at the Soldier Readiness Center at Fort Hood, Texas on Nov. 5. President Obama and Gen. George Casey deliver remarks at the memorial service, attended by family members of the dead and wounded, and members of the public.
NPR
Shooting Victims Honored In Fort Hood Memorial
November 10, 2009
Guests and NPR correspondents join Neal Conan to discuss Tuesday's ceremony and President Obama's remarks. And listeners calling from military bases across the country and around the world contribute. Tell us: If you live on a base, how has your life changed since the shooting at Fort Hood?
NPR
Quiet Anguish In Elgar's Cello Concerto
November 10, 2009
The concerto was the English composer's last major work for orchestra, as well as his most confessional. In this recording, cellist Jacqueline Du Pre gives one of her finest performances, exposing both gentleness in the pain and an edge to the tenderness.
NPR
An American In Japan, Investigating The 'Tokyo Vice'
November 9, 2009
Working for Japan's Yomiuri Shinbun newspaper, reporter Jake Adelstein uncovered a world unknown to many of the Japanese public, let alone to foreigners: the world of organized crime. He details its landscape — and the dangers of covering it — in a new memoir.
NPR
Doveman: Soft-Spoken But Upbeat
November 9, 2009
With the release of the 2005's The Acrobat, 2007's With My Left Hand I Raise the Dead and an album in which he covers the soundtrack to the '80s movie Footloose, Thomas Bartlett established Doveman as a true sleeper. His third album of original material with Doveman, The Conformist, is a testament to his soft-spoken style. This time around, though, he adds flourishes of upbeat synths, drums and catchy choruses.
NPR
Tina Brown's Must-Reads In Magazines, Online
November 10, 2009
Steve Inkseep talks to Tina Brown, editor in chief of The Daily Beast, about her picks this week about articles and books that shouldn't be missed. She references: the novel Push by Sapphire, The Information Broker by Gabrial Sherman in this week's New York magazine, General McChrystal's Fuzzy Math in Afghanistan by Leslie Gelb on the The Daily Beast, and The Internet is killing storytelling by Ben Macintyre on the Times of London online.
NPR
Sapphire's Story: How 'Push' Became 'Precious'
November 6, 2009
The gritty realism of the film Precious is even more intense in the novel Push, upon which the film is based. Author Sapphire discusses the inspiration for her work — and her initial reluctance to allow her work to become a film.
NPR
Music For Sting's Favorite Season
November 7, 2009
For the former Police frontman, the winter months are a time for imagination and reflection. His new album, If on a Winter's Night, takes traditional songs from his native British Isles as its starting point. Here, he performs one of them and speaks with Scott Simon.
NPR
To See The Future, Use The Logic Of Self-Interest
November 7, 2009
Bruce Bueno de Mesquita knows what will happen in the future on a host of critical questions. Will Iran develop a nuclear bomb? Will North Korea? What major companies or economies will merge, grow or fall apart? De Mesquita has been predicting the future for 30 years — to a reported 90 percent success rate. Host Scott Simon talks to him about the new book that reveals how his secret: The Predictioneer's Game: Using the Logic of Brazen Self-Interest to See and Shape the Future.
NPR
Refusing Flu Shots? Maybe You're A 'Denialist'
November 7, 2009
At the Ocean Charter School near Marina del Rey, Calif., 40 percent of the 2008 kindergarten class received vaccination exemptions. Author Michael Specter says the parents in this upscale enclave are prime examples of what he calls "denialism."
NPR
Poker, Power Go Hand In Hand, Author Says
November 7, 2009
American history is filled with powerful men who have have honed their competitive strategies around the card table. In Cowboys Full: The Story of Poker, author James McManus details how the game's logic is reflected in our history of battles and business.
NPR
A Raelette On Ray Charles
November 8, 2009
As a backup singer, Angela Workman was one of Weekend Edition host Liane Hansen's first music interviews. For Hansen's 20th anniversary show, Workman spoke about the legacy of Ray Charles, and what she's been up to since.
NPR
