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Excerpt: 'American Fantastic Tales' November 23, 2009 This collection — edited by Peter Straub — draws from 300 years of American horror and fantasy. NPR

Composer Of All Things Considered Theme Remembered November 23, 2009 The pianist and composer Don Voegeli passed away this weekend. He was 89. Voegeli wrote classical, jazz and experimental music, and is best known to public radio listeners as the man who composed the theme song for All Things Considered. NPR

Dvorak's Symphony For A 'New World' November 24, 2009 The Bohemian composer claimed that "everyone who has a nose must smell America" in his Symphony No. 9. But rather than serve as a musical postcard from abroad, Dvorak's Symphony From the New World ultimately serves as more of a fond look back toward home. NPR

Blues Man Joe Bonamassa, Real-Life Guitar Hero November 21, 2009 Blues musician Joe Bonamassa started playing with BB King when he was 12 years old. He's performed on stage with Eric Clapton and averages about 200 shows per year. His new DVD is called Joe Bonamassa, Live From the Royal Albert Hall. Host Scott Simon speaks with Bonamassa about living with the blues and how he got his nickname, "Smokin' Joe." NPR

Rakim: The MC Reveals His 'Seventh Seal' November 21, 2009 The renowned rapper has finally issued his seventh album — his first in 10 years. Here, he reflects on the early breakthroughs that earned him his living-legend status, and talks about delivering a conscious message in his new work. NPR

'Emancipation,' A Story Of European Jews' Liberation November 21, 2009 Europe's Jews began to fight their way out of the ghettos during the tumult of the French Revolution. It's the focus of Michael Goldfarb's new book, Emancipation: How Liberating Europe's Jews from the Ghetto Led to Revolution and Renaissance. Guy Raz talks with Goldfarb about how that liberation paved the way for thinkers like Marx, Freud and Einstein. NPR

Imelda May: Madly In Love With Rockabilly November 22, 2009 Irish singer Imelda May is a walking, talking, singing embodiment of the 1950s. She wears leopard-print sweaters, tight bad-girl jeans and her hair in a ponytail. Although May has won numerous awards in 2009, her music harkens back to a style that was popular in the '50s: rockabilly. NPR

Growing Up With Orson Welles As Her Father November 22, 2009 The name Orson Welles has the power to jog millions of memories. His radio work sent the nation into a panic. Host Liane Hansen speaks with Chris Welles Feder about her new book, In My Father's Shadow, an account of her life growing up as the daughter of Orson Welles. NPR

A Child's Doctor Turns To Iraq War's Youngest Victims November 22, 2009 Dr. Chris Coppola was a pediatrician in the U.S. before he shipped off to Iraq. As a military surgeon, he expected to treat soldiers, but he found himself helping war-ravaged Iraqi children as well. Host Liane Hansen speaks with Dr. Coppola about his memoir, Coppola: A Pediatric Surgeon in Iraq. NPR

Rossini, Riley And Remixes: New Classical CDs November 22, 2009 From sensuous-sounding Chopin to a radical remix of Terry Riley's IN C, NPR Music's Tom Huizenga and All Things Considered host Guy Raz spin a wide assortment of new classical CDs. NPR

Author Recounts 'Buffalo Saga' November 22, 2009 The Buffalo Soldiers have been called the unsung heroes of World War II. James Harden Daugherty was only 19 when he was drafted in the U.S. Army. He left the United States, where he was still abiding by "Coloreds Only" Jim Crow laws, to help fight for freedom and liberation for those abroad. Daugherty, who's written a book called The Buffalo Saga, revisits those years with host Guy Raz. NPR

Author: Polar Bears Are 'On Thin Ice' November 22, 2009 Polar bears are some of the most high-profile victims of global warming. They�re irresistibly cute, and author Richard Ellis says they�ll disappear from the wild within a hundred years as irreversible warming destroys the polar ice caps. Ellis talks to host Guy Raz about his new book, On Thin Ice: The Changing World of the Polar Bear. NPR

Oprah Winfrey: saint or mindless consumerist? November 24, 2009 Oprah Winfrey�s announced departure from her daytime talk show has brought out her biggest fans and loudest critics The Christian Science Monitor

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

Judith Fox Turns A Close-Up Lens On Alzheimer's November 19, 2009 null 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