Years of conducting a world-famous orchestra have shown Benjamin Zander the power of classical music. He says music speaks to our emotions — and has the ability to reach everybody.
When the U.S. ambassador to Costa Rica was asked what he would do after Trump asked for his resignation, he joked that maybe he would go on Dancing with the Stars. That's just where he has landed.
Artists Dre Urhahn and Jeroen Koolhaas strive to change perceptions of "bad neighborhoods" by arming locals with paintbrushes and a vision: to turn their neighborhoods into open-air art galleries.
Western art contains countless paintings and sculptures that reveal a painful history of racism. We can't erase that history, but artist Titus Kaphar has begun the long and hard work of amending it.
Using Arabic calligraphy, eL Seed paints messages of hope on the sides of buildings. He says the beauty of Arabic script — even if you can't read it — can change negative perceptions of Arab culture.
From door handles to double-decker buses, Magda Sayeg "yarn bombs" inanimate objects by wrapping them in handmade knitting. She wants her bright, fuzzy artwork to make the world a little friendlier.
Listen to two of our favorite segments from last year, featuring two of our favorite fourth chairs (Ari Shapiro and Audie Cornish), about two of our favorite shows.
Joe Ide and his brothers hung out almost exclusively with the neighborhood kids in South Los Angeles. Years later, the city's old haunts and characters worked their way into his books.
Ivy Pochoda's latest was informed by creative writing classes she teaches on L.A.'s Skid Row. "My L.A. experience, it was a little bit different, and I think the book sort of reflects that," she says.
Two comedians say the famed comic invited them both to a hotel room and stripped naked, to their shock. Others say he asked to masturbate before them, or seemed to do so while on the phone with them.