Brazilian Singer Seu Jorge: On Music, Race, And Luck Versus Hard Work
The celebrated musician stopped by NPR's Alt.Latino to chat about his incredible musical journey.
Arts & Life
A Bridge To Hollywood Legend: Saying Farewell To The Sixth Street Viaduct
The bridge starred in so many iconic scenes — in films from Grease to Terminator 2 — it had become an icon unto itself. Due to safety concerns, though, the Sixth Street Viaduct is getting torn down.
Fresh Air Weekend: 'Hap And Leonard'; 'All My Yesterdays'; Maggie Smith
Joe R. Lansdale worked as a janitor before finding success as a writer. Kevin Whitehead reviews a two-CD set featuring Thad Jones and Mel Lewis. Maggie Smith discusses the pressures of acting.
Not My Job: Singer Trisha Yearwood Gets Quizzed On Unhappy Couples
Yearwood had a hit song called "How Do I Live Without You," so we've invited her to play game called "How Do I Live With You?" Three questions about unhappy marriages.
A Writer-Engineer's Historical Fiction Hack: Add Dragons
Before her first book, Naomi Novik was a programmer who wrote Napoleonic-era fan fiction on the side. Then she had an idea: "What could make the Napoleonic wars more exciting? Dragons!"
Comedian Ben Bailey Smith Weaves Rapping Into Children's Book
What does rapping have in common with a good children's book? A lively beat and rhyme. Rapper, comedian and actor, Ben Bailey Smith speaks to NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro about his book, "I Am Bear."
Placid Madonnas Please Antisocial Men Of Genius In 'Almanac'
In A Doubter's Almanac, Ethan Canin tells the story of a book-smart man — "a topologist, who can map the world but not the heart."
In Animated, Oscar-Nominated Doc, A Man Turns His Brother In For Murder
Last Day of Freedom uses more than 30,000 hand-drawn images to tell the story of Bill and Manny Babbitt. The film raises questions about trust, family, mental illness and the criminal justice system.
Written Behind Bars, This 1850s Memoir Links Prisons To Plantations
The Life and the Adventures of a Haunted Convict is the earliest known prison memoir by an African-American writer. Written by Austin Reed in the 1850s, it was discovered at an estate sale in 2009.
Directors Know: When Child Actors Are On Set, The Studio Teacher Is In Charge
All sorts of laws govern the use of children in movies, and studio teachers like Lois Yaroshefsky are in charge of enforcing them. As Jungle Book director Jon Favreau puts it, "Lois is the boss."