Arts & Culture 2009 Archive | PBS NewsHour

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	2009 DECEMBER Dec. 31, 2009 Russian Poet Pavlova Celebrates Desire in New Collection A profile of Russian poet Vera Pavlova, who will release her first collection of poems in English, "If There is Something to Desire," next month.

	Dec. 31, 2009 The Decade in Literature Books in the aughts were not all for naught: there were mega novels (like Jonathan Franzen's "The Corrections" and Junot Diaz's "The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao"), a boom in book clubs, and the birth of the e-reader.

	Dec. 31, 2009 The Decade in Film From the fading dominance of the big screen to the prevalence of the small screen, the critical cinematic successes that came from abroad, and the return of the 3-D Hollywood blockbuster, we asked two critics to reflect on the films and film culture of the past decade and to consider what may happen over the next ten years

	Dec. 31, 2009 Thursday on the NewsHour: Poetic Partnership You can watch Vera Pavlova read poems not shown on the program below and also check out our Poetry Series page for additional material.

	Dec. 31, 2009 Poet Profile: Vera Pavlova Poet Vera Pavlova reads some of her poems.

	Dec. 31, 2009 Thursday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 31, 2009 A Look at Google Books In another in our series about the future of literature and literacy, Spencer Michels looks at internet giant Google's controversial plan to offer millions of books online.

	Dec. 30, 2009 Journalist Kati Marton Examines Human Cost of War Margaret Warner chats with author Kati Marton about her book "Enemies of the People: My Family's Journey to America," which looks at the human cost of the Cold War.

	Dec. 30, 2009 Spencer Michels: A Little Common Sense About Google Books The Google books story sounds pretty simple on the surface: Google wants to digitize or scan a large portion of the world's books, and then make them available for people searching a subject.

	Dec. 30, 2009 Google's Goal: Digitize Every Book Ever Printed In a new era of E-books, Internet giant Google is attempting to offer millions of books online. Spencer Michels looks at the controversial plan and what it could mean for the future of reading.

	Dec. 30, 2009 Poet Profile: Marie Ponsot Poet Marie Ponsot reads some of her poems.

	Dec. 30, 2009 Remembering the Sharp Insights of Caricaturist David Levine David Levine, a master of the caricature, died yesterday at the age of 83 in New York as a result of prostate cancer and other illness. Levine had the ability to expose and gently exaggerate the distinguishing features of politicians, historical figures and literary giants.

	Dec. 30, 2009 Author Kati Marton Describes Her Family's Ordeal When author Kati Marton started digging into the files that the Hungarian secret police kept on her parents, who worked as journalists in Cold War Budapest, she discovered the extent to which the people around them in the 1940s and '50s kept tabs on her family's everyday life.

	Dec. 30, 2009 Wednesday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 29, 2009 Conversation: Patti Smith When fashion photographer Steven Sebring began shooting footage of the daily life of poet and performer Patti Smith -- what Smith describes as high-aesthetic home movies -- neither fully anticipated the project becoming a feature length film.

	Dec. 29, 2009 Tuesday's Art Notes A roundup of arts headlines.

	Dec. 28, 2009 Tonight on PBS, 'Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women' For all the quaint New England charm exuded by her classic and beloved novel, "Little Women," Louisa May Alcott was a more complicated literary figure than most give her credit for.

	Dec. 28, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Longing' Dennis Brutus was a South African poet and activist up until his death on Saturday at the age of 85 at his home in Cape Town.

	Dec. 28, 2009 Monday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 25, 2009 Friday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 24, 2009 Thursday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 23, 2009 Hallelujah!: How Handel Orchestrated a Classic Financial Portfolio When 18th century composer George Frideric Handel wrote his timeless "Messiah" oratorio, he not only penned a classic holiday composition, he also established a foundation for a new business approach to opera. Paul Solman reports.

	Dec. 23, 2009 Conversation: Painter James Rosenquist From signs and billboard advertisements that loomed high above Times Square to canvases filled with images from popular culture that helped shape the world of art from the early 1960s, James Rosenquist has been painting on a grand scale for more than 60 years.

	Dec. 23, 2009 Wednesday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 22, 2009 Photographers Lend a Hand With Portraits of Military Families For troops in the field, few things are more important than reminders of their families -- particularly photos. Tom Bearden reports on how some photographers are lending a helping hand.

	Dec. 22, 2009 Tim Burton Gets a MoMA 'Retrospooktive' Late last month, a major retrospective of works by filmmaker and artist Tim Burton opened at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Art Beat talked to Ron Magliozzi, MoMA's Assistant Curator of Film, about seeing the world through Burton's looking glass.

	Dec. 22, 2009 Tuesday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 21, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Mount Kearsarge' Donald Hall is considered one of the major American poets of his generation. He has published 15 books of poetry, beginning with "Exiles and Marriages" in 1955. His latest was "White Apples and the Taste of Stone: Selected Poems" in 2006.

	Dec. 21, 2009 Monday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 18, 2009 Will 'Avatar' Take-off at the Box Office? Opening Friday nationwide is James Cameron's latest epic cinematic and technical feat.

	Dec. 18, 2009 Conversation: On 'Avatar' and 'The Futurist' To learn more about James Cameron's new film and the director himself, Jeffrey Brown speaks to Rebecca Keegan, who spent time on the set of "Avatar" and wrote the new biography, "The Futurist: The Life and Films of James Cameron."

	Dec. 18, 2009 A Lesson in the Language of 'Avatar' Paul Frommer hadn't ever aspired to invent a language, but when James Cameron -- director of the highly-anticipated "Avatar" -- e-mailed the USC Linguistics department looking for someone to create a speech system for the movie, the professor was eager to accept the challenge.

	Dec. 18, 2009 Around the Nation, Friday Roundup Here are some of this week's arts and culture headlines from public broadcasters around the nation.

	Dec. 18, 2009 Friday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 17, 2009 Conversation: Harold Ramis and Bernard Sahlins on Second City's 50th Anniversary On a cold December night in 1959, The Second City opened in the Old Town section of Chicago in a small space that had been previously been a hat shop and Chinese laundry. Fifty years later, Second City stakes claim to having been the training ground for scores of now-household names.

	Dec. 17, 2009 Everyone Smile and Say, 'Democracy!' The old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words may indeed be true, but photographer Joe Sohm has found that it has taken him thousands of pictures to capture just one word: democracy.

	Dec. 17, 2009 Thursday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 16, 2009 Two Exhibits Gaze Upon Man Ray's Afterimage Art history knows him as Man Ray, the witty surrealist artist who helped legitimize photography as a medium of high art. But two recently-opened exhibits are changing his historical "afterimage," so to speak.

	Dec. 16, 2009 Wednesday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 15, 2009 Tuesday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 14, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'From Here to There' Brad Leithauser is the author of several books of poetry, including most recently, "Curves and Angles" (2006). He has received many awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and a MacArthur Fellowship, and teaches at Johns Hopkins University.

	Dec. 14, 2009 Monday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 11, 2009 Conversation: David Byrne Rides and Writes Musician and artist David Byrne has been riding a bike for almost 30 years, mainly as a way of getting around New York. But while he's on tour, he also rides around the cities he visits. His journeys have been chronicled in a book called "'The Bicycle Diaries." Jeffrey Brown talks to the artist.

	Dec. 11, 2009 Around the Nation, Friday Roundup Here are some of this week's arts and culture headlines from public broadcasters around the nation.

	Dec. 11, 2009 Friday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 11, 2009 Patchwork Nation: Looking for Treasures in Lincoln City Hand blown glass floats can still be found and made on Oregon's Central Coast. Senior Correspondent Ray Suarez tests his skill at creating his own.

	Dec. 10, 2009 Jeffrey Brown: New Series Will Explore the Next Chapter of Reading It's six years ago now that I interviewed Philip Roth about his novel, "The Plot Against America," and his life as a writer.

	Dec. 10, 2009 Conversation: Rick Moody and Andy Hunter Author Rick Moody has just published a new short story titled "Some Contemporary Characters." But the delivery system was unusual: The story was "published" on a Twitter feed in serial tweets every 10-20 minutes over three days, with a few reported kinks in transmission.

	Dec. 10, 2009 Thursday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 9, 2009 Pianist Glazier's Love for Gershwin is Here to Stay Pianist Richard Glazier speaks with Jeffrey Brown about his adoration for the music of George and Ira Gershwin.

	Dec. 9, 2009 Wednesday on the NewsHour: Pianist Richard Glazier Is 'Crazy for' Gershwin Movie musicals led a young Richard Glazier to the piano, first for classical training and then to develop a devotion to the music of a golden period of American songs, particularly the George and Ira Gershwin.

	Dec. 9, 2009 Wednesday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 8, 2009 Our Correspondents' Picks of 2009 As the year draws to a close, and critics everywhere are drawing up their "Best Of" lists, we thought we'd enlist the PBS NewsHour mindshare to give us their picks for their favorite books, films, concerts and plays of 2009.

	Dec. 8, 2009 Tuesday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 7, 2009 At The Met, Staging a Revival for Grand Opera With opera attendance down some 34 percent over the last six years, New York's storied Metropolitan Opera is asking how it can help keep a cherished art form not only alive, but thriving.

	Dec. 7, 2009 Extended Interviews, Performances: The Metropolitan Opera More of Jeffrey Brown's interviews with Renee Fleming and Bart Sher, and excerpts of the Metropolitan Opera's "The Barber of Seville" and "Tosca."

	Dec. 7, 2009 Cautious Collectors Still Deliver Strong Sales at Art Basel Miami In a year when art prices have been all over the map, the five-day trade fair Art Basel Miami was another closely-watched event, being analyzed now for the greater financial implications for artists and collectors.

	Dec. 7, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'TV, Evening News' Marie Ponsot has published several books of poems, including most recently, "Springing" (2002) and "The Bird Catcher" (1998), which won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was a finalist for the 1999 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize.

	Dec. 7, 2009 Monday's Art Notes A roundup of art headlines.

	Dec. 7, 2009 Philadelphia's 'Love Letter' Murals Spark Neighborhood Revival Originally started to combat a major graffiti problem, Philadelphia's Mural Arts program has become a successful tool for urban renewal.

	Dec. 4, 2009 Here's to a Year of Art Beat Hard to believe, but it's been a year since we launched this blog. After our first weeks, I wrote a thank you to our "first responders" -- the people who'd written in to say how much they appreciated and supported our goal of providing a place online for the arts and culture.

	Dec. 3, 2009 The Portrait of Health: An Artist's Perspective on Health Insurance, Part 2 From our "Portrait of Health" series, a look at how artists cope with the challenges of getting affordable health care coverage. Art Beat talks to sculptor Christian Benefiel.

	Dec. 2, 2009 Photos from the Beijing Underground Capturing the faces of an ever expanding and changing youth movement in China, photographer Matthew Niederhauser's ongoing project, "Sound Kapital," documents the emerging underground punk, indie rock, electronic and folk music scenes of Beijing.

	Dec. 1, 2009 The Portrait of Health: An Artist's Perspective on Health Insurance, Part 1 Two years ago, when artist and fashion designer Megin Sherry returned from London after an internship at haute fashion house Alexander McQueen, her health care coverage on her parents' plan had lapsed.



	NOVEMBER Nov. 30, 2009 Poet Marie Ponsot Celebrating Life at 88 A profile of 88-year-old poet Marie Ponsot, who published her sixth collection of poems last month called "Easy."

	Nov. 30, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Contracted' Marie Ponsot has published several books of poems, including most recently, "Springing" (2002) and "The Bird Catcher" (1998), which won the National Book Critics Circle Award and was a finalist for the 1999 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize.

	Nov. 27, 2009 'Austin City Limits' Style Still Evolving After 35 Years Jeffrey Brown reports on the 35th anniversary of "Austin City Limits," the longest-running music series in television history.

	Nov. 27, 2009 Conversation: Colum McCann, National Book Award Winner for Fiction On an August morning in 1974, a man named Philippe Petit steps off of the roof of the World Trade Center's South Tower and onto a tightrope. The act is the backdrop to Colum McCann's National Book Award-winning novel, "Let the Great World Spin."

	Nov. 26, 2009 Galway Kinnell on the Pleasures of Ordinary Things Poet Galway Kinnell reads "Why Regret?" a poem from his new book about "engaging ourselves with the common acts, the ordinary things, the other creatures."

	Nov. 26, 2009 Barbara Kingsolver Discusses Eating Locally As many of us sit down today for a Thanksgiving meal with friends and family, we thought you might enjoy the short clip below. In it, Jeffrey Brown talks to writer Barbara Kingsolver about the sustainable food movement.

	Nov. 26, 2009 The Onion Turns 21 Now celebrating its 21st year, the Onion has fine published consistently funny -- sometimes caustic -- satire of political figures, the media and social convention.

	Nov. 25, 2009 Conversation: T.J. Stiles, National Book Award Winner for Nonfiction The winner of this year's National Book Award for nonfiction tells the story of Cornelius "Commodore" Vanderbilt, who rose from humble means to amass a vast fortune, build the country's largest fleet of steamships and control a railroad empire.

	Nov. 24, 2009 Bill T. Jones Tackles History Through Contemporary Dance Jeffrey Brown profiles American artistic director, dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones. He has created more than 100 original works for his own company, in addition to countless others around the world.

	Nov. 24, 2009 Extended Interview: Dancer and Choreographer Bill T. Jones Jeffrey Brown talks to dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones.

	Nov. 24, 2009 Phillip Hoose, National Book Award Winner for Young People's Literature Art Beat talks to Phillip Hoose, who last week won the National Book Award for young people's literature for "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice."

	Nov. 23, 2009 In Dorothea Lange's Photos, Wisps of 'Great Recession' America's understanding of the Great Depression has, in large part, been shaped by the photography of Dorothea Lange. With the nation once again steeped in financial turmoil, Lange's images have taken on new relevance. Jeffrey Brown reports.

	Nov. 23, 2009 Monday on the NewsHour: New Biography Brings Dorothea Lange's Life Into Focus Some photographs, like "Migrant Mother," have become iconic images, part of our shared history. It and many other photos were taken by a woman who is herself the subject of a new biography: "Dorothea Lange: A Life Beyond Limits."

	Nov. 23, 2009 Weekly Poems: Keith Waldrop, 2009 National Book Award Winner Keith Waldrop won the 2009 National Book Award for "Transcendental Studies," a trilogy of collage poems. The two poems below are from "Transcendental Studies."

	Nov. 20, 2009 Oprah's New Venture: Can She Still Mobilize Fan Base? After decades as a popular talk show host, Oprah Winfrey will end her daytime program to concentrate on a new cable channel. Jeffrey Brown examines Winfrey's mark on the media landscape.

	Nov. 20, 2009 Oprah Looks Ahead to a Future in Cable After 23 years as a daytime talk show legend, Oprah Winfrey has announced she will be ending her program to concentrate on a new cable channel that will bear her name. Jeffrey Brown reports.

	Nov. 20, 2009 Conversation: Frederick Wiseman, Director of 'La Danse' Director Frederick Wiseman has documented a wide range of people's everyday routines and the goings-on inside institutions. A "big ballet fan," and a sometimes-resident of Paris, Wiseman recently turned his camera to one of France's most important cultural institutions: the Paris Opera Ballet.

	Nov. 19, 2009 Wu Man's Music Aims to Bridge East and West Whether playing folk music with villagers in China, or performing scores written just for her by top classical composers, musician Wu Man has emerged as one of the world's foremost musical ambassadors. Jeffrey Brown reports.

	Nov. 19, 2009 Thursday on the NewsHour: Wu Man Tonight on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown talks to Wu Man, who at age 45 is one of the world's leading musical ambassadors. She's a master of the pipa -- a four-stringed lute with ancient roots in central Asia and China.

	Nov. 19, 2009 Jeanne-Claude Was Muse and Collaborator Jeanne-Claude, the artist who collaborated with her partner Christo on monumental installation projects like "The Gates" in New York and "The Wrapped Reichstag" in Berlin, passed away Wednesday at a hospital in New York from complications of a brain aneurysm. She was 74.

	Nov. 19, 2009 Conversation: Robert Kimball, Author of 'Complete Lyrics of Johnny Mercer' On Wednesday, prolific songwriter and singer Johnny Mercer would have turned 100. In his lifetime, he worked with more than 200 collaborators and churned out lyrics for more than 1,500 songs for both Broadway and the silver screen, which were made famous by stars like Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire and Louis Armstrong.

	Nov. 19, 2009 Artist Jeanne-Claude Has Died at 74 Artist Jeanne-Claude, who with her husband Christo, created public art installations around the world, has died. She was 74. Her family said she died Wednesday night at a New York hospital from complications of a brain aneurysm.

	Nov. 18, 2009 The Picture of Health: How Arts Advocates Weigh in on the Health Care Debate There are at least 2.2 million working artists in America, 300,000 of whom don't have health insurance, according to federal statistics. Some are self-employed and can't afford individual plans. Some work for non-profits or part-time jobs that don't offer insurance plans.

	Nov. 17, 2009 A Photography Debut, 65 Years in the Making Holding out for the course of a career that spans more than 40 years, photographer Robert Bergman refused to compromise on when and where he would hold his first show.

	Nov. 17, 2009 Tonight on PBS, 'No Subtitles Necessary' Airing tonight on Independent Lens is "No Subtitles Necessary," the story of two Hungarian filmmakers who reconfigured the landscape of American film in the 1960s and 70s.

	Nov. 16, 2009 'Monuments Men' Explores Hunt for Art Stolen by Nazis Jeffrey Brown talks to author Robert M. Edsel about his new book "The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History."

	Nov. 16, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Storm' Kwame Dawes is director of the South Carolina Poetry Initiative and the University of South Carolina Arts Institute, where he also teaches as distinguished poet in residence.

	Nov. 13, 2009 Conversation: Writer Barbara Kingsolver "The Lacuna," a new novel by Barbara Kingsolver is a sweep of history and a mix of the real and the imaginary.

	Nov. 12, 2009 Herblock's Sketches of History on Exhibition Herbert Block, better known as "Herblock," drew his first editorial cartoon in 1929, and over the course of the next seven decades sketched the major events of the second half of the 20th century for the Washington Post.

	Nov. 11, 2009 Conversation: Robert Edsel, Author of 'The Monuments Men' Robert Edsel's "The Monuments Men" tells the drama that largely took place behind the scenes of the great sweep of destruction, violence and final triumph of the second world war: the systematic looting of art by the Nazis, and the response and rescue effort by the United States and its allies.

	Nov. 10, 2009 Big Bird Celebrates Big Day with 'Sesame Street' Anniversary On the 40th anniversary of 'Sesame Street," Jeffrey Brown explores how the classic PBS program has helped shape childhood education in the United States and around the world.

	Nov. 10, 2009 Conversation: Sesame Street's 'Maria' Sesame Street celebrates its 40th anniversary Tuesday, and there at nearly the beginning was Sonia Manzano, who was cast as "Maria" in 1971, becoming one of the first Hispanic characters on television.

	Nov. 10, 2009 Weekly Poems: On Sesame Street's 40th Birthday, Kermit and Cookie Monster Hit children's television show "Sesame Street" celebrates its 40th anniversary Tuesday. Please enjoy Cookie Monster's hilarious poetry reading below.

	Nov. 9, 2009 20 Years After the Fall, Nostalgia Builds for East German Design Nostalgia for the East -- or 'ostalgie,' a portmanteau combining the words ost ('east') and nostalgie ('nostalgia') -- has taken hold in contemporary, unified Germany.

	Nov. 9, 2009 Preview: 'Ancient Paths, Modern Voices' Coming soon on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown reports on "Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: A Festival Celebrating Chinese Culture," a festival currently taking place at Carnegie Hall in New York.

	Nov. 6, 2009 Conversation: Jonathan Lethem In Jonathan Lethem's new novel, "Chronic City," two friends travel through a Manhattan that is both very recognizable -- from the billionaire mayor to the burgers at a local diner -- while also surreal, looking for truth.

	Nov. 6, 2009 Around the Nation, Friday Roundup Here are some of this week's arts and culture headlines from public broadcasters around the nation.

	Nov. 5, 2009 Winning Faces in Modern Portraits Every three years, the National Portrait Gallery holds a contest showcasing the best efforts in the country in portraiture. Out of 3,300 entries to the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, an exhibition of the top 49 is now on display.

	Nov. 4, 2009 Christie's Art Sale Underwhelms Buyers In the first autumn auction held Tuesday evening at Christie's in New York, total sales fell short of pre-sale estimates -- only $65.6 million instead of $68.6 to $97.1 million -- making for a slow start to the U.S. art market season.

	Nov. 3, 2009 A Mission to Save a Cultural Legacy, One Deli Sandwich at a Time Last month, writer and journalist David Sax visited the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Washington, D.C., to kibbutz about a favorite, salivating subject: the delicatessen.

	Nov. 2, 2009 Kindle, Price War Changing the Way We Read Jeffrey Brown explores the shifting world of book publishing, and examines how technology and readers are changing the industry.

	Nov. 2, 2009 Weekly Poems: a Double From the 'Mets Poet' Frank Messina, also known as the "Mets Poet," is the author of four books of poetry, including "Full Count: The Book of Mets Poetry," released in April, and "Disorderly Conduct," published in 2002.



	OCTOBER Oct. 30, 2009 Burtynsky's 'Oil': Refining Art from the Crude Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky's recently opened exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art takes a large-scale look at something most of us never see, but use or benefit from nearly everyday of our lives: oil.

	Oct. 28, 2009 For Ben Folds, an Orchestral Backing Makes Classic Sense When rock 'n' roll pianist Ben Folds writes songs, he often does so with an orchestra in mind. Now on tour performing with leading symphonies, Folds is experiencing a homecoming of sorts, reports Jeffrey Brown.

	Oct. 28, 2009 Extended Interview with Ben Folds In this extended interview, Jeffrey Brown talks to musician Ben Folds at a concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

	Oct. 27, 2009 Beloved Sculptor Anne Truitt Gets Her Due Anne Truitt was many things -- a sculptor, author, professor and mother -- and above all, it seems, she was beloved by her student and friends for her spirit, integrity and seriousness of purpose.

	Oct. 26, 2009 Writer Michael Chabon Explores Regrets, Pleasures Pulitzer-prize winning author Michael Chabon sits down with Jeffrey Brown to talk about his new book, "Manhood for Amateurs."

	Oct. 26, 2009 Michael Chabon Reads from 'Manhood for Amateurs' Pulitzer Prize-winning author writer Michael Chabon reads from "Manhood for Amateurs," a collection of essays.

	Oct. 26, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'The Golden Window' Jim Harrison has published more than 30 collections of poetry and prose. "In Search of Small Gods" is his twelfth book of poems.

	Oct. 23, 2009 Conversation: 'A New Way Forward' Through Cultural Exchange From "American Idol" to "Afghan Star," art and entertainment can be powerful tools for cultural exchange. That's the argument in the recent report, "A New Way Forward," which calls for the utilization of the arts to build a better relationship with the Muslim world.

	Oct. 22, 2009 Poet Profile: Sherman Alexie Sherman Alexie reads some of his poems.

	Oct. 22, 2009 Poet Sherman Alexie Talks 'Faces' and 'War Dances' Author Sherman Alexie talks about his new book of poetry called "Faces" and his new short story collection, "War Dances."

	Oct. 22, 2009 Poet Laureate Kay Ryan Pushes Verse for Community Colleges Kay Ryan came into office as an "unlikely" poet laureate, she has said, living a quiet life in California, working away on her refined, compact verse. Now in her second term as the 16th U.S. poet laureate, she has decided on a project to share with the nation.

	Oct. 20, 2009 'Austin City Limits' Style Still Evolving After 35 Years Jeffrey Brown reports on the 35th anniversary of "Austin City Limits," the longest-running music series in television history.

	Oct. 20, 2009 Extended Interviews, Performances from Austin City Limits Extended interviews and performances from Jeffrey Brown's report on Austin City Limits as the PBS music program celebrates its 35th anniversary year, featuring Ben Harper and the Relentless7, Pearl Jam, the Dave Matthews Band and Johnny Cash from his legendary 1987 show.

	Oct. 20, 2009 Conversation: Deborah Eisenberg, Short Story Writer and MacArthur Grant Winner A recipient of a 2009 MacArthur genius grant, Deborah Eisenberg has been publishing spare and elegant short fiction to national acclaim since the '80s, winning the Rea Award for the Short Story in 2000, a Guggenheim fellowship and three O. Henry Awards.

	Oct. 19, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Ode to Mix Tapes' Sherman Alexie is a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian born on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Wash. He is the author of several novels and collections of short fiction and poetry, including "Face" and "War Dances," published this year.

	Oct. 16, 2009 Conversation: Nick Hornby "Juliet, Naked," a new novel by Nick Hornby, explores middle-age relationships, online communities, and the nature of being a fan of popular music.

	Oct. 16, 2009 In Theaters Is 'Where The Wild Things Are' Opening in theaters nationwide today is the film adaptation of Maurice Sendaks' beloved children's book, "Where The Wild Things Are." Directed by Spike Jonze, the film has been years in the making and the reviews have been generally positive.

	Oct. 15, 2009 White House Fiesta Celebrates Latin Music A sampling of Latin music performed at the White House this week at a cultural event hosted by the president and first lady.

	Oct. 15, 2009 Conversation: Joan Baez Last night on PBS's American Masters, viewers got an intimate portrait of one of America's most famous singers. Joan Baez began performing with her guitar in coffee shops at just 17, but went on to help define the sound and social momentum of the 1960s with her politically-charged folk songs.

	Oct. 15, 2009 Andrew W.K. Rocks a Classical Sound Andrew W.K., a solo rock act known best for his bombastic 2001 debut album, "I Get Wet," has earned a reputation as a party-friendly, long-haired headbanger who combines earnest optimism with exuberant piano playing plus some distorted guitar and frequent, frenetic dancing.

	Oct. 15, 2009 Solar Energy as Competitive Sport Green technology can take many forms, be it in eco-friendly light bulbs, hybrid cars, or wind turbines. It can even take the form of homework, as in the case of students competing in the Department of Energy's "Solar Decathlon."

	Oct. 14, 2009 Gustavo Santaolalla, Making Music For Both Stage and Screen The first thing Argentine musician Gustavo Santaolalla wants people to know about him is that he is an artist: one who works with a guitar rather than an easel. The 57-year-old has spent the last four decades recording, producing and composing music for his various labels, bands and movies.

	Oct. 13, 2009 Health Care Bill Clears Senate Panel with One G.O.P. Vote President Obama's top domestic initiative, health care reform, inched closer to final votes in Congress on Tuesday after clearing a key hurdle in the Senate Finance Committee. Betty Ann Bowser reports.

	Oct. 13, 2009 'Herb & Dorothy,' a Love Story About Art, Opens New Season of Independent Lens The story of a postal worker and his librarian wife, who with modest means created one of the most priceless collections of contemporary art in the world, is the subject of Tuesday's season premier of Independent Lens on PBS.

	Oct. 12, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Domestique' Heather McHugh was among the recipients of the so-called "Genius Award" (i.e. the 2009 MacArthur Fellowship).

	Oct. 9, 2009 Conversation: Hilary Mantel, Winner of the 2009 Booker Prize Hilary Mantel took home the coveted Man Booker Prize this week for her novel, "Wolf Hall," a detailed look at the contemptuous court of Henry VIII during the English Reformation.

	Oct. 8, 2009 News Wrap: House OKs Hate Crime Protections for Gays, Lesbians In other news, the House voted to include homosexuals in federal hate crime laws, and first-time claims for unemployment fell more than expected last week.

	Oct. 8, 2009 Herta Muller Wins Nobel Prize in Literature Romanian-born writer Herta Muller won the 2009 Nobel Prize in literature Thursday, becoming only the 12th woman to win the prize in its 109-year history.

	Oct. 8, 2009 Famed Photographer Irving Penn Dies at 92 Fashion and celebrity photographer Irving Penn died Wednesday in his Manhattan home at the age of 92, according to his photo assistant Roger Krueger. He is remembered for creating striking, minimalistic images and for adopting a craftsman-like approach to his work.

	Oct. 8, 2009 Irving Penn, 1917-2009 Fashion and celebrity photographer Irving Penn died Wednesday in his Manhattan home at the age of 92. He is remembered for creating striking, minimalistic images and for adopting a craftsman-like approach to his work.

	Oct. 7, 2009 Art:21 Kicks off New Season Art:21, the documentary series about art and artists in the 21st-century, starts a new season tonight on PBS.

	Oct. 6, 2009 The Wood Brothers Make Austin Home Critics have been praising the Wood Brothers since their first studio project together, a 2006 modern blues and folk album called "Ways Not to Lose." NPR named the album one of the best of the year.

	Oct. 6, 2009 New Drama Turns Political Scandal into a Personal Matter On the new CBS drama "The Good Wife," Alicia Florrick (played by Julianna Margulies), is an attorney turned dutiful political wife whose husband's sex tape with a prostitute lands him in prison and her back in the workforce.

	Oct. 5, 2009 Dodgers' Vin Scully 'One on One' From the Booth After 60 years in the broadcast booth for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Vin Scully says he still gets goose bumps. In an interview with Jeffrey Brown, the hall of famer discusses his first big break, the thrill of baseball, and his "one on one" approach with the fans.

	Oct. 5, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'If a Person Visits Someone in a Dream, in Some Cultures the Dreamer Thanks Them' Jean Valentine has published 11 books of poetry and is also the editor of "The Lighthouse Keeper: Essays on the Poetry of Eleanor Ross Taylor." Last month, she won the 2009 Wallace Stevens Award from the Academy of American Poets.

	Oct. 2, 2009 Bening Returns to Stage with Modern Twist on 'Medea' After establishing herself as a star of the silver screen, Annette Bening has returned to her roots as a stage actor with a modern interpretation of Euripides' classical Greek play, "Medea."

	Oct. 2, 2009 Conversation: Francine Prose Unlocks the Life and Diary of Anne Frank A new book by writer Francine Prose called "Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife" asks how much we really know about Frank and her famous work, and wonders what more the talented young writer could have produced if she had not died in a concentration camp as a teenager.

	Oct. 1, 2009 Junk Man: Poet and Professor Albert Goldbarth Poet and toy collector Albert Goldbarth is a two-time winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, as well as the Mark Twain Prize for Humor. In an interview with Jeffrey Brown, Goldbarth discusses his writing, and his latest book of poetry,"To Be Read in 500 Years."

	Oct. 1, 2009 We All Have a Story All artists carry stories -- stories shaped by personal histories, cultures and family experiences. Fifteen of them are brought together at the Kohler Arts Center in "American Story," an exhibition of artists with diverse backgrounds.



	SEPTEMBER Sept. 29, 2009 Welcome Home: A Look at Living in Slums A multimedia exhibition from Norwegian photographer Jonas Bendiksen on display at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., documents the experiences of families living in unplanned, off-the-grid slums in Nairobi, Mumbai, Caracas and Jakarta.

	Sept. 29, 2009 Art of Contemporary Pakistan Comes to U.S. A new show at the Asia Society entitled Hanging Fire -- which refers to an idiom meaning "to delay decision" -- is the first U.S. museum exhibit to focus on contemporary art in Pakistan, and an attempt to alter the American perception of contemporary Pakistan.

	Sept. 28, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'September, Inverness' Robert Hass served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 1995 to 1997. His books of poetry include "Time and Materials" (2007 Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award winner).

	Sept. 25, 2009 Unearthed Gold Sheds Light on Anglo-Saxon History Britain's largest collection of gold artifacts has been discovered and it dates back 1,300 years to the Anglo-Saxons. Nicholas Glass of ITN reports.

	Sept. 25, 2009 Ken Burns' Parks Doc Begins Sunday on PBS Ken Burns' new 12-hour documentary, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea," begins Sunday.

	Sept. 25, 2009 Conversation: Writer Lorrie Moore It's December 2001 and a young midwestern college student named Tassie Keltjin is about to get a more worldly education when she accepts a part-time job as a nanny to the adopted child of a sophisticated Middle-aged couple. What happens over the next year is told in the new novel, "A Gate at the Stairs."

	Sept. 24, 2009 Decoding the Hidden Secrets of Dan Brown's D.C. Jeffrey Brown decodes the secrets of Washington D.C. highlighted in Dan Brown's latest novel "The Lost Symbol."

	Sept. 24, 2009 Christo and Jeanne-Claude (Part 2) Artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude have been working on a proposed environmental art installation in Colorado for years, but have been met with significant resistance from local residents.

	Sept. 23, 2009 Conversation: Scott Noppe-Brandon on the Power, Possibility of Imagination In a new book called 'Imagination First,' co-authors Eric Liu and Scott Noppe-Brandon argue that we -- individuals and society -- could badly use some imaginative thinking about the imagination.

	Sept. 22, 2009 Profile of 'Genius Award' Winner Heather McHugh A profile of Seattle poet Heather McHugh, who was awarded the MacArthur Fellowship on Tuesday.

	Sept. 22, 2009 Poet Profile: Heather McHugh Poet Heather McHugh reads some of her poems.

	Sept. 22, 2009 MacArthur Winner McHugh Serves Up the Weekly Poem Among today's recipients of the so-called "Genius Award" (i.e. the MacArthur Fellowship) is poet Heather McHugh.

	Sept. 21, 2009 Novelist Atwood Imagines Dark Future in New Book Jeffrey Brown speaks with novelist Margaret Atwood about her latest novel "The Year of the Flood" at her Toronto home.

	Sept. 21, 2009 Extended Interviews: Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson Extended interviews and readings with writers Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson.

	Sept. 21, 2009 Poet Profile: Ricardo Pau-Llosa Poet Ricardo Pau-Llosa reads some of his poems.

	Sept. 18, 2009 Around the Nation, Friday Roundup Here are some of this week's arts and culture headlines from public broadcasters around the nation.

	Sept. 18, 2009 Conversation: Mark Knopfler On his new solo album "Get Lucky," the Grammy-award winning singer/songwriter and guitar great Mark Knopfler takes an almost nostalgic look at the people and places he encountered growing up in Britain, painting their portraits through a blend of rock, blues, and folk.

	Sept. 17, 2009 Folk Legend Mary Travers Dies at 72 A look back at the life of Mary Travers, of the legendary folk trio Peter, Paul, and Mary, who died Wednesday at age 72.

	Sept. 17, 2009 Mary Travers, Folk Star Who Sang in Protest, Dies at 72 Mary Travers, member of the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, died of leukemia at the age of 72 on Wednesday.

	Sept. 16, 2009 Conversation: Considering Clarice A major literary celebrity in Brazil, Clarice Lispecter's work ran the gamut from articles in women's magazines to compelling, philosophical novels.

	Sept. 15, 2009 Jamming With the Philharmonic at Carnegie For Trey Anastasio, a member of Phish, it's taken more than 25 years to get to play with the New York Philharmonic at the legendary venue.

	Sept. 15, 2009 Patrick Swayze, Dancer and Actor, Dead at 57 After battling pancreatic cancer for 15 months, actor Patrick Swayze died Monday at the age of 57. An accomplished dancer and classically trained Broadway performer whose physique landed him both romantic and action roles, Swayze is perhaps best remembered for his heart-throb role as Johnny Castle in 1987's "Dirty Dancing."

	Sept. 14, 2009 Conversation: Patti Smith Reflects on the Life of Her Friend, Jim Carroll It was Patti Smith who first encouraged Jim Carroll to blend his poetry with rock 'n' roll, bringing him on stage to perform his work with her band. He went on to form the Jim Carroll Band. Jeffrey Brown talks to Smith about her friend, who passed away Friday.

	Sept. 14, 2009 Rocker, Poet Jim Carroll Dies at Age 60 Jim Carroll, the poet and punk rocker who wrote "The Basketball Diaries," passed away Friday at the age of 60. Our weekly poem is Carroll's "Heroin," which originally appeared in the Paris Review, Issue 48, Fall 1969. The audio was recorded in 2001 and made available by Salon.com.

	Sept. 11, 2009 Celebrating a Duchamp Masterwork During the last two decades of his life, Marcel Duchamp appeared to have given up art for chess, publically claiming he had gone underground. But hidden in his New York apartment was the final, enigmatic piece he had been working on for 20 years: an erotic, sculptural tableau he titled 'Etant donnes.'

	Sept. 11, 2009 Conversation: Oxford American Takes On Southern Literature The Oxford American bills itself as "the Southern Magazine of Good Writing." This month the emphasis is on the good and the truly great, as the magazine offers its first ever "Southern Literature" issue.

	Sept. 9, 2009 Decades Later, Beatles Hits Continue to Draw New Fans Jeffrey Brown speaks with NPR music critic Tim Riley about the Beatles' influence decades later.

	Sept. 9, 2009 Beatlemania Returns with Re-mastered Catalogue More than 20 years after Beatlemania took hold of music fans across the globe, a newly re-mastered Beatles catalogue and video game are being released.

	Sept. 9, 2009 The Business of Beatlemania Wednesday on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown talked to Tim Riley, a contributing music critic for NPR, about the release of the Beatles Remastered. Earlier Wednesday, Michelle Steele of Bloomberg News gave the business angle on the Beatles' releases.

	Sept. 9, 2009 'Over the River' and Through the 'Lions Den': Christo and Jeanne-Claude According to the proposal for a major upcoming art project in Southern Colorado, the artists (and spouses) known as Christo and Jeanne-Claude will suspend a snaking ribbon of porous polypropylene, totaling nearly six miles, above the Arkansas River.

	Sept. 8, 2009 The Beatles Remastered On Wednesday, EMI Music and the Beatles will release the band's entire catalog -- every album and single -- digitally remastered in mono and stereo versions, with superior digital quality to the current CD recordings out since 1987.

	Sept. 7, 2009 Mary Jo Bang Examines Grief's Poetic Form, the Elegy Mary Jo Bang is professor of English and director of the Creative Writing Program at Washington University. Her fifth book, "Elegy," which won of the National Book Critics Circle Award, examines the pain and grief following the death of her son. She shares two poems from the collection.

	Sept. 7, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'First Thing' Paul Hunter is a poet, musician and teacher. He produces letterpress books and broadsides under the imprint of Wood Works Press, his poems have appeared many journals, and he's the author of several chapbooks and four books of poetry.

	Sept. 4, 2009 The Value of Work in 'Shop Class as Soulcraft' Jeffrey Brown speaks with philosopher, author and motorcycle-repair shop owner Matthew B. Crawford about the fulfillment found in building and fixing things, which he details in the new book "Shop Class as Soulcraft."

	Sept. 4, 2009 Conversation: Writer, Professor Mark Slouka on America's 'Dehumanized' Education As students head back to high schools and colleges across the country, an essay in the September issue of Harper's Magazine declares that, "Education in America today is almost exclusively about the GDP."

	Sept. 4, 2009 Around the Nation, Friday Roundup Here are some of this week's arts and culture headlines from public broadcasters around the nation.

	Sept. 3, 2009 Of Dollars and Spidey Sense: Disney Has Much to Gain by Purchasing Marvel Disney's plan to buy Marvel Entertainment, Inc. for $4 billion opens up the gates of the Magic Kingdom to a whole host of new characters and helps complete the evolution of comics from a dime-store fringe market to a global economic powerhouse.

	Sept. 2, 2009 A New Deal for Artists Artists today have a number of safety nets to help ease the pain brought on by a battered economy, but during the Great Depression it took a federal stimulus program of sorts to protect many of the nation's painters and sculptors.

	Sept. 1, 2009 A Look at Festivals Images from the "300% Spanish Design" expo in Mexico City, the Ganesha Festival in India and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland.

	Sept. 1, 2009 Slide Show: a Look at Festivals Images from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, the "300% Spanish Design" expo in Mexico City and the Hindu Ganesha Festival in India.



	AUGUST Aug. 31, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Erasers' Mary Jo Salter is a poet, lyricist, playwright and essayist, whose latest collection of poems, "A Phone Call to the Future: New and Selected Poems," was published in March 2008.

	Aug. 28, 2009 Revisiting Katrina in 'A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge' Josh Neufeld's "A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge" tracks the lives of New Orleans residents as they fled or remained, and then struggled to cope in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

	Aug. 27, 2009 Jessye Norman, The Roots Team Up for Langston Hughes' 'Ask Your Mama' Five years ago, Emmy Award-winning composer Laura Karpman stumbled across a copy of Hughes"Ask Your Mama." She was instantly struck by the power and potential of the piece, believing it cried out to be realized as a 21st century multimedia performance.

	Aug. 26, 2009 Other News: S.C. Lt. Gov. Calls for Sanford Resignation In other news, the lieutenant governor of South Carolina asked Republican Gov. Mark Sanford to resign, and new economic data showed better-than-expected recoveries in the manufacturing and housing sectors.

	Aug. 26, 2009 Island Hopping As hip-hop has evolved into an established international culture and multi-billion-dollar industry far removed from its underground urban origins, some artists are bringing the genre back to its roots. The Blue Scholars, a Seattle-based, Hawaiian-influenced duo, is the harbinger of a new tropical hip-hop interpretation.

	Aug. 25, 2009 Conversation: Whit Stillman Before the re-release of Whit Stillman's "The Last Days of Disco," obscure copies of the cult auteur's film were selling on the Internet for as much as $150.Now Stillman's 1998 movie (and his latest to date) is now being re-issued by Criterion Collection in a deluxe edition.

	Aug. 24, 2009 Secrets and Lies in 'Await Your Reply' In Dan Chaon's "Await Your Reply," three independent story lines revolve around one another, as characters attempt to keep their secrets secret.

	Aug. 24, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Physical Portrait / Retrato fisico' Cecilia Vicuna's visual work has been exihibited at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, the Whitney Museum of American Art and MoMA. She is also co-editor of the Oxford Book of Latin American Poetry, which was published this month.

	Aug. 21, 2009 Poet Ricardo Pau-Llosa Reflects on Influences, Art Ricardo Pau-Llosa, a prolific Miami-based poet and critic of Latin American art, remembers the colors, tastes and memories that shaped his youth and his writing, taking him back to his native Cuba.

	Aug. 21, 2009 Conversation: James Gavin, Author of New Lena Horne Biography For many decades, Lena Horne was one of the best known and loved entertainers in the world, known for her talent and beauty.

	Aug. 20, 2009 An Unflinching Look at Violence in Juarez Artist Alice Leora Briggs takes an unflinching look at the violence in the border town of Juarez, Mexico.

	Aug. 19, 2009 Tiny: Art From Microscopes Inside the Dane County Regional Airport in Madison, Wis., an art exhibit called "Tiny: Art From Microscopes at UW-Madison" invites travelers to find art in images normally reserved for the pages of scientific journals.

	Aug. 19, 2009 Tiny World, Big Art in Madison If you happen to find yourself waiting out a flight delay at the airport in Madison, Wis., look on the bright side: You'll have more time to browse an exhibit that unites art and science.

	Aug. 18, 2009 Fabrics of Our Lives: Obama's Mother's Collection at the Textile Museum How do our clothes and other fabrics tell the trajectory of our lives? One woman's answer is now on display in a special two-week exhibit at the Textile Museum.

	Aug. 17, 2009 Monday on the NewsHour: Albert Goldbarth Albert Goldbarth is the only poet to win the National Book Critics Circle Award twice and last year received the "Mark Twain Prize for humor from the Poetry Foundation. His latest book, "To Be Read in 500 Years," was published this summer.

	Aug. 17, 2009 Junk Man: Poet and Professor Albert Goldbarth Poet and toy collector Albert Goldbarth is a two-time winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award, as well as the Mark Twain Prize for Humor. In an interview with Jeffrey Brown, Goldbarth discusses his writing, and his latest book of poetry,"To Be Read in 500 Years."

	Aug. 17, 2009 Poet Profile: Albert Goldbarth Poet Albert Goldbarth reads some of his poems.

	Aug. 17, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Beauty Parlor' Andrea Hollander Budy is the author of three poetry collections: "Woman in the Painting," "The Other Life" and "House Without a Dreamer," which won the Nicholas Roerich Poetry Prize.

	Aug. 14, 2009 Courtroom Artist William Hennessy's Sketches Courtroom sketch artist William Hennessy has been documenting legal proceedings for 27 years. Here is a look at some of his most memorable work.

	Aug. 14, 2009 Conversation: Novelist Richard Russo Jeffrey Brown talks to Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Richard Russo about his latest book, "That Old Cape Magic."

	Aug. 14, 2009 Courtroom Artist Is Witness to It All On Thursday's NewsHour, we profiled courtroom sketch artist William Hennessy, whose work has offered people a glimpse where cameras are oftentimes banned. Here is a slide show of some of his most memorable sketches from the past 27 years.

	Aug. 13, 2009 Remembering Guitar Legend Les Paul A look back at the life and career of Les Paul, whose electric guitar and multi-track recording changed how music is played and recorded. He died Thursday at 94.

	Aug. 13, 2009 Courtroom Sketch Artist Develops Journalistic Eye After 27 years of witnessing significant legal proceedings, courtroom sketch artist William Hennessy said he now considers himself a journalist as well.

	Aug. 13, 2009 Guitar Legend Les Paul Dies at 94 Legendary guitar innovator and guitarist Les Paul died Thursday of complications of severe pneumonia in White Plains, N.Y. He was 94.

	Aug. 12, 2009 Recycling a Museum When the Los Angeles Contemporary Museum of Art recently deaccessioned a trove of costumes from its collection, a textile artist stumbled upon an auction catalog. His new project was born when he scooped up more than 50 deaccessioned costumes.

	Aug. 11, 2009 Southern Exposure The Big Surprise Tour -- a musical ode to string band fiddling, working man's music and American folk troubadours -- began earlier this month in New Hampshire and is headed down to Nashville.

	Aug. 10, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Too Here' Albert Goldbarth is the author of more than twenty books of poetry and has won numerous awards, including two National Book Critics Circle Awards. He is a professor of humanities at Wichita State University, where he has taught since 1987.

	Aug. 7, 2009 Conversation: Remembering John Hughes With the death of writer and director John Hughes at 59 yesterday, America lost one of the most vivid voices to come out of (and help define) the 1980s. For more on Hughes' career and cultural legacy, we talked to Washington Post staff writer Hank Stuever.

	Aug. 7, 2009 Conversation: Alex Prud'homme, Co-author of Julia Child's 'My Life in France' For decades on PBS, Julia Child brought her infectious enthusiasm for French cooking into the kitchens of her rapt viewers, passing on the culinary lessons she had learned during the years she lived in France.

	Aug. 6, 2009 Writer-Director John Hughes Dies at 59 Film director John Hughes died Thursday of a heart attack while taking a morning walk in New York City. Hughes convincingly captured the voice of teens in the 1980s, making a series of hit coming-of-age films, including "Sixteen Candles" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off."

	Aug. 6, 2009 'When She Named Fire' Examines Contemporary Women's Poetry When the editors at Autumn House Press in Pittsburgh started looking around at various anthologies of contemporary poetry, they noticed most of the general collections still featured more male bards than female.

	Aug. 5, 2009 The Art of Blogging About Art Most mainstream news organizations now blog in some form, including, obviously, the NewsHour here on Art Beat. We talked to some other arts and culture bloggers about the ways the medium has affected their messages.

	Aug. 4, 2009 Conversation: Writer Scott Rosenberg Salon.com co-founder Scott Rosenberg details blogging's short history in his latest book, 'Say Everything: How Blogging Began, What It's Becoming and Why It Matters.'

	Aug. 3, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Living Room' Andrea Hollander Budy is the author of three poetry collections: "Woman in the Painting," "The Other Life" and "House Without a Dreamer." She is also the editor of "When She Named Fire: An Anthology of Contemporary Poetry by American Women."



	JULY July 31, 2009 Conversation: Hitchens, Cuno Debate the Fate of the Parthenon Marbles It's one of the great landmarks of history: the Parthenon in Athens. It stands as the symbol of the cultural and political heights reached by the classical world. But it is today also at the center of a very modern debate: over who holds claim to a set of marble friezes that once adorned the structure.

	July 31, 2009 Around the Nation, Friday Roundup Here are some of this week's arts and culture headlines from public broadcasters around the nation.

	July 30, 2009 Pete Seeger's 90th Birthday Blowout on PBS Time for a summer sing-along, but forget the bonfire! Instead, gather around the cool light of your TV to watch the man who wrote or made famous most of the songs they taught you sing at camp. Tonight on PBS, Great Performances presents Pete Seeger's 90th Birthday concert at Madison Square Garden.

	July 29, 2009 Costello Still Finds Wonder in Songwriting Jeffrey Brown speaks with musician Elvis Costello about how his approach to recording albums has evolved over three decades.

	July 29, 2009 Extended Interview: Elvis Costello Here is the full conversation betwen Jeffrey Brown and Elvis Costello, which took place during Costello's tour stop at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Vienna, Va.

	July 29, 2009 NSO to Live Twitter Performance of Beethoven National Symphony Orchestra Associate Conductor Emil de Cou is writing a series of messages on Twitter designed to draw the audience into the NSO's performance of Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, better known as the "Pastoral Symphony," at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, which is the summer home of the NSO.

	July 28, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'How Simile Works' Albert Goldbarth is the author of more than twenty books of poetry and has won numerous awards, including two National Book Critics Circle Awards. He is a professor of humanities at Wichita State University, where he has taught since 1987.

	July 27, 2009 Revered Choreographer Merce Cunningham Dies Regarded among the most innovative American artists of the 20th century, Merce Cunningham died Sunday in his New York home.

	July 27, 2009 Extended Interview with David Vaughan An extended interview with David Vaughan, who has been with Merce Cunningham's dance company for more than forty years. He is also the author of the biography, "Merce Cunningham: Fifty Years."

	July 27, 2009 Merce Cunningham, 90, Modern Dance Master Merce Cunningham, a dancer and choreographer who is regarded among the most important and innovative American artists of the 20th century, died Sunday night at his home in Manhattan. He was 90.

	July 24, 2009 Conversation Preview: Elvis Costello Coming soon on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown has a profile of singer Elvis Costello. Here's a preview of their conversation.

	July 24, 2009 Open for Business at 'The Work Office' Think your paycheck is small? Try getting a gig at The Work Office, where New York City artists have contributed to a WPA-style collaborative art project for Depression-era wages.

	July 23, 2009 Theatre Program Gives New Meaning to 'Playtime' Arts education is typically not a staple of some heartland communities, so for nearly 40 years the Missoula Children's Theatre has been giving disadvantaged children an opportunity to discover their inner thespian. Jeffrey Brown reports.

	July 23, 2009 Extended Interview: Jim Caron, Co-founder, Missoula Children's Theatre An extended interview with Missoula Children's Theatre CEO and co-founder Jim Caron. The traveling theater company temporarily sets up shop in schools across the country that don't have drama programs.

	July 23, 2009 Eggleston: An Exceptional Eye for the Ordinary For more than 40 years, photographer William Eggleston has captured common, everyday instances or objects that, through his particular framing, elevates the familiar and makes the ordinary beautiful. Through his lens, a moment can be made monumental.

	July 23, 2009 William Eggleston: 'Democratic Camera' A sweeping retrospective of William Eggleston's photographs, "William Eggleston: Democratic Camera, Photographs and Video, 1961-2008," opened at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York last year. Now on tour, the show is currently on display at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

	July 22, 2009 Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley at the White House There is a long tradition of country musicians performing at the White House. Johnny Cash played for Richard Nixon; Tammy Wynette sang for Gerald Ford; and Willie Nelson performed for Jimmy Carter. In recent years, Alan Jackson and Toby Keith have taken the stage. On Tuesday, the Obamas welcomed Alison Krauss and Brad Paisley.

	July 22, 2009 Sci-Fi Funk: Robot Rhythm of Janelle Monae Cindi Mayweather is a cyborg who is wanted for falling in love with a human, and she's on the funkiest run in recent memory. She is also the alter ego of Janelle Monae, a rhythm and blues singer whose album "Metropolis Suite I of IV: The Chase" boasts clever orchestrations, dynamic vocal stylings and a political message.

	July 21, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Barking' Jim Harrison has published more than 30 collections of poetry and prose. "In Search of Small Gods" is his twelfth book of poems.

	July 20, 2009 'Angela's Ashes' Author Frank McCourt Dies at 78 Frank McCourt, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Angela's Ashes," died Sunday at the age of 78. Roger Rosenblatt speaks with Margaret Warner about the author's influence on the literary world.

	July 20, 2009 'We Sent Music and Laughter There': Man and the Moon, 40 Years On Now re-released by the Criterion Collection, the new DVD version of Al Reinert's "For All Mankind" is far superior to the original grainy images most watched for the first time on their TVs.

	July 20, 2009 Frank McCourt, Irish Memoirist, Dead at 78 Frank McCourt, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Angela's Ashes" and "'Tis," died Sunday in New York from metastatic melanoma. He was 78.

	July 17, 2009 Conversation: Painter John Currin The painted human figure is the subject of an exhibition called "Paint Made Flesh" at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C. The show features works by 33 artists who offer an extraordinary variety in their depictions of the body, including John Currin, one of the most recognized and lauded figurative artists working today.

	July 16, 2009 Simon Johnson on the Future of the U.S. Auto Industry Paul Solman answers your questions on business and economic news on "The Business Desk."

	July 16, 2009 At the End of the World with Robyn O'Neil It's a beautiful, hot day in early summer in the Houston suburb where the artist Robyn O'Neil lives and works; only a couple of flinty clouds are in the sky over Texas. Growing up in Tornado Alley, and now living in hurricane country, O'Neil has often seen nature asserting its power over people.

	July 15, 2009 British Couple's Assisted Suicide Reignites Debate Independent Television News reports on the decision by one of the world's most famous conductors and his wife to take their lives. Their deaths have reignited a debate in Europe over assisted suicide.

	July 15, 2009 In Chicago, 'Rush Hour' Is Time for Music Classical music audiences around the country are declining in size and growing older, according to the National Endowment for the Arts. For the last 10 years the Rush Hour Concert Series in Chicago has been trying to buck that trend.

	July 15, 2009 Acclaimed Conductor and Wife End Lives Together in Assisted Suicide British conductor Sir Edward Downes ended his life last week at the age of 85, alongside his wife Joan, 74, in Switzerland. He had not been ill (though his daughter reported he was nearly blind and deaf), but Lady Downes had been suffering from terminal cancer.

	July 15, 2009 Reader Response: What Will Drive America's Future Growth? Paul Solman answers your questions on business and economic news on "The Business Desk."

	July 14, 2009 Literary Voices Reflect on Health Care Some popular writers have turned up in an unexpected place: Health Affairs. The contributions are a part of the 10th anniversary of "Narrative Matters," a feature that maintains that health-policy debate must have room for the experiences of regular people.

	July 14, 2009 In London, Antony Gormley's 'One & Other' Twenty-four hours a day for 100 straight days, different people will join kings and generals high atop London's Trafalgar Square, becoming, if only for an hour, a living monument.

	July 14, 2009 Simon Johnson on China and the U.S. Economy Paul Solman answers your questions on business and economic news on "The Business Desk."

	July 13, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Like Hearing Your Name Called in a Language You Don't Understand' C.D. Wright has published 13 collections of poetry and prose. "Like Hearing Your Name Called in a Language You Don't Understand" is taken from "Rising, Falling, Hovering" (Copper Canyon, 2008), which in June won the Griffin Poetry Prize.

	July 10, 2009 Media Take Second Look at Coverage of Jackson's Death Amid the extensive coverage of pop star Michael Jackson's death, media outlets are asking themselves what news stories may have been missed. Analysts and reporters take a look at the issue.

	July 10, 2009 Conversation: Joseph O'Neill, Author of 'Netherland' For his book "Netherland," Joseph O'Neill had a unique vantage point to explore the literary terrain of post-9/11 New York. Not well known to most U.S. readers, New York City's cricket-playing community is certainly well known to O'Neill, who was born in Ireland and educated in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

	July 9, 2009 Writer, Poet Jim Harrison Is a Determined 'Outsider' Most of Jim Harrison's 32 books have been set in the sparsely populated areas he knows well: Northern Michigan, the Sandhills of Nebraska, the Arizona-Mexico border and in the beautiful "Paradise Valley" near Livingston, Mt., where he now lives much of the year. Jeffrey Brown reports.

	July 9, 2009 Poet Profile: Jim Harrison Poet Jim Harrison reads some of his poems.

	July 9, 2009 Conversation: Chimamanda Adichie, Author of 'The Thing Around Your Neck' In her new short story collection, "The Thing Around Your Neck," Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie moves back and forth between two continents the way she has in real life. Adichie depicts contemporary middle class Nigeria, as well as the lives of Nigerian women newly arrived in the United States.

	July 8, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Re: Happiness, in pursuit thereof' C.D. Wright has published 13 collections of poetry and prose. "Re: Happiness, in pursuit thereof" is taken from her most recent book, "Rising, Falling, Hovering" (Copper Canyon, 2008), which in June won Canada's Griffin Poetry Prize, bestowed by the Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry.

	July 7, 2009 Fans Bid Final Farewell to 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson fans around the world paid a final tribute to the "King of Pop" on Tuesday, as the fallen singer was laid to rest following a star-studded memorial service. Jeffrey Kaye reports from Los Angeles.

	July 7, 2009 Jackson Fans Around the World Say Farewell Eyes around the world are focusing on a sports arena in Los Angeles, as hundreds of thousands of fans congregate for the final salute to the man known as the "King of Pop." Up to one billion people are expected to tune in Tuesday for the televised remembrance spectacle for Michael Jackson.

	July 6, 2009 McNamara's Life Marked by Complex Vietnam Legacy Robert McNamara, one of the primary architects of the Vietnam War, died Monday at age 93. Jim Lehrer talks to Deborah Shapely, the author of a McNamara biography, and Errol Morris, the documentarian who made "Fog of War" about the former defense chief's legacy.

	July 6, 2009 Conversation: Stuart Eizenstat, U.S. Delegate, Holocaust Era Assets Conference Delegates from 50 countries just gathered in Prague to discuss the status of property looted by the Nazis during World War II, including hundreds of thousands of art works.

	July 3, 2009 Around the Nation, Friday Roundup Here are some of this week's arts and culture headlines from public broadcasters around the nation.

	July 2, 2009 The 1-Dress Sustainability Solution How will the future of fashion -- one predicated on continual consumption -- survive in a world of limited resources? Can fashion -- the cultural apex of illimitable desire -- ever be sustainable? Sheena Matheiken is attempting to answer those questions -- one outfit at a time.

	July 1, 2009 Oscar-winning Actor Karl Malden Dies at 97 Actor Karl Malden, who won a best supporting actor Oscar for his role as Mitch in the 1951 film "A Streetcar Named Desire," died Wednesday at age 97.

	July 1, 2009 Kernis Takes On Ibn Gabirol in 'Meditations' What do you get when you pair an 11th century Spanish poet with a modern American composer? Last week, the audience at the Seattle Symphony found out at the world premiere of Aaron Jay Kernis' "Symphony of Meditations," based on the poems of Solomon Ibn Gabirol.



	JUNE June 30, 2009 Conversation: Werner Herzog In the early 1980s in the Peruvian jungle, Werner Herzog was making a film about an opera fanatic who would do anything to bring music to his remote city: Fitzcarraldo and his small crew face deadly river rapids, indigenous tribes with spears and the impossible task of hauling a steamship over a mountain.

	June 29, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Myth' Natasha Trethewey won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 2007 for her book, "Native Guard," written about her mother and black Civil War soldiers on the Mississippi coast.

	June 26, 2009 Jackson's Musical Legacy Rings Clear Amid Troubled Life Story The unexpected death of pop music icon Michael Jackson touched off a worldwide wave of mourning and celebrations of his life Friday. Jeffrey Brown talks to a music writer and a disc jockey about the musical legacy Jackson leaves behind.

	June 26, 2009 In Death, as in Life, Jackson Owns Spotlight Fans across the globe mourned the death of pop icon Michael Jackson, who died at the age of 50 Thursday following an apparent heart attack. Jeffrey Brown reports on the worldwide response to the passing of the King of Pop.

	June 26, 2009 Michael Joseph Jackson, 1958-2009 It took the King of Pop's death to bring him back into the mainstream. Less than a day after his death at the age of 50, there are countless things being said about Jackson, praising his musical talent and also reflecting on his legal troubles and on his bizarre life.

	June 26, 2009 Conversation: Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson Quincy Jones, who was Michael Jackson's longtime friend and record producer, joined me by phone Friday afternoon to talk about Jackson's life and legacy.

	June 26, 2009 Remembering Michael Jackson, the King of Pop Pop music icon Michael Jackson was pronounced dead Thursday, leaving behind an artistic legacy that began as a child in the Jackson Five and ended on the cusp of a 50-concert comeback effort.

	June 25, 2009 Michael Jackson, King of Pop, Dies at Age 50 Pop star Michael Jackson died Thursday evening after arriving at a Los Angeles hospital in a deep coma. Jim Lehrer talks to USA Today music critic Steve Jones about the singer's career.

	June 25, 2009 Michael Jackson, King of Pop, Dies at 50 Pop star Michael Jackson died Thursday afternoon of an apparent cardiac arrest, the Los Angeles Times reported. He was 50. Jackson was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center by the paramedics after they found him at his home not breathing and tried to administer CPR.

	June 25, 2009 Actress, '70s Icon Farrah Fawcett Dies After High-profile Cancer Battle Actress Farrah Fawcett, best known for starring in the 1970s TV hit "Charlie's Angels," died Thursday in Santa Monica, Calif., following a battle with cancer. She was 62.

	June 24, 2009 National Symphony Orchestra Tours China China is home to stars like the pianist Lang Lang, it has vast numbers of music students, it's the world's largest exporter of musical instruments, and it's building new venues to hear music all the time. It's also become a magnet for prominent western orchestras, and Washington's National Symphony Orchestra just made the trip.

	June 24, 2009 Kodak Retires Iconic Kodachrome Film Eastman Kodak Co. announced this week that it was retiring its iconic Kodachrome film because of declining demand. Introduced in 1935, Kodachrome became the world's first commercially successful color film.

	June 23, 2009 Tonight Show's Ed McMahon Dies at Age 86 Ed McMahon, television's most famous late-night sidekick, died Tuesday in Los Angeles, surrounded by his wife Pam and others. The cause has not been released, though a friend reported he had been suffering from bone cancer, as well as other illnesses, for the last few years. He was 86.

	June 22, 2009 For Washington Writers, a Creative Calling In the backroom of a popular restaurant in Washington, D.C., a group of teenagers are getting ready to take the stage for their first public appearance as published writers. The room is abuzz -- families congregate, babies laugh, each teenager enclosed in his or her own entourage, glancing nervously at the empty stage.

	June 22, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Graffiti' Javairia Henry recently graduated from Cardozo High School in Washington, D.C. Her poem, "Graffiti," is taken from 'The Way We See It: Complete Coverage of the Nation's Capital From the Inside Out,' presented by the Capitol Letters Writing Center.

	June 19, 2009 Forum: Submit Questions for Werner Herzog Next week, filmmaker Werner Herzog will be speaking with Jeffrey Brown for Art Beat about "Conquest of the Useless." If you have any questions you'd like us to ask him, please send them to artbeat@newshour.org before Wednesday.

	June 19, 2009 Conversation: Filmmaker Albert Maysles Albert Maysles has spent much of his life behind a camera catching intimate glimpses of the lives of others. A pioneer in the American "direct cinema" movement, he helped create and define documentary style as the genre exploded in the 1960s and '70s through to today.

	June 18, 2009 Guggenheim Celebrates 50th With a Look Back This summer, the Guggenheim Museum in New York is going back to its roots. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the opening of its landmark building on Fifth Avenue, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright,, the museum is displaying a selection of works from its inaugural exhibition in 1959.

	June 18, 2009 'The Sweeney Decade' at the Guggenheim Museum Tracey Bashkoff, Associate Curator for Collections and Exhibitions at the Guggenheim, discusses "The Sweeney Decade," an exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of the museum.

	June 17, 2009 SILVERDOCS Festival Opens With a Slam Called the "premier showcase for documentary films" by the Hollywood Reporter, the American Film Institute's SILVERDOCS festival brings a full slate of documentary films and the International Documentary Conference to Silver Spring, Md., for the seventh year.

	June 17, 2009 Jazzy Start for the White House Music Series The East Room of the White House sounded more like a high school music room Monday when more than 140 student musicians attended the first installment of a new educational music series. It drew kids from around the country for workshops and master classes.

	June 16, 2009 Artomatic: For the People, By the People It's easy to walk into any of the myriad free art museums here in Washington and find days' worth of great stuff to see. But what about the possibility of you getting your artwork up in one of those museums? Fat chance!

	June 15, 2009 Congo's Civil War Is Rich Seam for Prize-Winning Playwright Playwright Lynn Nottage talks to Jeffrey Brown about her Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, "Ruined," set during Congo's civil war.

	June 15, 2009 Extended Interview: Lynn Nottage It's set in a small bar in the Congo, but Lynn Nottage's recent Pulitzer Prize-winning play, 'Ruined,' tells an epic story about the ravages of war, especially its impact on women. An extended interview with Nottage and a scene from her play, "Ruined," are below.

	June 15, 2009 Weekly Poem: From 'Fundamentals of Esperanto' "Fundamentals of Esperanto" is from "Facts for Visitors" by Srikanth Reddy, an assistant professor of English at the University of Chicago. "Fundamentals of Esperanto" is also included in the Poetry Foundation's Chicago Poetry Tour.

	June 12, 2009 Conversation: Historian Simon Schama Historian Simon Schama is well-known for his books and television documentaries on art and a wide range of other subjects. A native of England, he's lived and taught in the United States for several decades. And it is this country that is the subject of his new book. It's called "The American Future: A History."

	June 11, 2009 Architect Renzo Piano on the Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago Architect Renzo Piano speaks with Jeffrey Brown about his work building the new modern wing to the Art Institute of Chicago.

	June 11, 2009 Extended Interviews: Art Institute of Chicago Three extended interviews with architect Renzo Piano, Chicago Art Institute director James Cuno and Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin.

	June 10, 2009 Slide Show: Scenes from the Venice Biennale Held every two years, the Venice Biennale is the oldest and one of the largest contemporary art exhibitions in the world. This year's biennial, "Making Worlds," is the 53rd exhibition.

	June 10, 2009 Scenes From the Venice Biennale Held every two years, the Venice Biennale is the oldest and one of the largest contemporary art exhibitions in the world. This year's biennial, "Making Worlds," is the 53rd exhibition.

	June 9, 2009 In Science and Jazz, Father and Son Find Common Bonds A rare disciplinary cross-pollination performance piece, "Genes and Jazz" is a concert that pairs a Nobel laureate's considerable medical expertise with his son's original jazz pieces.

	June 8, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Luminous Great Mass' "Luminous Great Mass" is from Peter O'Leary's collection, "Watchfulness" (Spuyten Duyvil, 2001). The poems is also included in the Poetry Foundation's Chicago Poetry Tour, a multimedia tour of poetry written in and about Chicago.

	June 8, 2009 Conversation: Terry Teachout Recaps the Tony Awards It was a big night for "Billy Elliot" as the theater world celebrated Broadway at the Tony Awards. In a first, the three teenage boys who rotate in the role of Billy Elliot shared the Tony for best performance by a leading actor in a musical. In all, the play took home 10 honors, including best musical.

	June 5, 2009 Friday on the NewsHour: Tony-Award Winning Signature Theatre Has Rich Past Profile of the Signature Theatre.

	June 5, 2009 Tony-Award Winning Va. Theater Sprouted From Garage Arlington, Va.'s Signature Theater won a 2009 Tony Award as one of the nation's best regional theaters. Jeffrey Brown explores the theater's history and humble beginnings.

	June 5, 2009 Conversation: Michael John LaChiusa Michael John LaChiusa is one of today's leading musical theater composers whose shows have appeared on and off Broadway. His musical, "Giant," based on the 1952 Edna Ferber novel, made its world premiere at the Signature Theater, the Tony Award-winning theater profiled by Jeffrey Brown on Friday's NewsHour.

	June 5, 2009 Around the Nation, Friday Round-up Here are some of this week's arts and culture headlines from public broadcasters around the nation.

	June 5, 2009 How Publishers Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the E-Book To "e-read," or not to e-read? That was the question on the minds of publishers, authors and librarians gathered in New York City last weekend for the industry's massive annual trade show, BookExpo America.

	June 4, 2009 Poetry of Rumi Spans Across Centuries, Cultures Afghan-born 13th century Sufi mystic poet Jalaluddin Rumi is the national poet of Afghanistan, as well as a much-loved poet in America. Jeffrey Brown reports on what's behind the popularity of Rumi's poems.

	June 4, 2009 Conversation: Alligator Records' Bruce Iglauer Reflects on Legacy of Koko Taylor In 1975, Koko Taylor signed with on with Chicago-based Alligator Records. She went on to record numerous albums with the label, including her final recording, "Old School," from 2007. Alligator founder Bruce Iglauer, Taylor's longtime producer and friend was among the family and friends by her side Wednesday.

	June 4, 2009 Koko Taylor, 'Queen of the Blues', Dies at 80 Koko Taylor, the soulful blues songstress, died Wednesday in Chicago at the age of 80, due to complications from a stomach surgery. Her zeal for recording and performing, often with more than 100 performances a year, earned Taylor many accolades.

	June 3, 2009 Smart Design for a Complicated Crisis A short and simple story of the credit crisis? Do you have 11 minutes? That's how long it takes designer Jonathan Jarvis to break down one of the most complicated financial news stories of the year in his video, "The Crisis of Credit Visualized."

	June 2, 2009 Passionate Pursuits in Originally produced in 1993 with revivals now playing in London and Washington, D.C.'s Folger Shakespeare Library, "Arcadia" pays homage to the pursuit of knowledge, and has been hailed as one of the finest plays of the last century.

	June 1, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Composition' John Ashbery is the author of more than 30 volumes of poetry, criticism and essays. He has won nearly every major American award for poetry, and his body of work has led many to consider him one of the nation's most important writers of the last half century.



	MAY May 29, 2009 Conversation: Geoffrey Rush Geoffrey Rush is well-known for many film roles, including "Shine," for which he won an Academy Award, "Shakespeare in Love," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and much more. "Exit the King" is his debut on Broadway, and he's been nominated for a Tony Award for best actor in a play.

	May 29, 2009 As Leno Moves to 10 p.m., New Chapter in Late-night Begins As NBC's Jay Leno prepares to pass "Tonight Show" hosting duties to Conan O'Brien and launch a new talk show, a newspaper television critic mulls the future landscape of late night television.

	May 29, 2009 Around the Nation, Friday Round-up Here are some of this week's arts and culture headlines from public broadcasters around the nation.

	May 28, 2009 Viewers Take Their Time for Olafur Eliasson Artist Olafur Eliasson's exhibitions are about you: "Your loss of senses" (2005), "Your waste of time" (2006), "Your engagement sequence" (2006) and "Your mobile expectations" (2007). His staged environments bring you into direct contact with breaths of humidity, loamy odors and all the elements of a Scandinavian landscape.

	May 27, 2009 Conversation: Amos Oz Amos Oz's latest book, "Rhyming Life & Death," is a fictional account of eight hours in the life of a famous Israeli writer. Known only as "Author," we follow the literary celebrity as he participates in a discussion of his work on a humid evening in Tel Aviv.

	May 27, 2009 Tonight on PBS: 'Hollywood Chinese' Wednesday night on PBS, WNET's American Masters presents the national premier of "Hollywood Chinese," the highly acclaimed documentary that tells the story of Chinese-American cinematic history.

	May 26, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'White Song' J. Michael Martinez's collection "Heredities" was selected for the Academy of American Poets' Walt Whitman Award and will be published by Louisiana State University Press. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Literature at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

	May 22, 2009 Conversation: Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Soul music began in the late-1950s and never really died, but in recent years there seems to be something of a revival underway. One center of that movement is the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based Daptone Records and its most prominent voice, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings.

	May 22, 2009 Around the Nation, Friday Round-Up Here are some of this week's arts and culture headlines from public broadcasters around the nation.

	May 21, 2009 First Class Addition in Second City: Art Institute of Chicago Opens Modern Wing The city that gave birth to the skyscraper and modern architecture has added a fresh facade to its landscape that is being hailed as a "temple of light." The Art Institute of Chicago opened up its Modern Wing this week, designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano.

	May 20, 2009 Work of an Amateur: Czech Avant-Garde Photography at the National Gallery A new exhibit at the National Gallery of Art in Washington looks at an early renaissance of amateur photography that developed in a country about the size of Virginia.

	May 19, 2009 Elevator Repair Service Works on the Experimental Level Witness the weird magic of the Elevator Repair Service. The group has set out to confront "the problem of performance" through its trademark swirl of imaginative choreography and dense soundscapes.

	May 18, 2009 Curtain Closes on Amato Opera's Final Performance After 61 seasons, New York City's Amato Opera is staging its last performance on May 31 as its 88-year-old director, Tony Amato, retires. Ray Suarez reports.

	May 18, 2009 Amato Opera: Extended Interviews An extended interview with Tony Amato and a scene of his opera company performing "Musetta's Waltz" from "La Boheme."

	May 18, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'J. Begins by Saying The World's Not as It Should Be' Jeffrey Schultz's poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Great River Review, Northwest Review, Poetry, Poetry Northwest, Willow Springs and elsewhere. He teaches at Pepperdine University.

	May 15, 2009 Conversation: Boden, Fleck Discuss Their New Film 'Sugar' Anyone who's followed baseball over the last decade or so has noticed the rising number and rising prominence of players from Latin America, particularly from the Dominican Republic. The new film, 'Sugar,' is a dramatic telling of the story of one young Dominican-born player as he learns some lessons about baseball and life.

	May 14, 2009 White House Event Celebrates the Spoken Word The Obamas hosted a "Poetry Jam" Tuesday night at the White House. Rising stars in the arts world as well as established poets, writers, and musicians were invited. Following is an excerpt of the evening, with footage courtesy HBO.

	May 14, 2009 First Family Hosts 'Poetry Jam' at the White House On Tuesday, President Barack Obama and first lady Michele Obama welcomed actors, poets and writers to the East Room of the White House for a night of poetry readings and spoken word.

	May 14, 2009 A Treasure by Michelangelo-in-Training for Texas Museum The man who painted the Sistine Chapel was actually young once, copying the works of other masters before he became one himself. The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, has just acquired a painting done by Michelangelo Buonarroti from when he was 12 or 13.

	May 13, 2009 New 'New Deal' May Help Boost the Arts In partnership with KQED in San Francisco, NewsHour correspondent Spencer Michels reports on the prospect for a new "New Deal" for the arts amid the economic downturn.

	May 13, 2009 After Layoffs, More Time to Focus on Art At the end of last year, Joe Claus was working at a small electronics company in Silicon Valley doing photography, marketing and design. And then he got laid off. But there was an unforeseen upside to his loss. No longer stuck behind a desk all day, he devoted more time to his photography.

	May 13, 2009 Conversation: Author Mark Kurlansky on 'America Eats' The ambitious New Deal project, called 'America Eats', employed secretaries and unemployed journalists, as well as literary luminaries -- Nelson Algren, Zora Neale Hurston and Eudora Welty -- to research and write about the nation's gastronomic traditions.

	May 12, 2009 Architect Maya Lin Reflects on the Art of the Landscape Architect Maya Lin is best known for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., which she designed as a 21-year-old college student. Jeffrey Brown speaks with Lin about her recent work on display at the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

	May 12, 2009 Maya Lin: Extended Interviews In these extended interviews, Maya Lin discusses the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and "Systematic Landscapes," an exhibit of her work at the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

	May 12, 2009 Cinema and Shoplifting: John Waters at the Maryland Film Festival While movie stars are gathering on the Riviera for a splashy time at Cannes, moviegoers flocked last weekend to Charm City for the 11th annual Maryland Film Festival. Held at Baltimore's Charles Theater, one of the main attractions is always a film screening by writer-director (and native son) John Waters.

	May 11, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Reasons to Consider Setting Ourselves on Fire' In March, Jynne Dilling Martin was one of four winners of the 92nd Street Y "Discovery" Poetry Contest, which since 1951 has recognized the achievements of poets who have not yet published a first book. This year's winners were chosen from among 900 poets.

	May 8, 2009 Conversation: Daniyal Mueenuddin Daniyal Mueenuddin new book, "In Other Rooms, Other Wonders," comprises a series of linked stories that explore the lives of peasants and landowners in Pakistan's Punjab. Jeffrey Brown talks to the writer about life in that country, a place currently under much turmoil.

	May 8, 2009 Conversation: Russell L. Goings To sit down and talk with Russell Goings, you would never guess he came to poetry later in life. Stories rich with allusions drawn from the gods of antiquity to the pioneers of the African-American journey pour out of Goings in a rhythm that reveals his connection to the blues and gospel, Homer and Shakespeare.

	May 6, 2009 New David Simon Drama Will Depict Life in Post-Katrina New Orleans Fans of the groundbreaking TV drama "The Wire" can expect a new David Simon series about life in urban America next year. HBO has reportedly picked up "Treme," a new series about musicians in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans.

	May 5, 2009 'Billy Elliot' Leads in Tony Nominations The nominations for the 2009 Tony Awards bear a distinctly Tinseltown glint, with big- and small-screen heavyweights leading the list. One of those adaptations is the musical "Billy Elliot," which dominated the other productions with its 15 nominations, including best musical.

	May 5, 2009 Actor, Comedian Dom DeLuise Dies at Age 75 Dom DeLuise -- comedian, actor, chef -- passed away Monday night at the age of 75. His son, Michael DeLuise, told Los Angeles TV station KTLA and radio station KNX that his father died in his sleep at a Santa Monica hospital after a long illness.

	May 4, 2009 Weekly Poem: An Excerpt from 'The Children of Children Keep Coming' Russell Goings studied writing at Fairfield University and the 92nd Street Y. Before he took up writing 15 years ago, he was a professional football player, the first African-American brokerage manager for a New York Stock Exchange Member firm and founder and chairman for Essence magazine.

	May 1, 2009 Conversation: Arthur Phillips, Author of 'The Song Is You' Arthur Phillips, author of "The Song Is You," made a name for himself with his very first novel, "Prague," which became a national bestseller. That was followed by "The Egyptologist" and "Angelica."

	May 1, 2009 At Black Rep, Women's Voices Are Loud and Clear "In the Continuum" reaches across continents to track the separate lives of two young women, one African and the other African-American, as they deal with the grave realities of the AIDS epidemic.



	APRIL April 30, 2009 Poet Hicok Reflects on Economic Hardships in Mich. Bob Hicok was born and raised in Michigan, worked in factories and once owned an automotive die design business there before becoming a professor at Virginia Tech. His poetry reflects on the economic hardships suffered in his home state.

	April 30, 2009 Some Like It Hot: Glass Art at Third Degree Despite the medium's tendency toward transparency, glass blowing has a surprisingly opaque history. "The tradition was, if you took a secret from someone's studio, the Italians would kill you," co-founder Jim McKelvey of St. Louis' Third Degree Glass Factory explained.

	April 30, 2009 Poet Craig Arnold Goes Missing on Writing Trip An award-winning poet and assistant professor at the University of Wyoming disappeared after setting out to explore a volcano on the Japanese island of Kuchinoerabu-jima. Japanese rescue teams have searched the dense jungle terrain for Craig Arnold, who has not been seen since Sunday.

	April 30, 2009 Poet Profile: Bob Hicok Poet Bob Hicok reads some of his poems.

	April 29, 2009 Chuck Berry Still Thrills at Blueberry Hill Chuck Berry is the type of man to pioneer rock 'n' roll, give it some of its most iconic anthems, travel the world, and at age 82, still mow his own lawn and drive himself to gigs. He is St. Louis music incarnate: hillbilly sound mixed with the rush of rhythm and blues.

	April 28, 2009 Conversation: Poet Carl Phillips To read Carl Phillips is to enter a world of finely-wrought poems that explore mind and body, history and intimacy. Phillips is a professor of English and African-American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis and a much praised and honored poet. His 10th volume of verse has just been released. It's called "Speak Low."

	April 27, 2009 Arts Help Anchor St. Louis Neighborhoods Three arts and culture entrepreneurs in St. Louis talk about opening shop on Delmar Boulevard, and how investing in the arts can help revitalize neighborhoods.

	April 27, 2009 St. Louis Arts Help Anchor Neighborhoods Once upon a time, St. Louis's Delmar Loop used to be a fashionable shopping boulevard accessible by trolley car. But like many other great urban areas in the 1960s, white flight took a heavy toll on many St. Louis neighborhoods.

	April 27, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'To Drown in Honey' Carl Phillips is the author of 10 books of poems, including most recently, "Speak Low." He is Professor of English and African-American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, where he also teaches in the Creative Writing Program.

	April 24, 2009 Conversation: Adina Hoffman, Author of Biography of Taha Muhammad Ali Several years ago Jeffrey Brown had the opportunity to travel through Israel and the West Bank to talk to Palestinian and Israeli poets. Among the remarkable writers I met there and the one who made the greatest impression on viewers was Taha Muhammad Ali.

	April 24, 2009 Conversation: Mark Nowak and April Daras Discuss 'Coal Mountain Elementary' Mark Nowak's recently published poetry collection "Coal Mountain Elementary" explores the perils and at times personal tragedies of the coal mining industry. "Coal Mountain Elementary" is also being staged as a play by Davis & Elkins College.

	April 24, 2009 Art Beat, the NewsHour Visit St. Louis This week, Art Beat hit the road. Destination: St. Louis. We've spent the last couple of days rounding up stories as part of the NewsHour's special Spotlight City coverage of St. Louis, which starts Monday. And we found an embarrassment of riches.

	April 23, 2009 An Evening With Mike Nichols The works of celebrated director Mike Nichols are on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York during a two-week retrospective that closes May 4. The director's first film, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," and "The Graduate," which earned him an Academy Award, are among the films being shown.

	April 22, 2009 On MoMA's Menu: 'Tangled Alphabets' Soup "Tangled Alphabets," on display now at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, is a dual retrospective of Argentine Leon Ferrari and Brazilian Mira Schendel, and the first major exhibition of their work in the United States.

	April 20, 2009 Well-traveled Poet Finds Consistency in Words Poet, playwright and editor Nathalie Handal has lived in the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Arab world. She talks with Jeffery Brown about how she has ensconced her memory and transient experiences in poetry.

	April 20, 2009 2009 Pulitzer Prize Winners Announced Among the 2009 Pulitzer Prizes winners in the Arts category announced today were Elizabeth Strout, who took home the prize for fiction, and Lynn Nottage who won the drama prize. Jeffrey Brown recently talked to two other winners in the category about their winning works: poet W.S. Merwin and Annette Gordon-Reed.

	April 20, 2009 Around the Country, Newspapers Cut Arts Critics The Pulitzer Prizes were announced today. It's a time to celebrate the best in journalism, but also a chance for us to look at changes in the industry and their impact on the quality of newspaper coverage. One area that's been particularly hard hit by cutbacks at newspapers is arts, music and theater criticism.

	April 20, 2009 Poet Profile: Nathalie Handal Poet Nathalie Handal reads some of her poems.

	April 20, 2009 Poem of the Week: 'Where' Taha Muhammad Ali was born in 1931 in the Galilee village of Saffuriya. He has published several collections of poetry and is also writes short stories. A new biography of Muhammad Ali ('My Happiness Bears No Relation to Happiness') written by Adina Hoffman, has just come out.

	April 17, 2009 Conversation: John Richardson, Biographer and Friend of Pablo Picasso For much of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso was at the forefront of modern art, the acknowledged master who lived a celebrated, almost mythic life. But the work of his later years, done up to his death at age 91, has at times been taken less seriously, as more an appendage to his earlier, revolutionary turns.

	April 17, 2009 Come Together: The YouTube Orchestra From home computer to Carnegie Hall, a Wednesday night performance capped off YouTube's first experiment with its online collaborative orchestra. The 96 winning musicians who took the stage represented the culmination of a months-long process that began with one simple act: the click of a "submit" button.

	April 16, 2009 British Singing Hopeful Becomes Internet Sensation Susan Boyle, a singing contestant on the U.K. reality show "Britain's Got Talent," became an unlikely Internet sensation this week. ITN's ITV news correspondent Phil Reay-Smith examines Boyle's appeal.

	April 16, 2009 Out for a Spin: National Record Day is April 18 Thanks to hundreds of enterprising, enthusiastic stores around the world, we now have April 18th, National Record Store Day, to celebrate music on vinyl. It serves as a healthy, unified response to the rise of digital music and a reminder that local record stores provide a tangible link to the music it offers.

	April 15, 2009 'Sin Nombre': Strangers on a Train While all independent filmmaking projects could be considered dangerous in these economic times, what young American director Cary Joji Fukunaga had to do to make "Sin Nombre" is a more literal interpretation. "I risked my neck to make this movie," he has written, and the film is a testament to his immersion in its story.

	April 14, 2009 In D.C., All Eyes on Neko Case Neko Case, who some critics say is in possession of one of the greatest voices of her generation, belts out tunes so clearly and purely that it's debatable whether she needs a microphone to be heard.

	April 13, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Since Nine--' Constantine Cavafy never published a complete book of his poems during his lifetime. For more than 10 years, the writer, critic and translator, Daniel Mendelsohn, has immersed himself in Cavafy's work. The result: "C.P. Cavafy: Collected Poems" and "C.P. Cavafy: The Unfinished Poems."

	April 10, 2009 Dayton Arts Community Faces Struggle to Stay Afloat The arts scene in Dayton, Ohio, has been feeling a financial pinch as the troubles of the "Big Three" U.S. automakers and other economic woes ripple through its community. Jeffrey Brown reports on Dayton arts organizations' struggle to survive.

	April 10, 2009 Conversation: Elie Wiesel Jeffrey Brown talks to Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel about his new novel, "A Mad Desire to Dance." In this tale of memory and madness, Doriel Waldman has survived the holocaust as a youth, only to find himself in his 60s barely hanging onto his sanity.

	April 10, 2009 Can Hollywood Help Rescue Michigan? When filming "Gran Torino" in the Detroit area, Clint Eastwood called Michigan "the next film capital of the world."

	April 9, 2009 Conversation: Daniel Mendelsohn Discusses Two New Collections of Poet C.P. Cavafy Constantine Cavafy, the greatest Greek poet since antiquity, never published a complete book of his poems during his lifetime. Cavafy believed that poems remained works in progress and could be altered over time.

	April 8, 2009 Character Project Captures Faces of America The Character Project features the work of eleven contemporary photographers who each shot a small series of photographs of Americans during the summer of 2008. Among the many subjects are fishermen in Alaska, organic farmers in the Pacific Northwest, students in Chicago, musicians of Michigan and beauty queens of Texas.

	April 7, 2009 Where the Indigenous and Comics Meet Until recently, American Indians appeared only as stereotypes in comic books, their real narratives and folklore obscured by generic images of teepees and headdresses. This exhibit shifts the focus of the comic panel to expose the true culture the old comics left out.

	April 6, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Weebles wobble but they don't fall down' Bob Hicok is the author of five books of poems and has won Pushcart Prizes and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. He once worked in the automotive die industry and is currently an associate professor of English at Virginia Tech.

	April 3, 2009 Conversation: Filmmaker Ramin Bahrani A man gets into a cab, asks to be driven to a movie theater, and also arranges several days hence to be taken to a remote mountain peak. He's offering a lot of money and says he wants to be left there. That's the starting point for the film, "Goodbye Solo," the third film by 34-year-old director Ramin Bahrani.

	April 2, 2009 'A Meaningful Life': Davis & Lethem L.J. Davis' 1971 novel, "A Meaningful Life," re-published with an introduction by Jonathan Lethem, is a black humor romp into the bowels of life's greatest disappointments: fruitless writing, loveless marriage, an empty job, and some unsuccessful real estate speculation.

	April 1, 2009 Poems Spring Up Everywhere Begun in 1996 to encourage the appreciation of poetry, National Poetry Month features a roster of poetry events and readings held all over the country at schools, libraries and bookstores.



	MARCH March 31, 2009 William Kentridge at SFMOMA William Kentridge refers to his animations as "drawings for projection", and they are essentially performative works. He draws, photographs the images, then erases some of the original image and redraws over it, creating sequences and motion over time.

	March 30, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Evening Walk' Charles Simic was born in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, in 1938 and moved to the United States in 1954. He was Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2007-2008. Simic, whose work is known for its surrealism, dark humor and irony, is the author of 20 books of poetry.

	March 27, 2009 Conversation: Robert Lynch, President, Americans for the Arts Amid the economic downturn, many arts organizations around the country are feeling the hurt right now, along with everyone else. Jeffrey Brown talks to Robert Lynch, president of Americans for the Arts, about arts funding.

	March 26, 2009 Conversation: Mary Gaitskill's 'Don't Cry' Mary Gaitskill's "Don't Cry," which came out this week, is her first story collection in more than 10 years. Her novel, "Veronica," was nominated for a National Book Award in 2005, and she has been nominated for the PEN/Faulkner and was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship in 2002.

	March 26, 2009 U.S. Economic Downturn Worsened at End of 2008 The U.S. economy contracted at its fastest pace since 1982 at the end of last year, and it likely isn't faring much better now, according to a Commerce Department report released Thursday.

	March 25, 2009 Poet Profile: Kay Ryan Poet Kay Ryan reads some of her poems.

	March 25, 2009 Kay Ryan Reflects on Role as Nation's Poet Laureate Known for compact writing and for leading a quiet life, Kay Ryan has taken on a very public role as the nation's poet laureate. For more than 30 years, she has taught remedial English in Marin County, Calif. Her poems are often praised for their wit and wisdom.

	March 25, 2009 Witness to the American West Like most great figures of the American West, there is a touch of legend in the tale of how Ernest L. Blumenschein made it to New Mexico. As the story goes, Blumenschein set out with fellow artist Bert Geer Phillips on a drawing expedition from Denver to Mexico in 1897, but the two never made it across the border.

	March 25, 2009 The Work of Ernest L. Blumenschein Curator Jerry Smith talks about the work of painter Ernest L. Blumenschein.

	March 24, 2009 Getty, Italian Museum Announce Collaboration The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles announced Monday a new collaboration with the Archaeology Museum in Florence, Italy, to bring artifacts from the Italian museum to museum-goers in California.

	March 23, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Handymen' Cornelius Eady is the director of the Creative Writing Program at the University of Notre Dame and is the co-founder and vice president of Cave Canem a national organization for African American poetry.

	March 20, 2009 Author Traces Demise of Bear Stearns in 'House of Cards' Author William Cohen discusses his book "House of Cards," which tells the story of how investment banking giant Bear Stearns collapsed in 2008.

	March 20, 2009 It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's 'The 99' It looks like an ordinary American comic book; heroes wear brightly colored spandex costumes and use their bulging muscles or supernatural powers to try to conquer the forces of evil. But look again. One of the superheroes is wearing a burka.

	March 19, 2009 Last Run: Historic Baltimore Theater Closes Hundreds of Baltimoreans grabbed seats Monday night at the historic Senator Theatre, but not to catch a movie. They were there to discuss the landmark's future. As of last weekend, the city's only single-screen movie house was forced to close its doors.

	March 19, 2009 Actress Natasha Richardson Dies at Age 45 British actress Natasha Richardson, who graced both screen and stage, died Wednesday from head injuries suffered when she fell Monday on a ski slope in Canada. She was 45.

	March 18, 2009 At SXSW, Swanberg Mumbles Loud and Clear "Alexander the Last" is the latest offering by a so-called "mumblecore" filmmaker, Joe Swanberg -- one of a handful of under-40 directors wielding a small budget, digital cameras and deep wells of feeling. In Swanberg's case, way under 40; he's only 27.

	March 17, 2009 Conversation: NPR's Bob Boilen on SXSW In March, basketball fans have their "madness"...music fans have South by Southwest. The annual four-day festival brings more than 1,800 musicians from around the globe to Austin, Texas, which even in normal times bills itself as the "live music capitol of the world."

	March 17, 2009 SXSW Shifts Gears to Music Festival The gears are shifting in Austin, Texas, as the South by Southwest Interactive Festival wraps up and the live music capital of the world prepares for the start of the music festival on Wednesday.

	March 16, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Brokenmusic' Nathalie Handal is the author of two books of poetry, "The NeverField" and "The Lives of Rain," and is also the editor of "The Poetry of Arab Women: A Contemporary Anthology" and co-editor of "Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia & Beyond."

	March 13, 2009 Conversation: Pianist Simone Dinnerstein Two years ago, pianist Simone Dinnerstein seized the attention of the classical music world with a debut concert at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall and a self-produced recording of Bach's "Goldberg Variations" that became a bestseller and made many critics' top lists that year.

	March 13, 2009 National Book Critics Circle Awards Announced The National Book Critics Circle Awards were announced Thursday night in New York. The fiction prize went to Roberto Bolano for "2666," and the general nonfiction award went to Dexter Filkins for "The Forever War." Both works and their authors were recent subjects on the NewsHour.

	March 12, 2009 'New' Mark Twain Story to Be Published On Monday, a nearly 400-year-old portrait of William Shakespeare was uncovered in England. Now comes news that a previously unpublished short story by Mark Twain will come out next week, nearly 99 years after his death.

	March 11, 2009 Sketchbook Project Draws Artists Together Two young men hit the road with sketchbooks from more than 2,700 artists. It's not the greatest heist of found art ever; it's the third annual Sketchbook Project, now touring galleries across the country in a two-door Honda Civic.

	March 11, 2009 Is This William Shakespeare? Earlier this week, lovers of the Bard got a special thrill: the unveiling of supposedly the only known portrait of William Shakespeare painted during his lifetime.

	March 11, 2009 Art House Co-op's Sketchbook Project With almost 3,000 participants, this year's third annual Sketchbook Project, on the theme "Everyone we know," is the biggest yet, touring the country with 1,364 Moleskine sketchbooks.

	March 10, 2009 From Moscow With Jazz For more than 40 years, jazz greats have descended on the University of Idaho in February for what has become a four-day festival filled with world-class performances, but always with an eye on education. Thousands of students participate in workshops, competitions and live performances.

	March 9, 2009 Conversation and Reading With Poet Laureate Kay Ryan Known for short, compact writing and for living a very quiet life, Kay Ryan has taken on a big and very public role as the nation's Poet Laureate. For more than thirty years, Ryan has lived and taught remedial English in Marin County, Calif. Her poems are often praised for their wit, wisdom and brevity.

	March 9, 2009 More Than a Weekly Poem: A Conversation and Reading With Poet Laureate Kay Ryan Known for short, compact writing and for living a very quiet life, Kay Ryan has taken on a big and very public role as the nation's Poet Laureate. For more than thirty years, Ryan has lived and taught remedial English in Marin County, Calif.

	March 9, 2009 Blurring the Boundaries of Jazz, Arabic Music In another in our series about the Kennedy Center's Arabesque art festival, Jeffrey Brown profiles Egyptian musician Fathy Salama, who began playing the piano at age 6 and performing at Cairo clubs at 13. One day listening to American radio, he heard jazz and instantly fell in love.

	March 6, 2009 Musician Salama Blends Jazz, Traditional Arab Style Musician Fathy Salama started playing piano in Cairo jazz clubs at age 13, and has since been recognized for his combinations of traditional Arab music and jazz, winning a 2005 Grammy award for his collaboration with Youssou N'Dour on the "Egypt" album. Salama discusses his music and participation in the Arabesque festival.

	March 6, 2009 Tonight on the NewsHour: Fathy Salama Friday on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown profiles Fathy Salama in our series about the Kennedy Center's Arabesque art festival. Watch him in one of his performances.

	March 6, 2009 Conversation: Author Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket Jeffrey Brown talks to Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket, author of the wildly popular series, "A Series of Unfortunate Events." Handler has just published a new illustrated book called "The Composer Is Dead."

	March 5, 2009 Horton Foote's Work Illuminated Struggles of American Life Playwright Horton Foote, who died Wednesday at age 92, wrote prolifically about the daily hardships and triumphs of ordinary Americans. A scene from his play "A Trip to Bountiful," which he adapted for the screen in 1985, depicts the character Carrie Watts on her final visit to her Texas hometown.

	March 5, 2009 Paper Profits: Origami Meets Science Robert Lang, who studies lasers, gave up his Silicon Valley job to concentrate full-time on his life lifelong artistic interest in origami.

	March 5, 2009 Writer Horton Foote Dies at Age 92 Horton Foote, who captured the dignity, depth of character and frequent hardship of American life for the stage and screen, died Wednesday in Hartford, Conn., at the age of 92.

	March 4, 2009 Origami Artist, Scientist Discusses Work Origami artist and physicist Robert Lang describes how he uses mathematical tools to create complex origami art -- and how the science of folding has applications in space, medical and other research.

	March 4, 2009 In Paper Folding, Art and Science Align Eight years ago, physicist Robert Lang's career path took an unusual turn. The laser physicist and lifelong origami artist quit his Silicon Valley job to concentrate full-time on origami.

	March 4, 2009 'Picturing the Promise' in D.C. "The Scurlock Studio and Black Washington: Picturing the Promise," with more than 100 prints and artifacts, is the first exhibition in the African-American History Culture Gallery in of the newly renovated National Museum of American History.

	March 4, 2009 Slide Show: The Scurlock Studio Curator Paul Gardullo talks about "The Scurlock Studio and Black Washington: Picturing the Promise," an exhibit at the National Museum of American History.

	March 3, 2009 Why Does AIG Need Yet Another Bailout? Paul Solman answers questions on business and economic news on "The Business Desk."

	March 3, 2009 Common Threads Across the country, resurgent interest in things handmade is redefining craft-making for the 21st century. Quilts are cutting-edge outlets for self-expression, and samplers carry messages of anti-consumerism, environmentalism and feminism. The work is not just beautiful: it's hip, it's political and it's a little punk rock.

	March 2, 2009 Do Slum Kids Stand a Chance in Our Global Economy? Paul Solman answers questions on business and economic news on "The Business Desk."

	March 2, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Salvage' Poet Laureate Kay Ryan reads "Salvage," a poem from her book, "The Niagara River."

	March 2, 2009 From Lebanon, Songs of Love and Strife In another in our series about the Kennedy Center's Arabesque art festival, Jeffrey Brown profiles Lebanese folk singer Marcel Khalife, who for nearly 40 years has been rousing audiences with songs about love and strife, politics and injustice.



	FEBRUARY Feb. 27, 2009 From Lebanon's Marcel Khalife, Songs of Strife and Love In another in our series about the Kennedy Center's Arabesque art festival, Jeffrey Brown profiles Lebanese folk singer Marcel Khalife, who for nearly 40 years has been rousing audiences with songs about love and strife, politics and injustice.

	Feb. 27, 2009 Tonight on the NewsHour: Marcel Khalife Friday on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown profiles Marcel Khalife, who for nearly 40 years has been rousing audiences with songs about love and strife.

	Feb. 27, 2009 Conversation: Museum of Islamic Art Sitting on its own small island in Doha, Qatar, on the Persian Gulf, the brand new Museum of Islamic Art contains one of the greatest collections of the religion's art and artifacts, including works from throughout the Arab world, Europe and Central Asia.

	Feb. 27, 2009 Artifacts from the Museum of Islamic Art The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar, houses a collection of artwork dating from the 7th to 19th century, representing the full scope of Islamic art. It includes manuscripts, ceramics, wood and precious stones from three continents. The building was designed by Pritzker Prize laureate I.M. Pei.

	Feb. 27, 2009 Three Women, Three Portraits of Cairo Azza Fahmy is a jewelry maker taking from the past to create beautiful new objects. Karima Mansour is a dancer struggling to find acceptance in her own country. Lara Baladi is an artist winning a government-sponsored exhibition for a work that sheds a dark light on life in her city.

	Feb. 26, 2009 Egyptian Women Weave Cairo's Traditions Into Their Art A multimedia artist, jewelry maker, and dancer from Egypt talk about their work and how they incorporate influences from their time in Cairo into their art forms. Jeffrey Brown continues his series on the Kennedy Center's Arabesque arts festival.

	Feb. 26, 2009 President Plans Major Overhaul of Tax, Spending Systems President Obama's budget plan outlines large-scale changes in tax policy, calling for $318 billion of tax increases over the next 10 years for the wealthiest individuals and families combined with tax cuts for the middle class. Analysts discuss the impact of the changes.

	Feb. 26, 2009 Tonight: Three Women Artists from Cairo A preview of Jeffrey Brown's report on three artists from Cairo with their own perspectives on the fascinating city he visited earlier this year: jewelry maker Azza Fahmy, conceptual artist Lara Baladi and dancer and choreographer Karima Mansour.

	Feb. 26, 2009 Will You Cover the Recession's Effects on the Arts? Paul Solman answers questions on business and economic news on "The Business Desk."

	Feb. 24, 2009 Kuwaiti Theater Director Finds Modern Inspiration in Shakespeare In the second of a series of reports on the Arabesque arts festival at the Kennedy Center, Jeffrey Brown talks to Kuwaiti writer and theater director Sulayman al-Bassam, whose company is presenting a Shakespeare play with a twist, "Richard III: An Arab Tragedy."

	Feb. 24, 2009 The al-Bassam Theatre Presents Richard III Kuwait's Al-Bassam Theatre is presenting "Richard III: An Arab Tragedy" at the Kennedy Center's Arabesque arts festival. Watch the final scene of Act I from the play, "The Murder of Clarence."

	Feb. 24, 2009 Arabesque Opens at the Kennedy Center "Arabesque: Arts of the Arab World" opened at the Kennedy Center in Washington on Monday. It's a good scene-setter with interviews with some of the aritists, Kennedy Center President Michael Kaiser and Alicia Adams, the Kennedy Center's head of international programming.

	Feb. 23, 2009 Arabesque Festival Brings Arab Arts to Kennedy Center An ambitious, three-week festival called "Arabesque: Arts of the Arab World" opens at the Kennedy Center in Washington Monday. Jeffrey Brown offers the first in a series of broadcast and online reports around the festival and the artists it is showcasing.

	Feb. 23, 2009 Iraq Reopens Part of Plundered National Museum The National Museum of Iraq partially reopened Monday, displaying artifacts thousands of years old, many of which had been stolen during the chaotic days just after the fall of Baghdad in 2003.

	Feb. 23, 2009 Arabesque and Us "Arabesque: Arts of the Arab World" is a three-week festival at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. The festival is finally upon us, beginning Monday, and so is our series.

	Feb. 23, 2009 Academy Awards Update Over the last several weeks, we spoke with some people who were involved in one way or another in films nominated for an Oscar. We figured we should update you on how they did.

	Feb. 23, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Advertisement for the Mountain' Christina Davis is the author of "Forth A Raven" (Alice James Books, 2006). She is Curator at the Woodberry Poetry Room, Harvard University, and the poetry editor of Nightboat Books. In February, Poet Laureate Kay Ryan chose Davis and Mary Szybist for the 2009 Witter Bynner Fellowships.

	Feb. 20, 2009 Jeffrey Brown Previews the Academy Awards With the AFI's Todd Hitchcock Jeffrey Brown previews the Academy Awards with the American Film Institute's Todd Hitchcock, film programmer at the Silver Theater.

	Feb. 20, 2009 For Documentary Filmmakers, Prestige of Oscars Helps Put Spotlight on Issues For documentary filmmakers, the reward of an Oscar nomination is twofold: It raises awareness around the film's subjects or issues and generates interest in a genre that ticket buyers don't generally flock to. Accolades are how these films can truly gain some traction, attract distributors and find viewers.

	Feb. 19, 2009 An Eye for Fashion at the ICP Through mid-May, the International Center for Photography in New York is devoting all of its exhibition space to four fashion photography shows, all of which offer an eclectic mix of old glamour and contemporary attitude.

	Feb. 19, 2009 A Look at Fashion at the International Center for Photography Photographs from the International Center for Photography's exhibit to fashion photography.

	Feb. 19, 2009 Stanford Group Leaves Houston High and Dry This week the SEC charged Texas banking billionaire R. Allen Stanford with over $8 billion in fraud, while in Houston, where Stanford is based, at least one arts group is wondering whether it will continue to benefit from Stanford's generosity.

	Feb. 18, 2009 Dance Dance, Science Revolution Most of us aren't asked to dance our life's work, and that's probably a good thing. But John Bohannon, a visiting scholar at Harvard University and writer for Science Magazine, believes dance is the ultimate translation challenge for scientists.

	Feb. 18, 2009 Harlem Renaissance Visits Oklahoma City The latest exhibition about the Harlem Renaissance at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art is the first exhibition of black artists at the museum in more than 20 years. More than 100 paintings, sculptures, photographs and influential books are on display.

	Feb. 18, 2009 Curator Allison Amick Discusses Harlem Renaissance Exhibition More than 100 paintings, sculptures, photographs and influential books of the Harlem Renaissance are on display at the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. Curator Allison Amick talks about the exhibition.

	Feb. 17, 2009 Author Offers New Look at 'Hemingses of Monticello' National Book Award-winning author Annette Gordon-Reed speaks about her book, "The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family" and what sparked her interest in the family's complex history.

	Feb. 17, 2009 From YouTube to Carnegie Hall Thousands of musicians are vying for the chance to be a part of the YouTube Symphony, "the world's first collaborative orchestra." The ultimate prize is a visit to New York City for an April 15 performance at Carnegie Hall.

	Feb. 16, 2009 Weekly Poems: By Washington and Lincoln For Presidents Day (and two days after Valentines Day), here are poems by two presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, that hit on the theme of love.

	Feb. 13, 2009 Look Out! 'Soul' Is Back In 1968, WNET began airing an all-black variety show featuring musicians and interviews with thinkers and writers. It was called "Soul," and the list of people who were on it during its run is staggering. The station is now posting original episodes on its Web site.

	Feb. 13, 2009 Mich. Budget Would Eliminate Arts Funding When Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced her 2010 budget proposal Thursday, there was something missing: money for the arts. The cut comes at a time when arts organizations are already struggling to make up for millions lost in corporate donations, foundation support and endowments.

	Feb. 13, 2009 Latest Stimulus Package Restores Arts Funding The House of Representatives approved a compromise $787 billion economic stimulus package Friday afternoon that would provide $50 million to the National Endowment for the Arts for projects across the country.

	Feb. 12, 2009 Poet Profile: Cynthia Zarin Poet Cynthia Zarin reads some of her poems.

	Feb. 12, 2009 Transcript of Lincoln Inspires Poem for 16th President Poet and journalist Cynthia Zarin often writes poems inspired by news articles. In 1989, she came across a story about a handwritten transcript found in a shoebox. It recorded a case in which then-lawyer Abraham Lincoln successfully defended a man on trial for murder. The article inspired her to write "Of Lincoln."

	Feb. 12, 2009 The Many Faces of Che In the mainstream, Ernesto "Che" Guevara -- the communist thinker, doctor and guerilla -- is a free-floating symbol of counterculture. But in the art world, a more nuanced and complex portrait has emerged.

	Feb. 12, 2009 Artwork Inspired by Ernesto Che Guevara In the art world, a nuanced and complex portrait of Ernesto Che Guevara has emerged. He is attached to many movements; depicted as Jesus, an African-American, a Mexican, a waterfall, peace, a map, or as himself, wearing lipstick, kissing another man.

	Feb. 11, 2009 'Wendy and Lucy' Explores the Landscape of Loss Art is rarely insular. It's often a reflection of common crisis, an echo of the day's news. The new film, "Wendy and Lucy," co-written by Jonathan Raymond and based on one of his short stories, is a quiet reflection on personal catastrophe, and is especially relevant now, as people struggle through hard economic times.

	Feb. 10, 2009 Amazon Unveils the Kindle 2 Bookworms have a new gadget to look forward to. On Monday, Amazon introduced the latest version of its electronic book reader, the Kindle 2, which is thinner and lighter than the original, has an added joystick, more battery life and a function that reads books aloud.

	Feb. 10, 2009 Rekindling the Electronic Book's Future: Amazon Unveils Updated Reading Device Despite Amazon's unveiling of the latest version of its electronic reading device, the Kindle, to the delight of many bookworms Monday, it appears that bookshelves, libraries and backpacks have not been rendered obsolete -- at least not yet.

	Feb. 9, 2009 Jeffrey Brown Recaps the Grammy Awards With the New Yorker's Sasha Frere-Jones The 51st Grammy Awards were held last night in Los Angeles, and the big winners of the night were the unlikely duo of Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin fame and Alison Krauss.

	Feb. 9, 2009 Singer Blossom Dearie Dies at Age 82 Blossom Dearie, the whimsical singer-songwriter with a pixie's voice who entertained generations of nightclub goers, died Saturday morning after her health deteriorated in recent years. She was 82.

	Feb. 9, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Apology' Mary Szybist is the author of "Granted" (2003), which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. She is an Assistant Professor of English at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore. In February, Poet Laureate Kay Ryan chose Szybist and Christina Davis for the 2009 Witter Bynner Fellowships.

	Feb. 6, 2009 Conversation: Brian Dennehy and Robert Falls Actor Brian Dennehy and Robert Falls have teamed up for nearly all of Eugene O'Neill's classics, including "A Long Day's Journey Into Night," which earned Dennehy a Tony Award in 2003. They're at it again, with "Desire Under the Elms," part of an ambitious six-play festival of O'Neill at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.

	Feb. 5, 2009 Richter's Scale: Scoring 'Waltz With Bashir' It was not accidental that Ari Folman asked composer Max Richter to create a score for his film, "Waltz with Bashir." "I wrote the script...listening only to Max Richter's albums," explained Folman. For his work on the film, Richter was named Best European Composer of 2008 by the European Film Academy.

	Feb. 4, 2009 House OKs Delaying Digital TV Switch Until June The country's transition to digital television is being postponed until June 12, following a vote in the House of Representatives that sends the bill to the White House, where President Barack Obama is expected to sign it.

	Feb. 4, 2009 Ghetto Film School: a Bronx Tale An old piano factory in the South Bronx might not be the first place you'd look for a movie studio, but that's just where you will find the Ghetto Film School and a group of aspiring teenage filmmakers putting the finishing touches on their first movie -- shot on location last summer in Uganda.

	Feb. 3, 2009 Kennedy Center Offers Non-profits a Helping Hand; NEA Gets New Acting Chairman The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced the creation of a program to provide non-profit organizations free counseling to help them weather the current economic crisis, and the National Endowment for the Arts announced Patrice Walker Powell will serve as the agency's acting chair.

	Feb. 3, 2009 'Slumdog Millionaire' Attracts Controversy, Awards Not everyone is showering the film 'Slumdog Millionaire' with accolades. Since its Indian premiere in late January, the film has faced criticism from both audiences and people directly involved in the production over its portrayal of poverty and the use of impoverished children as actors.

	Feb. 2, 2009 Levon Helm: Rambling on the Roots Midnight Ramble jams are a journey through the roots of American music and a testament to Levon Helm's contribution to rock and roll, blues, bluegrass, gospel -- you name it.

	Feb. 2, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Pittsburgh' In honor of the Steelers' Super Bowl victory, we've gone into the Poetry Series archive for "Pittsburgh" by Terrance Hayes.



	JANUARY Jan. 30, 2009 Conversation: Author Neil Gaiman Author Neil Gaiman is a man of many genres: science fiction, graphic novels, screenplays, adult fiction, as well as books for young readers. His Newbery winner, 'The Graveyard Book' is the story of an orphaned toddler who is then raised by a community of ghosts in a graveyard.

	Jan. 30, 2009 A Setting Fitting for a Master Watching the 2003 interview Jeffrey Brown did with John Updike, who died this week, brought back very warm memories about the man and a very special day.

	Jan. 29, 2009 Faced With Economic Troubles, Brandeis to Close Rose Art Museum Brandeis University announced plans to close the esteemed Rose Art Museum and sell its collection. Faced with a severe budget crisis, the university's board of trustees voted unanimously to close the museum late this summer.

	Jan. 28, 2009 Three Gems From a Quiet Sundance It was kind of a tough time for filmmakers at this year's Sundance Film Festival, that annual nexus for lesser-seen cinema in Park City, Utah. Thanks to the recession, changing technology and an industry struggling to catch up, less than a dozen movies have found distributors.

	Jan. 28, 2009 Remembering John Updike The poem Nicholas Delbanco read during Tuesday's program first appeared in the June 1999 issue of Poetry, and later, in a slightly different form in 2001, in 'Americana.'

	Jan. 27, 2009 Acclaimed American Author John Updike Dies at Age 76 John Updike, one of the most prolific and popular American authors of his generation who chronicled the drama of everyday suburban life, died Tuesday, his publisher said. Writer Nicholas Delbanco, a former student of Updike's, remembers his friend and mentor.

	Jan. 27, 2009 Author John Updike Dies at Age 76 John Updike, one of the most prolific and popular American authors of his generation, who chronicled the drama of everyday suburban life, died Tuesday, his publisher said.

	Jan. 27, 2009 Clough Formally Takes Charge of Smithsonian Follow-up to the NewsHour's recent story about major overhauls at the Smithsonian Institution: On Monday, G. Wayne Clough was formally installed as the institution's 12th secretary.

	Jan. 26, 2009 Switch to Digital TV Prompts Concerns, Calls for Delay The impending switch to digital TV has caused confusion in some households and prompted Congress to consider delaying the switchover even further over concerns that the message has not yet reached some important groups. Kwame Holman reports.

	Jan. 26, 2009 'People's Poet' Robert Burns Turns 250 The image of poetry fans gathered in a pub enjoying bagpipes, haggis, drinks and verse is a very Scottish one, but Scotland's national poet Robert Burns has fans worldwide who know there's no better way to honor the man and his writing.

	Jan. 26, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'A Man's A Man for A' That' A poem by Robert Burns, on the 250th anniversary of his birth.

	Jan. 23, 2009 Conversation: Roberto Bolano's '2666' For most of the English-speaking world and certainly for this reader, Roberto Bolano was unknown only a few years ago. Since then, he's become a literary phenomenon--his novels read, reviewed, discussed, widely praised. Bolano was born in Chile in 1953.

	Jan. 23, 2009 Exploring Art of the Arab World Jeffrey Brown and NewsHour producer Mary Jo Brooks traveled to Lebanon, Egypt and Kuwait to interview some of the artists participating in the Kennedy Center's "Arabesque" exhibition from Feb. 23 to March 15. A series of NewsHour reports explores these Arab countries' varied cultures.

	Jan. 23, 2009 Robert Frank: An Outsider Looking In Through April 26, all of the photographs in "The Americans" by Robert Frank will be on display at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

	Jan. 23, 2009 Robert Frank: 'The Americans' In the late 1950s, photographer Robert Frank traveled America, documenting its days and nights. He captured 48 states, on 767 rolls of film and almost 27,000 frames. Curator Sarah Greenough talks about Frank and his work.

	Jan. 22, 2009 Highlights from the Manifest Hope:DC Party The Manifest Hope:DC gallery space closed Monday night, the day before the inauguration of President Barack Obama. After three days of showcasing artists who supported grassroots efforts during the campaign, the organizers of the event threw a huge party to celebrate the art and, of course, the victory of their candidate.

	Jan. 22, 2009 Manifest Hope: DC MANIFESTHOPE: DC gathered a diverse array of visual artists under one roof to mark the inauguration of President Barack Obama and to maintain the momentum created by his campaign. Organizers MoveOn.org, the Service Employees International Union and Obey Giant hosted a party in Washington, D.C., the night before the inauguration.

	Jan. 22, 2009 Scenes From a Mideast Trip Jeffrey Brown reports on the sights and sounds from his Middle East trip.

	Jan. 22, 2009 Robert Frank: An Outsider Looking In News from Gaza on every television. One man said to me: "I feel as though I've seen every one of the 1,200 bodies of those killed." And on every tongue: expressions of outrage, helplessness, sadness.

	Jan. 20, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Praise Song for the Day' Poet Elizabeth Alexander reads "Praise Song for the Day" at the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

	Jan. 19, 2009 For Howard's Band, Showtime Is Here It's been downright cold the last couple of weeks here in Washington, D.C. But just about every night, Howard University's Showtime Marching Band has been spending hours rehearsing around the track, bundled up and carrying cold instruments, preparing for its biggest event ever: Tuesday's inauguration parade.

	Jan. 19, 2009 Tim Gunn: Obamas Make It Work Fashion guru and Washington native Tim Gunn says that the capital city has been a "fashion desert" for decades. "For fashion, Washington's just a place that no one's wanted to be," says Gunn.

	Jan. 16, 2009 Painter Andrew Wyeth Dies at Age 91 Andrew Wyeth, one of the most famous figures in American art, died early Friday in his sleep at his home in the small town of Chadds Ford, Pa. Wyeth's often bleak, but extremely emotive landscapes and portraits of rural life made him one of the most recognized and popular artists in the country. He was 91.

	Jan. 16, 2009 Dodge Foundation Cancels Poetry Festival The largest poetry festival in North America has just become the latest victim of the financial crisis. The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation announced Friday in a letter to supporters that it will cancel the next Dodge Poetry Festival, slated to take place in the fall of 2010.

	Jan. 15, 2009 Tim Gunn Discusses Inaugural Fashion Tim Gunn, fashion mentor on Bravo's "Project Runway" and Chief Creative Officer at Liz Claiborne, discusses inaugural fashion, President-elect Barack Obama and Michelle Obama's style, and how the fashion world views Washington.

	Jan. 15, 2009 The Drawing Power of Presidential Image Perhaps never in American history has a politician inspired so many artists as President-elect Barack Obama. His face, seen in magazines, in murals and in posters on buildings and bedroom walls alike all over the world, helped to propel a once unlikely campaign into the fundraising and publicity stratosphere.

	Jan. 15, 2009 Filming in Cairo? Your Papers, Please I have been to Cairo before, but not like this. Before, I walked anonymously; today, I'm part of a small group carrying a magnet for endless attention -- a TV camera. And it's not the sort of attention that we usually get.

	Jan. 15, 2009 Editorial Cartoons Chart Presidential Transitions The challenges facing newly elected presidents during their transitions were reflected in editorial cartoons throughout the 20th century, capturing a glimpse of what was on the minds of Americans at these junctures in history.

	Jan. 15, 2009 Howard Marching Band Prepares for Inaugural Parade Directors and members of Howard University's Showtime Marching Band reflect on what it means to march in President-elect Barack Obama's inaugural parade.

	Jan. 14, 2009 Something for Everyone Inauguration Week We've put together a diverse listing of some of the city's many cultural offerings for inauguration week and the rest of January. All events are open to the public, though some carry hefty ticket prices and some sold out almost immediately. All inconveniences aside, there's something going on for everyone to have a ball.

	Jan. 13, 2009 Poet Elizabeth Alexander Reflects on Inaugural Reading Only a few poets have participated in the swearing-in ceremony for our nation's highest office, and on Jan. 20, Elizabeth Alexander will become just the fourth to hold that honor when she will recite an original poem at President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration.

	Jan. 13, 2009 Marcel Khalife...Don't Call Him Bob Dylan Marcel Khalife is often described in articles as the "Bob Dylan of the Middle East." He is a master of the oud (lute), a singer, composer and one of the leading musical figures in the region.

	Jan. 13, 2009 Prado Museum, Google Earth Partner Up To get a real close look at some of the best paintings housed in Spain's Prado Museum, you no longer have to trek to Madrid. Internet giant Google and one of the world's most famous galleries announced they have teamed up to allow people to explore 14 of the Prado's prized paintings.

	Jan. 13, 2009 Poet Profile: Elizabeth Alexander Poet Elizabeth Alexander reads some of her poems.

	Jan. 12, 2009 Hezbollah by Day, Dunkin' Donuts by Night Correspondent Jeffrey Brown initially traveled to the Middle East to report on artists and writers in the region. What he found instead was war, as talk of the conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas is everywhere.

	Jan. 12, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'Rose Hips' Sean Norton is the author of the book of poems, "Bad With Faces," from Red Morning Press. He lives in Ann Arbor, Mich., where he is the Assistant Director of the University of Michigan's Graduate Creative Writing Program.

	Jan. 9, 2009 Terracotta Army Stands Watch in Atlanta In 1974, a farmer in China made one of the most important discoveries of the century. He stumbled upon a clay head belonging to one of an estimated 7,000 terracotta soldiers stationed to protect the tomb of the country's first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi. Some are now on display at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.

	Jan. 9, 2009 David Brenneman of the High Museum of Art David Brenneman of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta discusses the exhibit "The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army."

	Jan. 8, 2009 Creative Director Charlotte Noruzi Discusses 'Urban Iran' "Urban Iran documents how ... much of the world views Iran, but also how this gaze impacts how Iranians see themselves" says Mark Batty Publisher, who released the book. "Charlotte Noruzi's personal stories about the effects of her childhood books remain with her today, resulting in her exploration of ... Iran."

	Jan. 8, 2009 'Urban Iran' Helps Lift the Veil "What we are experiencing now is a re-emergence of art in Iran," writes photographer Sina Araghi in "Urban Iran," a collection of essays, photography, art and illustrations from Iranian artists in Tehran and abroad.

	Jan. 7, 2009 Apple Removes iTunes Copying Restrictions, Makes Price Changes for Downloads Apple has announced its plans to make music from four major record companies available through iTunes without copying restrictions and outlined a new three-tiered pricing system for individual songs. A reporter discusses the implications of the changes for the music industry.

	Jan. 7, 2009 Conversation: Andy Goldsworthy Sculptor Andy Goldsworthy has spent three decades creating works amid natural settings across Europe and North America. His materials: leaves, rocks, sticks and ice as well as the forces of time and weather. Correspondent Jeffrey Brown recently spoke with the artist.

	Jan. 7, 2009 Andy Goldsworthy's 'Spire' "Spire," a major new work by British artist Andy Goldsworthy in the Presidio of San Francisco, rises like a steeple out of the earth.

	Jan. 6, 2009 Elizabeth Peyton: Live Forever at the New Museum Elizabeth Peyton makes high art out of high-profile lives. The first full survey exhibit of her work at an American museum, "Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton" at the New Museum in New York, contains more than 100 paintings and drawings of modern, sometimes recognizable, lives.

	Jan. 5, 2009 Weekly Poem: 'American Sublime' Elizabeth Alexander was born in Harlem, raised in Washington, D.C., and attended Yale University, where she teaches African American Studies. She is the author of four books of poetry, including her most recent, "American Sublime," which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

	Jan. 2, 2009 Arts Funding Feels Squeeze of Economic Downturn Many arts organizations that depend on endowments and both individual and corporate donations are struggling to cope with budget shortfalls in the midst of the economic downturn. Analysts discuss the recession's impact on arts and cultural organizations.

	Jan. 2, 2009 Art Beat Previews of Next Week and a Mideast Trip We continue to receive many wonderful comments and responses to specific stories and to the entire Art Beat effort. But the news is not always good. This week the Seattle Times' Sheila Farr sent me a link to her final story as art critic for the newspaper.