Ten years ago, "reality TV" meant The Real World and people watched TV with a quaint device ... the TV set. NPR's pop-culture blogger counts 10 of the things that have changed our TV-watching lives the most. She finds they're mostly for the better. Full Story »
When Cash was 18, her father (you know him as Johnny) gave her a list of 100 essential country songs to help the budding singer-songwriter understand the music that came before her. After holding on to it for decades, Rosanne Cash has turned that gift into an album. This interview first aired on Oct. 5, 2009. Full Story »
This year's Christmas tale is adapted for radio from Kenneth Grahame's 1908 children's favorite The Wind in the Willows. Washington, D.C., actress Jennifer Mendenhall narrates Chapter 5 — "Dolce Domum," or "sweet home" — starring Mole and Rat. Full Story »
She's worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood for the past three decades, including Tom Cruise, Robert Redford, Demi Moore and Will Smith. As part of our series called The Long View, Renee Montagne interviews legendary publicist Pat Kingsley and learns that the job often means keeping things quiet. Full Story »
In our Christmas tradition, writer David Sedaris is back for another holiday storytelling of his life as Crumpet the Elf. The not-so-secret alter-ego of Sedaris was a Santa's little helper in a Macy's department store. Sedaris recounts the tale from his memoirs The SantaLand Diaries. Full Story »
From St. Augustine's Confessions, to Frederick Douglass' journey from slave to abolitionist, to Sarah Palin's account of "going rogue," the experiences, triumphs and travails of others have enthralled readers for centuries. Journalist and author Ben Yagoda discusses his new book, Memoir: A History. Full Story »
Fresh Air's music critic Ken Tucker's picks for the best music of 2009 include songs by Taylor Swift, Billy Currington and Michael Franti as well as albums by Loudon Wainwright III, the Fiery Furnaces, and Bob Dylan. Full Story »
Vogue Magazine film critic John Powers talks about the year in media: the major events, the trending topics and the evolution of social networking. Full Story »
Movies you've heard plenty about (Avatar, Where the Wild Things Are) rub elbows with movies you may have missed (Summer Hours, Everlasting Moments) on our critic's list of the finest big-screen features of 2009. Edelstein joins Terry Gross to talk about the year in pictures. Full Story »
Forget the fruitcake and nix the nog. In Texas, it wouldn't be Christmas without tamales. Across the state, and elsewhere in the Southwest, families gather during the holiday season for a tamalada, or traditional tamale-making session. The event combines a social gathering with hours and hours of cooking. Full Story »
