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Culture

Friday

Review

Film Tracks Gilliam's Quixotic 'La Mancha' Effort

It's a film about a film that never was. The documentary Lost in La Mancha follows director Terry Gilliam -- of Brazil and Monty Python fame -- as he attempts a screen version of Don Quixote. Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan offers a review.

Film Tracks Gilliam's Quixotic 'La Mancha' Effort

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'Moonbeams, Dumplings And Dragon Boats'

The Chinese New Year, a celebration that starts with the new moon and lasts for 15 days, begins this year on Feb. 1. NPR's Linda Wertheimer looks at a new children's book — Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats — that tells the stories behind this and three other major Chinese holidays. See illustrations from the book and try some recipes.

'Moonbeams, Dumplings And Dragon Boats'

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Tuesday

Martin Sheen's 'West Wing' Fantasy

Martin Sheen is not the president of the United States, even though he plays one on television. In an interview with NPR's Bob Edwards, the West Wing actor discusses his role can serve the nation in trying times. Hear an extended version of the Morning Edition interview at npr.org.

Martin Sheen's 'West Wing' Fantasy

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Monday

Music Interviews

Live at NPR: Cellist Matt Haimovitz

At 32, Matt Haimovitz is among the world's finest classical cellists. But he rarely saw members of his own generation in concert hall audiences. He recently made a decision to seek them out and began performing solo in rock clubs around the country.

Live at NPR: Cellist Matt Haimovitz

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Preserving the Sounds of America's Culture

What do conductor Leopold Stokowski, T.S. Eliot and Grandmaster Flash have in common? They've all won spots on the National Recording Registry, an archive that seeks to preserve the sounds of American culture. NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports on the first 50 recordings to be included in the list. Listen to samples of some of the recordings to be preserved.

Preserving the Sounds of America's Culture

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Sunday

Saturday

Politics on Screen at Sundance Festival

Political films are still being produced and the Sundance festival is still a leader in presenting them. Masked and Anonymous, starring Bob Dylan, and the documentary The Weather Underground are two examples. David D'Arcy reports.

Politics on Screen at Sundance Festival

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Autobiography Traces Ismail Merchant's 'Passage'

Filmmaker Ismail Merchant, of Merchant and Ivory fame, publishes a memoir called My Passage from India. It traces his steps from star-struck youngster in India to major force in the movie world. Merchant speaks with NPR's Scott Simon.

Autobiography Traces Ismail Merchant's 'Passage'

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Friday

Seeking Independents at a 'Corporate' Sundance Festival

The independent nature of the annual Sundance Film Festival has been eroded in recent years as more films shown there have already landed distribution deals. But despite criticism that it's become too "corporate," Sundance still produces surprises. Hear NPR's Bob Edwards and Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan.

Seeking Independents at a 'Corporate' Sundance Festival

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Billy Joe Shaver: Overcoming Heartbreaks

Country singer-songwriter Billy Joe Shaver has lived through some hard times, but nothing compares to the past three years. In that time, his mother, wife and son all died. Then Shaver suffered a massive heart attack. NPR's Bob Edwards interviews Shaver about his new CD and the therapeutic benefit of writing songs.

Billy Joe Shaver: Overcoming Heartbreaks

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Thursday

The Musical Sounds of Space

In space, one cannot hear sounds. But a new musical work -- commissioned by NASA -- is based on radio waves gathered from the far reaches of the solar system. For Morning Edition, Gayane Torosyan reports on Sun Rings, composed by Terry Riley and performed by the Kronos Quartet. The work includes sounds collected over 40 years by University of Iowa physicist Don Gurnett.

The Musical Sounds of Space

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Tuesday

Monday

Edouard Vuillard: Behind Closed Doors

Edouard Vuillard was not as widely known as the Impressionist masters, but he created more than 3,000 paintings between the late 1800s and his death a half-century later. NPR's Susan Stamberg tours the most comprehensive exhibition of the French artist's works, premiering at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Edouard Vuillard: Behind Closed Doors

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Wednesday

'The Trials of Lenny Bruce'

Stand-up comics can say pretty much anything these days -- no matter how obscene or offensive their material -- thanks in no small part to Lenny Bruce. In the late 1950s and early '60s, the iconoclastic comedian often found himself in trouble with the law for saying whatever was on his mind. NPR's Juan Williams reports on a new book detailing Bruce's legal battles.

'The Trials of Lenny Bruce'

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