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Culture

Monday

Minnie Driver on Fury and Forgiveness in 'Take'

In her new movie, Take, Minnie Driver confronts the man who destroyed her life. Minnie Driver and director Charles Oliver talk about the movie's examination of rage, redemption and forgiveness when crime victims face their attackers.

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Opinion

From Our Listeners

Vocal Impressions: Hearing Voices, Round Four

Commentator Brian McConnachie has been asking listeners to describe — in poetic language — their impressions of famous voices. In his last challenge, he asked listeners to describe the voices of Sean Connery, Bob Dylan, Odetta and Mae West.

Vocal Impressions: Hearing Voices, Round Four

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Matthew Perry, Going Uncomfortably 'Numb'

Fresh Air

The star of Friends and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip is featured in the new film Numb; he plays a screenwriter plagued by feelings of anxiety, detachment and panic. The story is based on an autobiographical script by Harris Goldberg (Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo), who also made his directing debut with the film.

Matthew Perry, Going Uncomfortably 'Numb'

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'Away from Her' Is Sarah Polley's New Path

Fresh Air

Actress Sarah Polley (The Sweet Hereafter) makes her directorial debut with Away from Her, a new movie based on a short story by Alice Munro; it stars Julie Christie as a woman with Alzheimer's.

'Away from Her' Is Sarah Polley's New Path

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Review

Song Of The Day

An Autumn Daydream, Five Months Early

Beach House's sleepy "Saltwater" never feels weary or tiresome. Instead, it floats along in a wispy haze of skittering drumbeats that rise and fall like heartbeats. As Victoria Legrand sings, "Love you all the time / even though you're not mine," her voice sounds powerful and stripped bare.

'Saltwater' by Beach House

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Sunday

New Music

The Lingering Mystery of 'Wildfire'

Michael Martin Murphey's "Wildfire" was one of the biggest songs of the '70s, and remains his signature tune. Despite its popularity, Murphey says "Wildfire" remains something of a puzzle to listeners — and to him as well.

The Lingering Mystery of 'Wildfire'

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Books

Life in 'The Republic of Pirates'

Movie versions of pirates may miss a more compelling story. Colin Woodard, author of The Republic of Pirates, says for many British sailors, a pirate's life afforded freedom, money and a surprising amount of democracy.

Life in 'The Republic of Pirates'

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Review

Music Reviews

Making 'LoveMusik' with Weill and Lenya

The complicated relationship between Kurt Weill, the composer of the standard "Mack the Knife," and his wife, the singer Lotte Lenya, is the subject of LoveMusik, which opens on Broadway this week.

Making 'LoveMusik' with Weill and Lenya

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Saturday

Olympia Dukakis, Finding Clarity 'Away From Her'

In a new film about love and Alzheimer's, the disease that claimed her mother, the Oscar-winning actress co-stars as a hard-edged woman who has "kind of given up on life" — until she meets a man caught in a crisis of his own.

Olympia Dukakis, Finding Clarity 'Away From Her'

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John Fugelsang: 'All the Wrong Reasons'

The son of a former priest and a one-time nun, John Fugelsang says he wasn't sure if he should have been born. He's turned funny stories from his life into a one-man show, All the Wrong Reasons. It's at the New York Theater Workshop until May 6.

John Fugelsang: 'All the Wrong Reasons'

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Music Interviews

Saxophonist Sonny Rollins Still Swinging Strong

Saxophonist Sonny Rollins has outlasted many of the jazz greats he played with. At age 76, he's now jazz's elder statesman, crossing another milestone in his 65-year career with a new CD, Sonny, Please, a new record label and a Web site.

Saxophonist Sonny Rollins Still Swinging Strong

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Friday

Review

Song Of The Day

A Compassionate Call to Come Back

Much of the material on Lucinda Williams' West was inspired by the death of her mother, as well as a bitter breakup. The album's heartsick "Are You Alright?" functions as either a post-breakup lament or a tribute to a lost loved one, or possibly both.

'Are You Alright?' by Lucinda Williams

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Bible Gets Star-Studded Audio Dramatization

You can have "God" speak to you in the latest audio Bible, The Word of Promise. The dramatization features actors such as Jim Caviezel, Marisa Tomei and Terence Stamp as the voice of God.

Bible Gets Star-Studded Audio Dramatization

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