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Culture

Monday

'Redneck Woman' Rules Country Charts

For country music fans, this year's hot summer hit is 'Redneck Woman' from newcomer Gretchen Wilson. It's No. 1 on the charts and shows no signs of losing steam. Melissa Block talks with XM radio's Jessie Scott about the song and the reasons for its popularity.

'Redneck Woman' Rules Country Charts

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'Bound for Glory': New Deal America in Color

In the last years of the Depression, government photographers traveled the country to capture images of America: at play, at work, and struggling to survive. The black-and-white images that emerged became emblems of the time. But many photographs were also taken in full color -- and those images are now being released in a book, Bound for Glory: America in Color 1939-43. Hear NPR's Melissa Block.

'Bound for Glory': New Deal America in Color

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Sunday

Saturday

Music Interviews

Neil Sedaka, Recording Yiddish 'Memories'

After five decades of pop hits, Neil Sedaka is preparing for a Carnegie Hall concert of Yiddish music. NPR's Scott Simon talks with the entertainer about his lengthy career and return to his musical Jewish roots.

Neil Sedaka, Recording Yiddish 'Memories'

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Mystery Writer Sandford Unveils 'Hidden Prey'

Tough-guy cop Lucas Davenport returns in John Sandford's latest thriller: Hidden Prey. The author speaks with NPR's Linda Wertheimer about his hard-boiled detective, who seems to be a little older and wiser in his 16th outing.

Mystery Writer Sandford Unveils 'Hidden Prey'

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Friday

HBO Film Tells of Interracial Duo Behind Medical First

The new HBO film Something the Lord Made tells the story of the interracial medical collaboration behind the first successful open-heart surgery in 1944. At a time of strict racial conventions, Dr. Alfred Blalock, a wealthy, white Southern surgeon, formed a remarkable partnership with his black assistant, Vivien Thomas. NPR's Renee Montagne speaks with Joseph Sargent, the film's director.

HBO Film Tells of Interracial Duo Behind Medical First

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Movie Review: 'Since Otar Left'

In the French film Since Otar Left, a mother and daughter conspire to hide tragic news from 90-year-old grandmother Eka. The film, which won the Grand Prize at Cannes in 2003, explores the poignant interplay between the three generations of women in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. Los Angeles Times film critic Kenneth Turan has a review.

Movie Review: 'Since Otar Left'

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Thursday

Fresh Blood, Higher Stakes at World Series of Poker

In Las Vegas, close to 2,600 hopeful card sharks have entered the World Series of Poker, playing rounds of a game called Texas Hold 'Em. Older poker players are marveling at the new crop of players, and the loads of fresh money at stake: The winner stands to rake in a $5-million jackpot. NPR's Mike Pesca reports.

Fresh Blood, Higher Stakes at World Series of Poker

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'The Day After Tomorrow' Director Roland Emmerich

NPR's Alex Chadwick speaks to Roland Emmerich, director of the summer blockbuster The Day After Today Tomorrow, which looks at what would happen if global warming caused a cataclysmic climatic event.

'The Day After Tomorrow' Director Roland Emmerich

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Book Traces Origins of the 'Chess Queen'

When the game of chess spread from the Middle East to Europe, there was no piece representing a queen. When the icon emerged around the year 1000, it was the weakest piece on the board. But by the time Queen Isabel of Spain became more powerful than her husband in the 1400s, the chess queen's power was unmatched. Hear NPR's Robert Siegel and Marilyn Yalom, author of Birth of the Chess Queen.

Book Traces Origins of the 'Chess Queen'

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Alvin Ailey's Dance Troupe at 45

Next week, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will hold a gala celebration to recognize a $1-million grant for new dance scholarships from the Oprah Winfrey Foundation. NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates profiles the dance company on its 45th anniversary -- view a photo gallery and hear music from the troupe's signature production, Revelations.

Alvin Ailey's Dance Troupe at 45

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Wednesday