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Linguist and New York Times columnist John McWhorter joins pianist Lara Downs to explore the history of American music as a joyful noise, even in the toughest times.

Lee's upcoming novel is a dystopian tale, set in a future America where corporations have replaced a long-crumbled government, and Chinese immigrant workers have become a new laboring class, repopulating deserted cities.

NPR's Scott Simon talks with Bonny Reichert about her culinary memoir, "How to Share an Egg." It's a mix of food and family history. Reichert is the daughter of a Holocaust survivor.

Forty years ago, freshman Mike Doonesbury met his roommate at Walden College, and since then, the funny pages haven't been the same. Cartoonist Garry Trudeau reflects on the beloved, irreverent strip, which he first sketched as a Yale undergrad in 1970.

In an interview with NPR, New York Times columnist James B. Stewart says President Trump has surrounded himself with those "who will not stop him from doing what he wants."

The recording industry gathers in Los Angeles for the 46th annual Grammy Awards Sunday. R&B and hip-hop artists dominate this year's nominees for record of the year... and a win often translates into record sales and prestige. NPR's Mandalit del Barco reports.

Southern singer Lizz Wright crafts a distinct mixture of jazz, folk, gospel, and R&B, but she's been most widely celebrated as a rising star in the jazz world. Hear Wright perform a concert from WXPN and World Café Live in Philadelphia.

Bishop first journeyed to Chicago in 1960 in search of the blues. Still active after 45 years, the legendary bluesman just released a new album, The Blues Rolls On, featuring B.B. King, Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes and George Thorogood playing classic blues tunes.

Billie Holiday, also known as "Lady Day," began her career singing in Harlem nightclubs. She recorded the album Love Songs in the 1930s, when jazz commentator A.B. Spellman says she was "at her best."

Art Blakey was one of the greatest jazz drummers of all time. He employed his powerful, rhythmic playing in the "hard bop" — or East Coast — style of jazz. His trademark was the forceful closing of the high-hat on every second and fourth beat. This album illustrates his unique style.