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The controversial, best-selling Egyptian novel The Yacoubian Building describes a country that is corrupt, unfair and thuggish. Now it's being made into a star-studded film.

Joshua Bell plays a Stradivarius violin built in 1713 that's been notoriously stolen a few times. On his latest CD, the young virtuoso borrows a few great classical melodies and transposes them. He discusses his results with NPR's Liane Hansen.

The show is live in Philly this week, and we invited one of the city's heroes. Darryl "Cornbread" McCray is the father of modern graffiti, but what does he know about the game of tag?

Cypress Hill's '90s sensational hit "Insane in the Brain" is also the title of a new Showtime documentary out this week about the hip-hop group.

On "Nile," Valerie Troutt approaches her lyrics with stirring conviction, but she never oversells the song. Fortunately, she doesn't have to — "Nile" is a ballad blessed with an enchanting melody and arrangement, brimming with thoughtful, heartfelt optimism.

At the Shrine Church of St. Stanislaus — a gothic cathedral in Cleveland — classical guitarist Jason Vieaux recently chose a new guitar. It's a crash course in how a musician selects an instrument.

Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl offers some summer reading recommendations, with the proviso that they're not exactly literature. Hear Pearl and NPR's Steve Inskeep.

The saxophonist, who began his career in the '70s, has played with notable names like the Beach Boys and Cannonball Adderley. He's still flowing with music.

Brian Setzer got his start in the '80s rockabilly band Stray Cats with hits like "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut." From the '90s until now, his main gig has been with his 17-piece big band, with six albums and Grammy Awards in tow. Hear an interview and performance from WXPN.

Ballet dancer Carlos Acosta is known for powerful leaps that make him seem to fly. Those leaps have earned him comparisons with Nureyev and Baryshnikov. He grew up in a poor neighborhood outside Havana. How that boy became a man who dances with grace and power is the subject of Acosta's memoir, No Way Home.