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Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho is a household name in most parts of the world. His new novel, Eleven Minutes, was a global best seller last year -- everywhere but the United States. Now Coelho is setting his sights on the American literary market, which remains stubbornly indifferent to foreign best sellers. NPR's Martin Kaste reports.

Weird Al is a music and comedy legend, and the subject of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, a parody biopic about his very real life. He may be Weird Al, but what does he know about Weird Alabama?

The winning images from this year's iPhone Photography Awards feature a man connecting with his horse, two rugged shepherds holding soft lambs and a figure looking into a brilliant night sky.

Kaila Mullady started beatboxing in 5th grade to impress a boy, and since then has become a two-time world champion. But can she answer questions about boxes that get beat, AKA piñatas?

Patti LuPone is a legend of stage and screen, from Evita to Gypsy to American Horror Story. She's expert in all things LuPone, but can she become Patti Lupine by answering our questions about wolves?

Neil Innes is a singer and songwriter who also was the guiding musical force behind the comedy team Monty Python. His humorous songs carry that peculiar British blend of absurdity and intelligence. Music journalist Ashley Kahn caught up with Innes on his recent American tour.

Producer David Harvey's new bluegrass album pays tribute to British '70s pop icons The Moody Blues. Bluegrass stars from Tim O'Brien and Alison Krauss to Stuart Duncan and Aubrey Haynie interpret "I'm Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band" and "Nights in White Satin," among others. Hear NPR's Steve Munro.

As jazz critic Murray Horwitz puts it, "Just because a CD is a survey of Christmas music, it doesn't mean that it can't have great music." The all-star lineup of the 1990 album, Jingle Bell Jazz, includes Dexter Gordon, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and Herbie Hancock.

In the second part of our story about WHER, the nation's first all-girl radio station, we hear how the station evolved from all-music to a more news and talk driven format, as the world changed around them.

In his short but brilliant career, he pioneered a new standard of rapid-fire virtuosity on the electric bass and helped bridge the jazz and pop music of his day. Close collaborators offer a retrospective on Jaco Pastorius.