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For the first time, mutants have a choice -- they can retain their uniqueness, though it isolates and alienates them, or give up their powers and become human. That's the ad line from the marketing material for the new film X-Men: The Last Stand. Mike Pesca looks at how "mutantism" in the movie represents real-life issues ranging from dwarfism to deafness to sexual orientation.

A wide range of tunes for children is climbing the music charts — and much of it is acceptable to adult ears. Stefan Shepherd, who writes the kids music blog Zooglobble, talks to Melissa Block about his current favorite songs and artists.

Jenny Lewis traffics in spiky pop and sad country music as leader of Rilo Kiley, and she left a memorable impression as a backing vocalist on "Give Up," the hit debut of electronic duo The Postal Service. Both bands showcase Lewis's flair for bold but relatable confessionals.

The mystery of the flaws in one of Norman Rockwell's most famous illustrations for The Saturday Evening Post has been solved: The original has been found, hidden in a secret compartment in a family home, while the painting believed to be the original turns out to be a masterful forgery.

The violin takes center stage in an exhibit at the Library of Congress. The instrument's popularity has cut across economic, racial and regional lines and helped drive new forms of American music, from blues and jazz to bluegrass and swing.

When English-language music was banned in 1982, Spanish-language groups found an opportunity.

Seu Jorge gained prominence with his unconventional take on David Bowie in the film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. On tour to promote his album Cru, he talks to Scott Simon about his work.

A disc devoted to concert music by Leonard Bernstein is among four recent releases from conductor Marin Alsop, the new director of the Baltimore Symphony. The recordings show Alsop handling Brahms with the London Symphony Orchestra, and two Kurt Weill symphonies with the Bournemouth Symphony.

Fresh Air book critic Maureen Corrigan lists her favorite books of 2005, including novels by Mary Gaitskill and Kazuo Ishiguro, and memoirs by Joan Didion and J.R. Moehringer.

When Margi Scharff felt stomach pain in India, she assumed it was "Delhi Belly," an ailment often afflicting visitors. The 51-year-old artist, based in Los Angeles, was instead told she has advanced ovarian cancer.