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Herman Wouk, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Caine Mutiny and The Winds of War, talks to Bob Edwards about the first novel he's written in 10 years -- the only one with a science theme.

As a child, writer Sandra Cisneros turned to fairy tales to escape from her run down surroundings. Their highly stylized language inspired her own distinct literary voice, which blends Spanish-language rhythms and cadences into English to tell stories of a cross-cultural world. For Intersections, a series on artists' influences, Cisneros tells NPR's Felix Contreras how she finds inspiration in the collision of languages.

NPR's Scott Simon interviews NPR's Bob Edwards, who is leaving as host of Morning Edition after nearly 25 years. They discuss Edwards' 12-year radio frienship with the late sports announcer Red Barber and some of his other favorite moments on the show.

The Library of Congress unites the legendary folklorist's recordings of world cultures with the documentaries he and his father made of the American South. NPR's Felix Contreras reports.

Patti Smith hit the 1970s music scene with an ecstatic blend of poetry and rock. She credits that signature sound to lessons in free-verse defiance from Arthur Rimbaud and Bob Dylan.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews a new box set of Dave Brubeck's Time Out albums.

Mel Gibson's controversial film The Passion of the Christ features two languages that haven't been used in common speech for centuries -- Latin and the even less familiar Aramaic. NPR's Renee Montagne talks to Joseph Amar, a professor of Semitic languages at the University of Notre Dame, about the ancient Middle Eastern language. Hear the Lord's Prayer in Aramaic.

The Return of the King, the final installment in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, wins all 11 Oscars for which it was nominated, including best picture and best director. Best acting honors go to Charlize Theron for her transformation into a serial killer in Monster, and Sean Penn for his performance as the troubled father of a murdered child in Mystic River. Hear NPR's Renee Montagne.

A German film now in U.S. theaters tells the story of an East German woman who falls into a coma in 1989, missing the fall of the Berlin Wall. When she awakes, her family must prevent her from learning anything that might shock her -- leading them to re-create the fallen communist regime. NPR's Bob Mondello has a review.

In the ninth century, the Buddhist sage Lin Chi told a monk, "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." He meant that those who think they've found all the answers in any religion need to start questioning. The new book Killing the Buddha takes this advice to heart, examining American roadside distractions on the path to enlightenment. Chicago Public Radio's Jason DeRose reports.