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Anna Deavere Smith is renowned for her one-woman shows, which have helped redefine modern theater. In her new book, Letters to a Young Artist: Straight-up Advice on Making a Life in the Arts-for Actors, Performers, Writers, and Artists of Every Kind, she talks about the joy and pain of her peculiar profession.

The Chronicles of Narnia dominated box office receipts this weekend. The film relies heavily on digital effects for its spectacular images and action sequences, impossible to achieve using traditional film techniques -- but at a much greater cost. Alex Chadwick talks with Slate contributor Edward Jay Epstein about whether digital effects are ruining Hollywood.

The Soviet Union's dominance of world figure skating collapsed along with communism. But since the last Winter Olympics, the Russian government has increased funding for the sport by a factor of 10.

The Catholic mass Beethoven called Missa Solemnis is rarely performed. But considered in partnership with the much more famous Ninth Symphony, it sheds light on the composer's spiritual view.

We've all had these moments in movie theaters or in meetings when we hear the annoying ring of a phone and suddenly realize, to our horror, that it's our own phone. Engineers are trying to solve this problem. They're developing polite cell phones that can tell when to keep quiet, and when it's OK to interrupt.

The beginning of January marks the deadline for most college admissions applications. The Unversity of Virginia's freshmen may not be anxious to revisit this period, but they can anyway: A play called Voices of the Class, 2009 offers adaptations of their application essays.

Music stores are chock full of compilations and covers of traditional holiday favorites. Pianist and composer Giovanna Imbesi had her work cut out for her when she was asked to make her own version of the Bing Crosby classic "I'll Be Home for Christmas" in just five days. She talks with NPR's Alex Chadwick.

The massive, fatal waves that resulted from Sunday's powerful earthquake in Southeast India are among the most destructive tsunamis of the past 50 years. Hear NPR's Jacki Lyden and Laura Kong, director of the International Tsunami Information Center in Hawaii.

President Bush nominates Undersecretary of State John Bolton to be the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Bolton has been critical of the United Nations, but he insists his past remarks will not hinder his effectiveness as a diplomat.

A new exhibit reveals some of more unusual pieces of American history contained in the vaults of the National Archives. Items include Albert Einstein's immigration papers.