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One hundred years ago, F. Schuyler Mathews published a field guide of wild birds. He transcribed their songs into musical notation and tried to capture their essence in prose. A new book celebrates Mathews' work and the birds that inspired him. Hear NPR's Melissa Block.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with playwright, director and Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins about his new play Embedded, currently on stage in New York. It's a parody that skewers the media coverage of the war in Iraq.

Thousands of musicians, music industry insiders and fans descend on Austin, Texas, this week for the 18th annual South by Southwest festival. At a time when employee layoffs and declining sales plague the music industry, the festival continues to grow. NPR's Rick Karr reports.

Author Sarah Dunant's historical novel The Birth of Venus is set in 15th-century Florence. The book portrays a young woman's growing appreciation for art -- and for one artist in particular. Hear NPR's Liane Hansen and Dunant.

Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ has astonished Hollywood by recording blockbuster ticket sales. The Passion remains the nation's top film for a second straight weekend, taking in $53.2 million. In the 12 days since its release, the film has earned a total of $213.9 million. NPR's Kim Masters reports.

Brick Lane, a novel set in the world of Bengali immigrants in London, is nominated for a prize from the National Book Critics Circle, which holds its 30th annual awards ceremony Thursday. The book, by first-time novelist Monica Ali, caused a sensation when it was published in Britain last year. NPR's Renee Montagne speaks with Ali.

Dorie McCullough Lawson's new book features letters to children written by John Adams, Barbara Bush, Eleanor Roosevelt and Harriet Beecher, among others. Posterity: Letters of Great Americans to Their Children, written by the daughter of historian David McCullough, spans three centuries of letters from famous parents. Hear McCullough Lawson and NPR's Bob Edwards.

Carroll Musical Instrument Rentals is a a huge warehouse in New York City that rents all types of exotic bells, whistles, and acoustic effects to orchestras, movie studios and musicals across the country. Hear commentator Miles Hoffman and NPR's Bob Edwards as they take an audio tour of the warehouse.

Singer-actress Bernadette Peters toured in the musical Gypsy when she was 9 years old -- now she's starring in the Broadway revival of the same show. Peters talks to NPR's Scott Simon about her interpretation of Mama Rose and explains why the role has been a life-changing one for her.

Filmmaker Pearl Gluck's documentary film, Divan, tells the story of an heirloom couch through oral histories that trace her family's history back to Hungary. The film also depicts Gluck's quest to find a place in the Hasidic Jewish culture she grew up in. Hear NPR's Melissa Block and Gluck.