NPR Staff

Singer Sheila Jordan, who leaped to fame in George Russell's version of "You Are My Sunshine," recalls her dirt-poor childhood and the thrill of hearing Charlie Parker play through a club's back door.

Austen Ivereigh, author of a new biography of Pope Francis, says the media have misjudged the pope's comments on abortion and homosexuality — but that Francis is a radical in other respects.

The year was 1975. Saigon fell to the North Vietnamese as American troops and civilians were forced to evacuate the country. Ronald Reagan entered the presidential race against Gerald Ford. A show called Saturday Night Live debuted on NBC.

And Ricky Jackson, Wiley Bridgeman and Bridgeman's younger brother, Ronnie, were ...

John Byrne Cooke was Janis Joplin's road manager from 1967 until her untimely death in 1970. So he saw a lot of rock history up close — and describes some of the details in a new memoir.

Director Morten Tyldum says he wanted the film, about World War II code breaker Alan Turing, to show "how important it is to actually celebrate those who are different than us instead of fear them."

William Shakespeare wrote in the margins of his books. Noah washed up in Vienna after the flood. Jesus sent a letter back to Earth after his ascension to heaven.

Did you miss those artifacts of history?

Of course you did. They're all frauds, concocted to convince the unsuspecting — and ...

StoryCorps' Military Voices Initiative records stories from members of the U.S. military who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ten years ago, Keith Melick was a medic in the Army, and Roy Wilkins was a command sergeant major in the Army's Special Forces.

They crossed paths in Afghanistan, where Wilkins was ...

For more than six decades, Miriam Moskowitz has lived in fear that people would find out about her past. Now at age 98, the retired math teacher is anxious to set the record straight before it's too late.

"I was and am innocent," Moskowitz tells NPR's Scott Simon.

Moskowitz says ...

If you looked at Earth from far off in the solar system, would it look like it's run by humans — or chickens? There are about three times as many chickens as people on this planet. And while horses and dogs are often celebrated as humankind's partner in spreading civilization, ...

When people hear that I'm an emergency physician, they often ask, "What's the craziest thing you've ever seen?"

TV shows frequently show ER doctors and nurses heroically saving people on the verge of death. Then there are news reports about people abusing the health care system by seeking emergency care ...

You don't need to have liquid nitrogen at your next cocktail party — but it's certainly a sure-fire way to impress your guests. Expert mixologist Dave Arnold walks you through it.

Dorie Greenspan struggled to recreate a friend's sweet dessert, but he just wouldn't divulge his secret. "It's nothing," he said. "It's so simple." Turns out, it is simple — once you have the recipe.

The Atlanta rapper — and one half of rap group Run The Jewels — wants his songs to confront heavy everyday issues with empathy: "I think our regular lives are amazing, beautiful things."

In 2013, after drowning in past-due bills, Franklin and Sherry Gilliard became homeless. Now they live in transitional housing, and they hold a circle of thanks at dinner to remember what they have.

Actress Mae West was petite, but on screen — thanks to a pair of platform shoes — she looked larger than life. A show in Boston examines the fashion and jewelry of Hollywood's golden age.

Etheridge talks about being accepted by her conservative hometown, being truthful with the public, getting married and living her monster-ness.

British choral group The Sixteen sings new settings of the Stabat Mater. Director Harry Christophers says the ensemble was looking for "something that was very spiritual, very mystical."

A version of this story was originally published on Nov. 21, 2012.

Everyone knows the schoolhouse version of the first Thanksgiving story: New England pilgrims came together with Native Americans to share a meal after the harvest. The original menu was something of a joint venture, but over the ...

It's like the start of a bad joke: a vegan, a gluten-free and a paleo walk into a bar — except it's your house, and they're gathered around the Thanksgiving table. Don't panic — we've got recipes.

Years after her grandfather's death, Sarah Wildman discovered letters from a young woman he'd left behind in Vienna in the 1930s. So Wildman set out to find her grandfather's true love.