Scott Simon is one of America's most admired writers and broadcasters. He is the host of Weekend Edition Saturday and is one of the hosts of NPR's morning news podcast Up First. He has reported from all fifty states, five continents, and ten wars, from El Salvador to Sarajevo to Afghanistan and Iraq. His books have chronicled character and characters, in war and peace, sports and art, tragedy and comedy.
Independent venue closures, social media algorithms and the rise of generative AI are all part of an ecosystem that artists say is becoming increasingly difficult for working musicians to weather.
iPods were all the rage 20 years ago, but Apple discontinued them in 2022. Claire Hughes is refurbishing old, used iPods and sharing what she finds on them.
On a new album, the experimental vocal group Roomful of Teeth and songwriter Gabriel Kahane take up residence in a multidimensional hotel with a time-traveling elevator and a quirky clientele.
On the heels of a new memoir sharing the recipes of a rich cultural life, rap's first tour guide talks aging with the culture, seeing its influence all over, Basquiat's lasting legacy and gatekeeping.