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Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson has spent more than 20 years writing a cycle of plays that chronicle black life in 20th-century America, decade by decade. For Intersections, a Morning Edition series on artists and their inspirations, the playwright discusses how he first found the language of the black experience in blues legend Bessie Smith.

Film critic Kenneth Turan reviews Memory of a Killer, a Dutch noir thriller about a hit man who's developed Alzheimer's disease. The film is based on the much-praised crime novel series by Jef Geeraerts.

Mariza is a 29-year-old singer of fado — the rich, emotionally textured music tradition from Portugal. She recently spoke with NPR's Melissa Block about her childhood in Lisbon, and about how fado has been her anchor. Hear samples from Mariza's latest CD, Fado Curvo.

Signaling renewed support for Ukraine, the U.S. says it will slowly return diplomats back to the Ukrainian capital. It also promised new military aid for the besieged country.

Greg Tate's death left an immeasurable hole in the universe of cultural criticism. Vernon Reid, Matana Roberts, Jared Michael Nickerson and Christina Wheeler pay tribute to his music as Burnt Sugar.

Robert Redford has benefited from Hollywood's big-budget blockbuster formula system. But the star actor and director says art plays a crucial role in filmmaking and must not be left out. In an interview with NPR's Bob Edwards, Redford also discusses America's celebrity society, the benefits of public funding for the arts and the California governorship recall election. Hear the extended interview.

Years ago, the tombstones of Richard Hickock and Perry Smith -- the two killers portrayed in Truman Capote's In Cold Blood -- mysteriously disappeared. Now they have resurfaced at a museum that won't put them on display. Harriet Baskas reports on a Kansas museum's dilemma as part of the "Hidden Treasures" series.

To freshen up your DVD queue, this Bob Mondello suggests Anything Goes, a Cole Porter musical that was performed live on TV — with unexpected, yet, hilarious results — by Ethel Merman and Frank Sinatra.

He rose to fame in the 1960s with frequent appearances on The Tonight Show and roles in such movies as It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World. In the '80s, he was on TV's Mork & Mindy. Winters' comedy albums are considered to be classics. He was 87.

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong was sentenced Monday to 3 months in prison for breaching court bans on disclosing personal information about a police officer during 2019 anti-government protests.