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NPR's go-to librarian would like you to meet some friends of hers — from six novels and one work of history. As you read, these artfully developed characters will become more and more real. Pearl says that when the stories ended, she was left longing for the people she'd met between the pages.

We sat down with the city's most enigmatic groups in Capitol Hill, the hub of Seattle nightlife.

Insurance companies often are blamed for rising health costs, but hospitals also play a role. One California health care chain has so much clout that it dictates what insurance companies pay for its services.

These albums might be strange bedfellows, but that's how we listen. This is the music that shook us up, sucked us in, commanded our respect and kept us dancing this year. Get in there.

In commemoration of National Poetry Month, 12-year-old poet Lorenzo Arce talks about expressing his feelings through poetry, and how his dad inspires him.

The time capsule found at the Massachusetts State House has been opened, revealing coins from 1795, a pine shilling from 1652, newspapers from 1855 and much more.

A genre of fiction known variously as "street lit," "ghetto lit," "urban lit" or "hip-hop lit" has begun registering impressive sales, catching the attention of the publishing industry. Previously sold as typewritten photocopies on street corners, these pulp-fiction books now appear in slick paperbacks available in bookstores and online. Karen Michel reports.

The recent rape allegations in Steubenville, Ohio raised concerns among parents about whether social media is encouraging bad and sometimes violent teen behavior. Host Michel Martin explores new media and teens' decisions about risk with a panel of parents.

Movies about artists can be like watching paint dry — but not this French import, which explores the real-life story of Seraphine de Senlis, an untutored painter whose stunning canvases caught the eye of a prominent critic.

Wil Haygood talks to Steve Inskeep about the life and career of Sugar Ray Robinson, including his many fights against rival boxer Jake LaMotta. Haygood is the author of a new biography of Robinson called Sweet Thunder.

Washington's National Mall will regain a star attraction Friday, when the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History reopens after a two-year renovation. It took $85 million and a horde of curators, builders, architects and advisers to reframe space for the museum's 3 million historic objects.

One of the most promising sights in jazz is Paquito D'Rivera, coming your way with his clarinet bag over his shoulder, smiling and looking to spread his goodwill. Still, as joyful and funny as he is, D'Rivera takes his hard-won musical freedom seriously. The clarinetist's quintet takes a trip around Latin America in a concert from >>>JazzSet.