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Joe Bussard's record collection — perhaps the largest of its kind — sends listeners back in time. "The truest form you'll ever hear in American music is on these records," he says.

NPR's Scott Simon talks to writer Peter Ackroyd about his new book, Albion: The Origins of the English Imagination. Ackroyd discusses some of the defining features of English literature and culture, such as a reverence for nature, privacy, and squeamishness about sex.

Angels in America, playwright Tony Kushner's epic meditation on AIDS, hope and despair in 1980s America, is finally making the move from the stage to the small screen. The television movie boasts an all-star cast, and its first installment airs Sunday on HBO. NPR's Lynn Neary reports.

The last installment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy opens in theaters next week, and the three films could eventually earn $3 billion in worldwide ticket sales. But the project almost never happened -- Kim Masters reports on New Line Cinema's $400-million gamble on director Peter Jackson's sweeping vision.

When the Beatles broke up in 1970, the group had one final album in the can. Let It Be was a collection of live studio performances that was marinated with orchestra, chorus and overdubs by producer Phil Spector. Now, EMI has released a new "back to the roots" version of the album, stripping away Spector's add ons. Music critic Tim Page has a review of Let It Be... Naked.

The documentary, Bringing Down a Dictator, tells the story of the downfall of Yugoslavia's former president Slobodan Milosevic. Hear executive producer Peter Ackerman.

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Andrew Bolton, curator of a show at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art called "Bravehearts: Men and Skirts." The exhibit reveals how skirts came to thought of as feminine attire, since men have worn skirts throughout history -- and many still do.

In his latest book, Gore Vidal takes readers behind the scenes as America's founding fathers fought and worked to create a new country. In an interview with NPR's Bob Edwards, Vidal discusses Inventing a Nation, the historical writer's work about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Hear the extended interview and read an excerpt from the book.

Over the past five years, Indonesia has weathered terrorism, political upheaval and economic crisis. At the same time, the world’s largest Muslim nation has gone through a kind of artistic Renaissance. NPR's Rick Karr reports on the dynamic art scene in the island nation. View a photo gallery of Indonesian art.

Facing mounting protests and a threatened advertiser boycott, CBS won't broadcast the mini-series The Reagans, based on the lives of Ronald and Nancy Reagan during Ronald Reagan's presidency. The video biography has drawn fire from both Republicans and Democrats over its authenticity. Kim Masters reports.