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The much-examined life of Christian spiritual giant Francis of Assisi is explored anew in a biography by theologian Donald Spoto. Reluctant Saint draws on a wealth of new material, including an ecumencial meeting in 1219 in Egypt between Francis and the leader of Muslim forces in the Fifth Crusade. Spoto speaks with NPR's Liane Hansen.

"Art Inside Out," now at the Childrens' Museum of Manhattan, highlights three distinctive art forms: large, bright Elizabeth Murray canvases that can look like puzzles; William Wegman's well-known photos of his dogs; and Fred Wilson's displays of museums themselves. Karen Michel reports.

In January 1940, Irving Berlin, the most popular songwriter in America, raced into his office and asked his musical secretary to take down a new song. NPR's Susan Stamberg reports on the history of "White Christmas," a song Berlin said was the best he — or anyone — ever wrote.

The second installment in the Lord of the Rings story opens in movie theaters Wednesday. Frodo and Gandalf are back in The Two Towers, and NPR's Bob Mondello has a review.

National Book Award Finalist Look at Me is a complex tale of intersecting lives, at the center of which is a successful fashion model. NPR's Renee Montagne speaks with author Jennifer Egan about a major theme in the novel, the dark side of America's "image culture."

The Great White Way embraces the hip-hop roots of slam poetry with Def Poetry Jam on Broadway. It's part of entrepreneur Russell Simmons' mission to bring hip-hop culture to the masses. He owns a record company, a film company, and the clothing line Phat Farm. Karen Michel reports.

From Stagecoach to The Graduate, movies have helped to shape our world. Nick Clooney, former host of cable's American Movie Classics, joins NPR's Bob Edwards to talk about his new book, The Movies That Changed Us: Reflections on the Screen. NPR Online has the list of the 20 movies featured in Clooney's book.

Playwright Tom Stoppard has a new work on stage in London. The author of Rosencrantz and Guildensten are Dead and many others, turns out a nine-hour dramatic trilogy about the Russian intelligentsia. It's called The Coast of Utopia. Fred Mogul of member station WNYC reports.

Weekend Edition host Scott Simon talks with P.J. McNealy of the technology research firm Gartner G-2 about new DVDs that are rendered useless about eight hours after the case is opened. The technology promises to have broad implications for Hollywood and the video rental industry.(3:00)

Today's literature for young adults tackles mature topics with increasing complexity. Critics say traditional coming-of-age stories are being told with fewer value judgments and easy, moralistic answers for life's problems. NPR's Jason DeRose reports.