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HBO is now airing the second season of Project Greenlight, a reality TV show that focuses on aspiring screenwriters and directors who earn a chance to make a movie for Miramax. Winners star in a behind-the-scenes look at the movie business. But what happens to those who miss the cut? NPR's Lynn Neary reports.

Legendary dancer and actor Donald O'Connor dies of heart failure in Calabasas, Calif., at age 78. O'Connor's career began in vaudeville and carried him to Hollywood. He made more than 50 films, including Singin' in the Rain, with Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds. NPR's Liane Hansen offers a remembrance.

From the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s through the Vietnam War, Martha Gellhorn covered the major conflicts of her day. Best known as the third wife of Ernest Hemingway, Gellhorn was also a pioneer in journalism, telling the story of war in a unique and personal way. NPR's Susan Stamberg reports on a new biography of the writer.

British rock singer Rober Palmer died of a heart attack Friday in Paris. The musician, best known in the 1980s for songs and music videos like "Addicted To Love" and "I Didn't Mean To Turn You On," made an impression on independent producer Paul Ingles, years before Palmer made MTV.

This year's winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature will be announced Thursday by the Swedish Academy. NPR's Special Correspondent Susan Stamberg talks with Michael Gorra, professor of English at Smith College. Gorra theorizes that Nobel Prizes for Literature are given in cycles to vary those of different genres, abilities and geographical areas.

Photographer Frederic Brenner spent 25 years documenting Jewish communities in more than 40 countries on five continents. The results are the subject of an exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum of Art and a new book, Diaspora: Homelands in Exile. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Brenner about his art and the state of the diaspora.

For the first time in history, all 10 acts on the "Billboard Top 10" are black. Nine of the 10 are rap acts, and the top spot is held by Pop/R&B songstress Beyonce and Dancehall Reggae star Sean Paul.

Fred Rogers often spoke of kindness, thoughtfulness -- and of course neighborliness -- on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, the children's show he hosted for over 30 years. NPR's Susan Stamberg interviews his widow, Joanne Rogers, about a new book of his sayings and advice. Read excerpts from The World According to Mister Rogers.

Woody Allen's recent movies have met with tepid reviews and disappointing box office receipts. NPR's Scott Simon and Weekend Edition entertainment critic Elvis Mitchell revisit some great moments from the Woody Allen canon and discuss whether the writer/director has lost his touch.

At his death in 1829, English scientist James Smithson left half a million dollars for the establishment of an institution in Washington, D.C. He'd never set foot in the city -- or in the United States. NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Nina Burleigh, author of The Stranger and the Statesman, a new book about the mysterious benefactor of the Smithsonian Institution.