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Awards season has offered NPR's Scott Simon the opportunity to reflect on the number of British actors playing Americans in films and television shows, and wonder where the American actors are.

A new PBS American Masters documentary showcases the influence of Little Richard, a dynamo performer who never let himself be defined for long by any one musical category or sexual identity.

In the new book, The Rise of Rome, author Anthony Everitt tracks Rome's ascension from a small market town to the greatest empire in the ancient world. Along the way, he traces the rise of some of the ancient world's most powerful players.

Many of Marilyn Nelson's most famous poetry collections are for children. Her latest work, How I Discovered Poetry, is a memoir about her own childhood, which was spent traveling around the country in the 1950s as the daughter of an Air Force pilot.

At first glance, poet Tess Taylor was skeptical of Brenda Hillman's 17-year, four-book series of poems on the elements. But Taylor fell for the strange and spiraling verses in Seasonal Works with Letters on Fire, which was longlisted for the National Book Award. "I commend you to this lively, defiant, blazing book," she says.

Robert Gordon's new book explores the tragedy and triumphs of one of the most unlikely soul labels, an integrated business that produced hits such as Sam and Dave's "Hold On, I'm Coming" and Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness."

The long-held idea that cancer is a disease of the rich is slowly being undermined. The world now records about 14 million new cancer cases each year, a study found. The majority of these cases occur in developing countries, which aren't equipped to detect and treat the disease.

Hear (and download) profoundly moving performances of music by Basinski, Marshall, Golijov and Schnittke — met by a deeply reflective and attentive audience.

One of America's political dynasties is turning out in force: Bill and Chelsea Clinton are campaigning for Hillary Clinton in Iowa.

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Christian McBride of Jazz Night in America about the forgotten all-female big bands that toured the United States during World War II.