Oct 8th, 2004 · For most of the 17th century, women were banned from the English stage and key Shakespearean characters such as Juliet and Ophelia had to be played by men. But in 1660, everything changed. NPR's Bob Mondello says the new movie Stage Beauty is about the moment when women were first allowed to act -- and some exceptional female impersonators found their lives turned upside down.
Oct 5th, 2004 · Branford Marsalis releases a new album dedicated to the beauty of the ballad. It's called Eternal. NPR's Tavis Smiley talks with the sax man about that new work and about his brand new record label, Marsalis Music.
Oct 4th, 2004 · An appreciation for beauty may play a vital role in evolution. Female bowerbirds, for example, choose mates based on the aesthetics of their mating dance. Human behavior is more complex, but scientists say our love of beauty has also helped us survive. NPR's Christopher Joyce reports.
Sep 7th, 2004 · Producer Jeff Rice reports on the eerily beautiful music of moth wings. He connected several moths to sensitive recording equipment, with remarkable results.
Aug 10th, 2004 · Actress, writer and producer T'Keyah Crystal Keymah plays one of Hollywood's sexiest moms on the Disney series That's So Raven. She's also the author of the book Natural Woman/Natural Hair: A Hair Journey. Hear a conversation with Keymah and NPR's Tony Cox.
Jun 22nd, 2004 · Jean Kilbourne, author of Can't Buy My Love -- How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel, says the media have created an ideal of beauty for young girls that is dangerously unachievable. Kilbourne speaks with NPR's Susan Stamberg in the second in a series of conversations on the nature of beauty.
Jun 3rd, 2004 · Book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews Truth & Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett, a memoir about her friendship with the late Lucy Grealy, best known for her 1994 book Autobiography of a Face.