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In an annual tradition, writer Bailey White spins a fictional tale of love and life. This year's entry is about a woman dying of cancer who is attended to by a series of old boyfriends, each of whom contributes some sort of minor service. The story ends with a symbolic event at an old hollow tree in the woods, where a coiled snake meets a violent end.

Finding poetry / In the news of the moment / Can be meaningful.

A new exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., features a flock of 70 finches and an array of tuned and amplified guitars. As the flock fills the open room, the birds are free to land on the guitars, making music of their own as they move and jump off the instruments.

This year was lauded by many news outlets as an incredible year for black films. CNN heralded "Hollywood's African-American Renaissance;" The New York Times called 2013 a "a breakout year for black films." Shani Hilton, deputy editor-in-chief of BuzzFeed, talks to NPR's Arun Rath about why she think those assertions are overstated.

This is the time of year when one man's work is widely - if indirectly - celebrated. His name used to be hugely famous, but nowadays, it draws blank stares, even from people who know that work. E.T.A. Hoffman, who lived from 1776 to 1822 in the Kingdom of Prussia, was responsible for a work that is a staple the holiday season, the original author of The Nutcracker. You can read more about the story, which aired last Christmas, here.

St. Louis might be known for legendary entertainers like Josephine Baker, or star athletes like Yogi Berra, but now there's something else putting the city on the map. It's known as the 'Chess Capital of the World.' Host Michel Martin learns more from St. Louis native and chess National Master, Charles Lawton.

On Morning Edition this week, David Greene has been reporting on child prodigies. He now talks to two parents, the mother of a teenage computer wonder and the father of a pint-sized tennis phenom.

Let's face it, while Thanksgiving get-togethers can be joyful, they can also be stressful. Audie Cornish talks with Amy Dickinson, who writes the syndicated column "Ask Amy," about how to navigate tricky family relationships during the Thanksgiving holiday.

How do you set a resolution when you've already accomplished so much? These women have innovated and inspired, but they still have hopes for improvement in 2014.

Computer programmer John Graham-Cumming began the blog, "Source Code in TV and Films," several weeks ago. The blog points out the frequent misuse of computer code in shows and movies.

Slow-cooking expert Stephanie O'Dea shares the story behind her KFC-inspired chicken: It was an attempt to recreate the Colonel's secret recipe so that her daughter, who has celiac disease, could experience a taste most Americans take for granted. In a twist, O'Dea also wanted to cook the chicken in a Crock-Pot.

Finding poetry / in the news of the moment / can be rewarding.

People often talk about African-Americans and other minorities being subject to "food deserts" — areas where fresh, healthy, affordable food is hard to come by. The findings of an NPR poll suggest that we should be thinking about "popcorn deserts," too.

New Orleans might be famous for its culinary legacy, but the Big Easy also has neighborhoods without access to fresh, healthy food. Now actor Wendell Pierce is bringing grocery stores to some neglected parts of his home town. Host Michel Martin speaks with Pierce about his new grocery chain, Sterling Farms.

What do you do with something that seems designed only to offend? Ignore it, or say something?

Tad Pierson has made a career out of his love for cars and American music. He says there are "fewer and fewer real-deal places to go and hear the real stuff," but it's his job to find and share it — one carload of listeners at a time.

Actor Nick Offerman could watch the John Wayne film The Quiet Man a million times. "It was my dad's favorite, and it quickly became mine," he says.

Actor Jesse Eisenberg could watch the British film Submarine a million times. "The movie as a whole is really wonderful but what I love about it even more is that each individual moment seems so special," he says.

Tell Me More is celebrating National Poetry Month with the 'Muses and Metaphor' series, where listeners submit their own poems via Twitter. Today's poem comes from renowned poet Elizabeth Alexander, who tweeted the poem First House Fly.

A giant lot of Captain Kangaroo memorabilia goes on the auction block this week in Los Angeles. Among the items up for auction are several of the captain's signature jackets, Mr. Green Jeans' famous jeans and the life-sized costume worn by Dancing Bear.

Actor-director Katie Aselton could watch Kathryn Bigelow's Point Break a million times. "It totally scoops you up and takes you for a ride," she says.

Hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre and music producer Jimmy Iovine recently donated $70 million to the University of Southern California. Many people are applauding their generosity, but some aren't so happy. Host Michel Martin speaks with Walter Kimbrough, President of Dillard University, about why he thinks an HBCU should have gotten the money.

The singer's 1968 hit "Different Strokes" became a popular hip-hop sample used by artists like Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy and Kanye West.

A new CD and DVD box set, No Pryor Restraint: Life in Concert, showcases the searing, profane and moving performances of comedian Richard Pryor. Pryor's widow, Jennifer, says his genius lay in his honesty about his well-publicized troubles.

Actor and singer Matthew Morrison could watch Richard Donner's cult classic The Goonies a million times. "You know, it was kind of that adventure that every kid wants to have," he says.