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Angélique Kidjo has cross-pollinated the West African traditions of her childhood in Benin with elements of American R&B, funk and jazz, as well as influences from Europe and Latin America. Kidjo also travels the world advocating on behalf of children in her capacity as a UNICEF and OXFAM goodwill Ambassador and created her own charitable foundation, Batonga, dedicated to support the education of young girls in Africa. The global superstar and four-time Grammy Award winner now stars in "Yemandja," a new music theater work that is a family drama and historical thriller infused with Greek tragedy and themes of love, betrayal, honor, free will, and the horror and injustice of slavery. Named for a Yoruban deity, this MASS MoCA co-commission a parable about gods and humans that illuminates through song what can happen when people are robbed of their culture. The musical will be performed at MASS MoCA on March 4 and 5.

Brendan Slocumb’s debut thriller, “The Violin Conspiracy,” is a page-turner about a Black classical musician’s desperate quest to recover his lost family heirloom violin on the eve of the most prestigious musical competition in the world.

Huma Abedin, political strategist and vice chair of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, is the author of the new memoir "Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds." Abedin tells the remarkable story of her Indian and Pakistani family, her Muslim faith, her Saudi Arabian childhood, her 1996 White House internship with then-First Lady Hillary Clinton, and her subsequent career as personal aide, trusted advisor, Middle East expert, and chief of staff for the former New York Senator.

Born and raised in Gloversville, New York, Pulitzer-Prize winning novelist Richard Russo returns to that place in his new Scribd essay, "Marriage Story: An American Memoir." The essay chronicles his parents’ lives and why their marriage foundered.

New York Times best-selling novelist Imbolo Mbue’s new novel, "How Beautiful We Were," is a sweeping, wrenching story about the collision of a small African village and an American oil company.

Film historian Jeremy Arnold’s new book, "Christmas in the Movies: 30 Classics to Celebrate the Season," showcases the very best among this uniquely spirited strain of cinema. Each film is profiled on what makes it a "Christmas movie," along with behind-the-scenes stories of its production, reception, and legacy.

Peter H. Reynolds is an accomplished writer, storyteller and illustrator who has been acclaimed around the globe for his best-selling “stories for all ages” about protecting and nurturing the creative spirit, including the three books in his “Creatrilogy” - "The Dot," "Ish" and "Sky Color." His new book is "Our Table."

Ten years ago, I interviewed my mom, Carolyn LaDuke, for an on-air StoryCorps inspired celebration of Mother’s Day. We recorded the interview on her 70th birthday in April 2011. Two years later, I recorded an interview with her again - after she’d recovered from a heart attack and while she was undergoing treatment for a second recurrence of breast cancer. This past April, she turned 80. The last time we went to Tennessee, Paul and I had a meeting with my parents, their priest and one of my brothers about funeral planning, my dog played with the dog my Dad got to keep him company when my mom dies, and I recorded a new conversation with my Mom.

Anna Sale is the creator and host of "Death, Sex & Money," the award-winning podcast from WNYC Studios, where she’s been doing interviews about “the…

Nate Ebner is a two-sport athlete who is the only person to ever compete in the Olympics as an active NFL player and then gone on to win a Super Bowl. He…