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Elizabeth Blair
Elizabeth Blair is a Peabody Award-winning senior producer/reporter on the Arts Desk of NPR News.
Blair produces, edits, and reports arts and cultural segments for NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. In this position, she has reported on a range of topics from arts funding to the movement. She has profiled renowned artists such as Yayoi Kusama and Mikhail Baryshnikov, explored how old women are represented in fairy tales, and reported the origins of the children's classic Curious George. Among her all-time favorite interviews are actors Octavia Spencer and Andy Serkis, comedians Bill Burr and Hari Kondabolu, the rapper K'Naan, and Cookie Monster (in character).
Blair has overseen several, large-scale series including , which explored landmark musical works of the 20th Century, and , which probed the origins of iconic American fictional characters. Along with her colleagues on the Arts Desk and at NPR Music, Blair curated , a major series exploring the origins of songs that uplift, rouse, and unite people around a common theme.
Blair's work has received several honors, including two Peabody Awards and a Gracie. She previously lived in Paris, France, where she co-produced Le Jazz Club From Paris with Dee Dee Bridgewater, and the monthly magazine Postcard From Paris.
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Actor and singer James Darren, a teen heartthrob in the 1960s, died this week at the age of 88. Tall, dark and handsome, he starred in three of the "Gidget" beach movies.
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Former teen heartthrob James Darren died on Monday in his sleep at a hospital in Los Angeles. He was 88 years old.
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While Jools Lebron was captivating millions of people with her "very demure, very mindful" TikTok videos, at least two people submitted applications to trademark her catchphrases.
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The news has been heavy the past few years — a lot of us could use a laugh. Some up-and-coming standups performed at this year's Lucille Ball Comedy Festival.
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Acts range from family-friendly slapstick to edgy standup at the four-day comedy event held in Jamestown, N.Y., home of the I Love Lucy star.
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The creator of one of the most popular teen romance series of all time has died. Francine Pascal’s Sweet Valley High series debuted in the mid-1980s and went on to sell millions of copies worldwide.
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Actor and comedian Erica Ash has died at age 46. She was best known for MADtv, the sitcom Survivor's Remorse and The Big Gay Sketch Show.
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Social media is crying out with calls for Saturday Night Live veteran Maya Rudolph to bring back her Kamala Harris impression.
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As Americans celebrate the day that gave white men life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the Broadway musical Suffs explores the styles of activism used by Alice Paul, Ida B. Wells and others.
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Anouk Aimee was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1966 movie "A Man and A Woman." She starred in more than 70 films before her retirement.
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The new Netflix documentary Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution features interviews with dozens of gay and trans comics, archival footage and lots of jokes.
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Pixar's Inside Out was praised for helping kids understand how emotions affect their actions. Adults learned a few things too. The sequel's new characters include Anxiety, Embarrassment and Ennui.