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Filmmaker Pearl Gluck's documentary film, Divan, tells the story of an heirloom couch through oral histories that trace her family's history back to Hungary. The film also depicts Gluck's quest to find a place in the Hasidic Jewish culture she grew up in. Hear NPR's Melissa Block and Gluck.

Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ has astonished Hollywood by recording blockbuster ticket sales. The Passion remains the nation's top film for a second straight weekend, taking in $53.2 million. In the 12 days since its release, the film has earned a total of $213.9 million. NPR's Kim Masters reports.

Dorie McCullough Lawson's new book features letters to children written by John Adams, Barbara Bush, Eleanor Roosevelt and Harriet Beecher, among others. Posterity: Letters of Great Americans to Their Children, written by the daughter of historian David McCullough, spans three centuries of letters from famous parents. Hear McCullough Lawson and NPR's Bob Edwards.

Author Sarah Dunant's historical novel The Birth of Venus is set in 15th-century Florence. The book portrays a young woman's growing appreciation for art -- and for one artist in particular. Hear NPR's Liane Hansen and Dunant.

Brick Lane, a novel set in the world of Bengali immigrants in London, is nominated for a prize from the National Book Critics Circle, which holds its 30th annual awards ceremony Thursday. The book, by first-time novelist Monica Ali, caused a sensation when it was published in Britain last year. NPR's Renee Montagne speaks with Ali.

Thousands of musicians, music industry insiders and fans descend on Austin, Texas, this week for the 18th annual South by Southwest festival. At a time when employee layoffs and declining sales plague the music industry, the festival continues to grow. NPR's Rick Karr reports.

Every Saturday night in a gritty YMCA in the South African city of Durban, men put on finely-pressed suits, drink cheap beer and compete in an a cappella Zulu choir competition called isicathamiya. They're sometimes called the "tip-toe guys". Isicathamiya means "in a stalking mood" and it refers to the slow deliberate dance moves the men do in unison while harmonizing. NPR's Jason Beaubien reports.

NPR's Scott Simon interviews NPR's Bob Edwards, who is leaving as host of Morning Edition after nearly 25 years. They discuss Edwards' 12-year radio frienship with the late sports announcer Red Barber and some of his other favorite moments on the show.

Walter Mosley tells NPR's Cheryl Corley about his latest novel, The Man in My Basement. The best-selling author examines race, freedom and power in a book that chronicles an unusual relationship between two men -- one black, one white.

NPR's Noah Adams speaks with actor Mark Ruffalo (Collateral, 13 Going on 30, You Can Count on Me) about his career as a character actor and his new film, We Don't Live Here Anymore.