Elizabeth Blair

1 month ago | kpbs.org | Elizabeth Blair

Lest you think screens have completely taken over teens' minds, note that more than 4 million high school students have been reciting poetry for fun and competition for the past 20 years as part of a national contest called Poetry Out Loud. The finals take place this week in Washington, D.C.Student competitors master poems from across eras and styles, working on their physical presence, voice, articulation, accuracy, and above all, interpretation.

2 months ago | mprnews.org | Elizabeth Blair

At their core, the humanities are all about what makes us human — like language, religion, philosophy, history, art, community, and identity. In practical terms, grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) have funded historical preservation, museums, literary festivals, media projects and community-based research.

2 months ago | npr.org | Elizabeth Blair

A new White House executive order says the exhibition is an example of how the Smithsonian portrays "American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive."

2 months ago | m.kuow.org | Elizabeth Blair

It was a night of silliness, scatological humor, cutting political satire, and poignancy as Conan O'Brien received the 26th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Among those celebrating O'Brien were his longtime comedy peers Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Stephen Colbert, Tracy Morgan, and Bill Burr, along with others who had been influenced by his work, including John Mulaney and Kumail Nanjiani. O'Brien was announced as this year's Twain Prize winner in mid-January.

Mar 17, 2025 | boisestatepublicradio.org | Elizabeth Blair |Nate Schweber

Actor, playwright and activist John Kani is a legend in South Africa. He was arrested, beaten and almost left for dead because of his work developing and starring in plays that were often searing indictments of apartheid. But he didn't let up. "When you grow up in a war torn or an oppressive regime and you are at the receiving end of that injustice, born in you, inside, is an unbroken commitment to the liberation of your people," Kani said.