George Orwell and Surveillance in '1984'

In a real-life case that has shades of George Orwell’s "1984," the United States Supreme Court must weigh the public good against privacy. Does putting a GPS monitoring device on the car of suspected criminals violate their privacy? Or does it protect society? Listen to this audio story which addresses the issues in the novel "1984," as you discuss this recent case.

Injustice in 'To Kill a Mockingbird' and the Civil Rights Movement

The novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" was written more than 50 years ago and yet it’s themes of racism and civil rights remain relevant today. In this story author James McBride who wrote “The Color of Water” explains why the book inspired generations of American writers.

Update: In July 2015, a newly discovered novel written by Harper Lee in the 1950s, "Go Set a Watchman," will be published. Lee submitted this to her publishers before "How to Kill a Mockingbird" and the script was assumed to be lost until late 2014.

A Reluctant Hero

On September 11, 2001, the United States experienced acts of terrorism. But the response on that day included countless acts of heroism, big and small. Friends, co-workers, emergency workers and strangers did what they could to protect the people around them. Michael Benfante is one of these heroes, though he is uncomfortable with being called a hero. Benfante worked in the second tower of the World Trade Center and as he fled down the staircase he encountered a woman in a wheelchair who needed his help. Listen to learn more about his decision to help carry her out of the doomed building and the lasting impact it’s had on his life.