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Phyllis Wheatley was America's first published black poet -- a native of Senegal, sold into slavery in Boston in 1761 and taught to read and write. Now a newly discovered letter by her is expected to fetch top dollar at auction.

Folk-music legend Odetta was a force in the 1960s push for social justice. Her passion inspired fellow musicians and activists such as Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Harry Belafonte. Odetta died Dec. 2, 2008, at the age of 77. Hear a 2005 interview.

Think of hits by 1960s girl groups and The Shangri-Las' "Leader of the Pack" or The Shirelles' "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" come to mind. But what about "Needle in a Haystack" by the Velvelettes, or "I Never Dreamed" by The Cookies? A new boxed set compiles some of the forgotten gems of the era.

Before Hurricane Katrina hit land, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, FEMA Director Michael Brown and other top agency officials received e-mails warning that Katrina posed a dire threat to New Orleans and other areas. Yet one FEMA official tells NPR little was done.

In the late 1970s, teens in the nation's capital were building their own punk scene — and many of those bands recorded for an independent record label called Dischord. That pioneering label is still alive today, and just as vital to a new music scene.

Utah has welcomed New Orleans hurricane evacuees, placing them in apartments and generally putting out the welcome mat. Despite dramatic differences between the two locales, many evacuees say they will stay in Utah.

A roundup of key developments and the latest in-depth coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A roundup of key developments and the latest in-depth coverage of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Over the past five years, Indonesia has weathered terrorism, political upheaval and economic crisis. At the same time, the world’s largest Muslim nation has gone through a kind of artistic Renaissance. NPR's Rick Karr reports on the dynamic art scene in the island nation. View a photo gallery of Indonesian art.

In 1806, over a camp fire and food, Nez Perce Indian chiefs made a map for William Clark showing a short and safe journey through the Rockies. The rare Indian map, one of only a hundred surviving, went overlooked for decades. Harriet Baskas tells the story as part of All Things Considered's Hidden Treasures Radio Project.