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A new exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass., features a flock of 70 finches and an array of tuned and amplified guitars. As the flock fills the open room, the birds are free to land on the guitars, making music of their own as they move and jump off the instruments.

This is the time of year when one man's work is widely - if indirectly - celebrated. His name used to be hugely famous, but nowadays, it draws blank stares, even from people who know that work. E.T.A. Hoffman, who lived from 1776 to 1822 in the Kingdom of Prussia, was responsible for a work that is a staple the holiday season, the original author of The Nutcracker. You can read more about the story, which aired last Christmas, here.

St. Louis might be known for legendary entertainers like Josephine Baker, or star athletes like Yogi Berra, but now there's something else putting the city on the map. It's known as the 'Chess Capital of the World.' Host Michel Martin learns more from St. Louis native and chess National Master, Charles Lawton.

Let's face it, while Thanksgiving get-togethers can be joyful, they can also be stressful. Audie Cornish talks with Amy Dickinson, who writes the syndicated column "Ask Amy," about how to navigate tricky family relationships during the Thanksgiving holiday.

In the latest edition of Word of Mouth, NPR's Steve Inskeep gets recommendations from Daily Beast editor Tina Brown on the subject of survival.

New Orleans might be famous for its culinary legacy, but the Big Easy also has neighborhoods without access to fresh, healthy food. Now actor Wendell Pierce is bringing grocery stores to some neglected parts of his home town. Host Michel Martin speaks with Pierce about his new grocery chain, Sterling Farms.

Tad Pierson has made a career out of his love for cars and American music. He says there are "fewer and fewer real-deal places to go and hear the real stuff," but it's his job to find and share it — one carload of listeners at a time.

Hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre and music producer Jimmy Iovine recently donated $70 million to the University of Southern California. Many people are applauding their generosity, but some aren't so happy. Host Michel Martin speaks with Walter Kimbrough, President of Dillard University, about why he thinks an HBCU should have gotten the money.

A new exhibit in Berlin's Jewish Museum is intentionally provocative. The point, one curator says, is to "get people talking about how they perceive Jews, particularly in Germany today." At the center of the controversy is a display in which a Jewish person sits inside a glass showcase and answers questions from visitors.

Dandies are much more than just Yankee Doodle, and an exhibit this summer at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum celebrates these men at the cutting edge of fashion and design — from Beau Brummell to Mark Twain and beyond.