Elizabeth Blair

ABC's Kimmel To Compete Against Late-Night Kings

By Elizabeth Blair

Originally published on Thu October 18, 2012 11:11 am

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DAVID GREENE, HOST:

Let's go now to a different type of media: late night television, where huge changes are afoot. Jimmy Kimmel is getting a better time slot. Arsenio Hall is coming back. Jay Leno took a pay cut, and Jon Stewart cleans up at 11 o'clock.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "THE DAILY SHOW")

JON STEWART: Yes! President Barack Obama decided to attend this debate. And the two candidates can finally have a truthful, substantive discussion about how much they (bleep) hate each other.

4:44 pm

Tue October 16, 2012

Hilary Mantel First Woman To Win Booker Prize Twice

By Elizabeth Blair

Originally published on Tue October 16, 2012 6:06 pm

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Writer Hilary Mantel has won her second Man Booker prize. She was recognized for her book, Bring Up The Bodies. Mantel is the first British writer and woman to win the award more than once.

Music Interviews

3:48 pm

Wed October 3, 2012

Delta Rae: Modern Folklore Music

Credit Smallz and Raskind / Courtesy of the artist

Delta Rae puts a new spin on loss throughout Carry The Fire.

By Elizabeth Blair

Originally published on Thu October 4, 2012 3:14 pm

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Love songs are like the meat and potatoes of most rock and pop music, but sometimes you need something different. For the band Delta Rae from Durham, N.C., inspiration for new material comes from stuff like graveyards and being stuck in the wrong job.

Delta Rae is a six-piece band that includes three siblings: Ian, Eric and Brittany Holljes. Their music is like a kind of modern folklore.

4:10 pm

Wed September 12, 2012

Anti-Islam Film May Be Connected To Libya Attack

By Elizabeth Blair

Originally published on Wed September 12, 2012 4:58 pm

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AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

We're going to hear more now about the film that was, at least in part, the catalyst for the violence in Libya, as well as protests in Egypt. Some news outlets are saying the filmmaker has gone into hiding.

As NPR's Elizabeth Blair reports, very few people have actually seen the supposed two-hour movie, if it exists at all.

2:24 am

Wed September 5, 2012

The Strange Story Of The Man Behind 'Strange Fruit'

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Credit Courtesy of Robert and Michael Meeropol

Abel Meeropol watches as his sons, Robert and Michael, play with a train set.

Credit Keystone / Getty Images

Julius and Ethel Rosenberg are taken to prison after being found guilty of nuclear espionage. They were subsequently executed.

Credit Courtesy of Robert and Michael Meeropol

Anne Meeropol plays a song on guitar for her sons, Robert and Michael.

By Elizabeth Blair

Originally published on Thu September 6, 2012 2:37 pm

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One of Billie Holiday's most iconic songs is "Strange Fruit," a haunting protest against the inhumanity of racism. Many people know that the man who wrote the song was inspired by a photograph of a lynching. But they might not realize that he's also tied to another watershed moment in America's history.

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Credit Doby Photography / NPR

Elizabeth Blair is a Senior Producer on the Arts Desk of NPR News.

On a daily basis, she produces, edits and reports arts and cultural segments that air on NPR News magazines including Morning Edition and All Things Considered. Her recent stories explored the rise of public humiliation in popular culture, consumers' changing media habits and the late night TV wars.

In this position that she has held since 2003, Blair's varied work has included profiles of actor Neil Patrick Harris, rapper K'Naan, and the band Pearl Jam. She has written and produced long-form documentaries on such cultural icons as Paul Robeson and Billie Holiday. Blair oversaw the production of some of NPR's most popular special projects including "50 Great Voices," the NPR series on awe-inspiring voices from around the world and across time in, and the "In Character" series which explored famous American fictional characters. Blair is especially proud of her interview with Cookie Monster and her reporting on the 10^th anniversary of SpongeBob.

Over the years, Blair has received several honors for her work including two Peabody Awards and a Gracie.

For three and a half years, Blair lived in Paris, France, where she co-produced Le Jazz Club From Paris with Dee Dee Bridgewater, and the monthly magazine Postcard From Paris.

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Elizabeth Blair

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Television

3:37 am

Thu October 18, 2012