
Elizabeth Blair
Elizabeth Blair is a Peabody Award-winning senior producer/reporter on the Arts Desk of NPR News.
Blair produces, edits, and reports arts and cultural segments for NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, and Weekend Edition. In this position, she has reported on a range of topics from arts funding to the MeToo movement. She has profiled renowned artists such as Yayoi Kusama and Mikhail Baryshnikov, explored how old women are represented in fairy tales, and reported the origins of the children's classic Curious George. Among her all-time favorite interviews are actors Octavia Spencer and Andy Serkis, comedians Bill Burr and Hari Kondabolu, the rapper K'Naan, and Cookie Monster (in character).
Blair has overseen several, large-scale series including The NPR 100, which explored landmark musical works of the 20th Century, and In Character, which probed the origins of iconic American fictional characters. Along with her colleagues on the Arts Desk and at NPR Music, Blair curated American Anthem, a major series exploring the origins of songs that uplift, rouse, and unite people around a common theme.
Blair's work has received several honors, including two Peabody Awards and a Gracie. She previously lived in Paris, France, where she co-produced Le Jazz Club From Paris with Dee Dee Bridgewater, and the monthly magazine Postcard From Paris.
-
George Michael Todd — a generous, "gentle giant" — died of sudden cardiac death. He served in Afghanistan and returned home with PTSD. In 2017 he released an album called Combat Medicine.
-
The Walt Disney Company reported a 13% increase in quarterly earnings on Wednesday.
-
Paramount Global, the parent company of networks including Showtime, CBS and Nickelodeon is cutting some 25% of its staff. Among the units being shutdown as a result of the downsizing is MTV News.
-
Tiger Lily's character is based on racist stereotypes, and has inspired many offensive depictions over the years. Now, Cree actor Alyssa Wapanatâhk takes on the role in the Disney+ Peter Pan & Wendy.
-
The iconic and barrier-breaking performer died Tuesday of congestive heart failure.
-
Kwame Brathwaite spent some six decades chronicling Black life, culture and activism. He's credited with helping found the "Black is Beautiful" movement.
-
James Taylor, Brandi Carlile, Annie Lennox and Angélique Kidjo are among the artists performing on Joni Mitchell: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, airing on PBS this evening.
-
Author Carole Lindstrom follows Caldecott-winning We Are Water Protectors with another children's book featuring Native culture. She says she hopes it helps kids "see themselves in a positive way."
-
Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston and Chris Rock were also among those in Washington, D.C. this weekend to celebrate Sandler, who worked on Saturday Night Live in the 1990s and moved on to films.
-
Ben Stiller, Jennifer Aniston and Chris Rock were also among those in Washington, D.C. this weekend to celebrate Sandler, who worked on Saturday Night Live in the 1990s and moved on to films.