Kurt Andersen surveys the strange history of vampires in pop culture.

They feed off our blood, they live forever, and they don't pay taxes. Peter Crimmins explains why no stake to the heart can kill off the public's thirst for the fashionably undead.

In our new regular segment, Kurt Andersen actually looks at some of the weird little videos that people forward to their friends. And he's surprised at what he finds: a foul-mouthed riff and bad Flash animation that together approach greatness.

Director Nicole Holofcener and actress Catherine Keener are friends and frequent collaborators. They explain to Kurt Andersen how their daily lives become fodder for their films Lovely and Amazing and Friends With Money.

Benjamin Franklin once joked that "nothing is certain but death and taxes." But when it comes to taxes, the joke is often at the expense of artists. Ilya Marritz explains why a proposal in Congress could make April a happier month for some.

Paola Antonelli explains the origins of everybody's favorite ear cleaner.

Hula teacher Roselle Keli'ihonipua Bailey explains why the hula isn't just a tourist cliche. For native Hawaiians, the dance speaks for itself. Produced by Stephanie Guyer-Stevens for Outer Voices.

Singer k.d. lang has embraced a bewildering range of musical genres, from cowgirl punk to Tony Bennett standards -- but her fans don't seem to mind. There's a new reissue of lang's early country albums called Reintarnation. She joins Kurt to look back on her career and ...