As the budget battle heats up, several states are looking to zero out arts funding. Last week Kansas got there first. Governor Sam Brownback abolished the Kansas Arts Commission. Kurt called up State Senator Roger Reitz — a Republican — who wants to save the Commission. The Governor's action, Reitz believes, is not a money-saver; he thinks it will actually hurt the state's economy.

The writer James Geary shows Kurt how metaphors ooze into all corners of our everyday life — mostly without us even realizing it. In his new book, I is an Other, Geary reveals how metaphor influences everything from our politics to our health.

"Dallas" has been off the air for 20 years but it's still considered one of the most successful television shows in history. Studio 360 listener Laura Detre nominated “Dallas” on our American Icons website, and we liked her idea so much, we went to Southfork Ranch to understand how Dallas changed the way the world sees America.

John Steinbeck's last major book, Travels with Charley, recounts his experiences while on a road trip across America with his poodle, Charley. This week we trace his trip to New Orleans, where Steinbeck witnessed angry crowds protesting the desegregation of a public school.

This month, in honor of the publication of Studio 360's book Spark: How Creativity Works, we asked listeners to show us how they made something creative from an unexpected combination of materials. Scores of projects poured in, and they were so good, we chose three winners.

This month we're celebrating 360's first decade on the air with the publication of the book Spark: How Creativity Works, by long-time Studio 360 executive producer Julie Burstein. In the book, scores of America's greatest filmmakers, writers, musicians and artists give readers an inside look at their creative processes and inspiration.

This week Kurt and Julie look at the methods artists have for actually getting to work and getting that work done. They revisit Kurt's conversations with novelist Isabel Allende, painter Chuck Close, playwright Tony Kushner, and sculptor Richard Serra.