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Dranes was a blind black pianist who shook the foundations of gospel in the 1920s by introducing secular styles like barrelhouse and ragtime into spiritual music.

Actors in period garb are the usual denizens of the Strawbery Banke Museum campus in Portsmouth, N.H., which spans 250 years of history. To make ends meet, the museum has lured more modern dwellers.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Istanbul this weekend to talk with Turkish officials about a post-Bashar Assad future for Syria. Clinton says it's urgent to plan for a transition and make sure Syria's institutions remain intact. She's also warning against a sectarian war. But some Syrian exiles say the U.S. has done too little, too late and its messages won't be heard as the warring factions become more radicalized.

From the commercially and critically successful Marie NDiaye, Three Strong Women moves from Senegal to France and back. The rich prose, translated by John Fletcher, links the lives of the three titular women — Norah, Fanta and Khady — as they navigate their struggles.

For the past two decades, the Colombian pop idol has been one of the biggest names in Spanish-language music. For his newest release, he took a break from his career's frenetic pace — by going all acoustic and reaching out to his heroes for help.

In Jeff Lemire's latest graphic novel, Jack Joseph maintains an oil rig off the same Nova Scotia coast where his father vanished decades before. The mysterious disappearance plagues Joseph, as past collides with present in this beautifully illustrated work.

The actor and writer is famous for taking his characters — Ali G., Borat, Bruno — into the world, interacting with people who have no idea that they're dealing with a fictional character. His movie, The Dictator, a comedy about a tyrant on the loose in New York, will soon be released on DVD.

The International Atomic Energy Agency believes Iran has something significant to hide at Parchin. The suspicion is that Iran used the site to test explosions involving uranium metal, which is used in developing a nuclear weapon. Talks with Iran on its controversial nuclear program are set to intensify in the coming days.

An elephant at the National Zoo has a particular fondness for playing the harmonica. But that raises some questions: From an evolutionary perspective, what is music and why do we have it?

New Egyptian leader Mohammed Morsi came to power amid an economic crisis and political turmoil. Now, he hopes to reassure Egyptians he's putting the country on the right track. One way is by answering questions on a call-in radio show.