Every answer is an anagram of a word that has the letters A-B-C in it.

Russians have been drinking kvas, a barely alcoholic fermented grain drink, for centuries. But the version sold commercially in the U.S.? It's largely just a wimpy, watered-down, sugary version, say aficionados. Now some new kvas makers are hoping Americans will embrace traditional, hard-core versions of the drink and its tangy, sour goodness.

Up until recently, the likely composers of the great American symphony looked remarkably similar: all white, overwhelmingly male. But recent developments have opened up the doors to composers who were once lost to history.

The Storied South is a new book by folklorist William Ferris, collecting 40 years worth of oral histories from Southern writers and artists. Ferris tells NPR's Celeste Headlee that the book was a way of getting everyone from Eudora Welty to Bobby Rush to a "common table of conversation."

Rob Sheffield had his life pulled out from him 16 years ago when his wife died suddenly of a pulmonary embolism. He overcame his grief through singing karaoke, and tells about it in his new book, "Turn Around Bright Eyes: The Rituals of Love and Karaoke."

For the Third Coast Festival's short documentary category — with pieces no longer than three minutes — the theme was "appetite." Guest host Linda Wertheimer talks with Julie Shapiro of the Third Coast International Audio Festival.

On the new album Dysnomia, the band Dawn of Midi uses acoustic instruments — drums, bass and piano — to create what often sounds like looping, minimal electronic music.

Cities sitting nervously on the edge of wars have a tendency to change very quickly. Take Pakistan's capital, for example. But some things never change, like an unexpectedly delicious Chinese restaurant.

Despite being a big city paper, The New York Times has featured Verlyn Klinkenborg's editorials about life on his farm for years. A new collection of his essays, More Scenes from the Rural Life, offers even the city slickers a chance to daydream about cows.

The Telling Room is a tale of friendship, betrayal, mythmaking, ancient history and, yes, really fabulous cheese. Author Michael Paterniti tells NPR's Linda Wertheimer that the more he learned about cheesemaker Ambrosio Molinos, the less he wanted the story to end.