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This is the time of year when one man's work is widely - if indirectly - celebrated. His name used to be hugely famous, but nowadays, it draws blank stares, even from people who know that work. E.T.A. Hoffman, who lived from 1776 to 1822 in the Kingdom of Prussia, was responsible for a work that is a staple the holiday season, the original author of The Nutcracker. You can read more about the story, which aired last Christmas, here.

On Morning Edition this week, David Greene has been reporting on child prodigies. He now talks to two parents, the mother of a teenage computer wonder and the father of a pint-sized tennis phenom.

Computer programmer John Graham-Cumming began the blog, "Source Code in TV and Films," several weeks ago. The blog points out the frequent misuse of computer code in shows and movies.

In the latest edition of Word of Mouth, NPR's Steve Inskeep gets recommendations from Daily Beast editor Tina Brown on the subject of survival.

Finding poetry / in the news of the moment / can be rewarding.

A new CD and DVD box set, No Pryor Restraint: Life in Concert, showcases the searing, profane and moving performances of comedian Richard Pryor. Pryor's widow, Jennifer, says his genius lay in his honesty about his well-publicized troubles.

What do you do with something that seems designed only to offend? Ignore it, or say something?

Actor Jesse Eisenberg could watch the British film Submarine a million times. "The movie as a whole is really wonderful but what I love about it even more is that each individual moment seems so special," he says.

Visual artist Carrie Mae Weems has been celebrated for her art and activism for decades, and now she can add a MacArthur "genius" grant to her collection. In a conversation with NPR's Michel Martin, Weems discusses life, love and turning 60.

When parents aren't sure how to approach a difficult subject, they sometimes turn to other media — and Linda Ellerbee is happy to lend a hand. She's been the host of Nickelodeon's NickNews for 22 years, and her one rule of thumb is don't dumb it down.