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In San Francisco, thousands of people gathered in the pre-dawn hours at Lotta's Fountain, an architectural survivor of the 1906 earthquake that devastated the city. This year, the event included 11 survivors of the quake. KQED's Cy Musiker reports.

A new book, Lost Sounds, profiles a man named George W. Johnson, a former slave and New York City street performer who became the very first African-American recording artist — singing some very racist tunes.

As a psychologist and Red Cross volunteer, Debbie Hall is guided by her belief in the healing power of simply being there for others. She finds that it is the state of being, not doing, that often means the most.

NPR's Bob Mondello has an appreciation of playwright August Wilson, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning dramas, Fences and The Piano Lesson. Wilson died Sunday of liver cancer in Seattle. Mondello says that Wilson's dialogue was "musical" -- inspired by the blues and lyrical in its phrasing.

Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea are to attend United Nations-led talks Friday to discuss escalating border tensions. From 1998 to 2000, the two African nations fought a border war that killed tens of thousands of people.

Utah has welcomed New Orleans hurricane evacuees, placing them in apartments and generally putting out the welcome mat. Despite dramatic differences between the two locales, many evacuees say they will stay in Utah.

Satirist David Sedaris first won national recognition for his talent after reading from his "Santaland Diaries" on NPR in 1992. Sedaris is now a best-selling author of satirical and witty books.

Coretta Scott King, who turned a life shattered by her husband's assassination into one devoted to enshrining his legacy of human rights and equality, has died. She was 78.

Edmund Morris' new biography details Beethoven's life, from the cities of Bonn and Vienna where he lived into his professional friendships and rivalries with Haydn, Mozart, Goethe and Napoleon Bonaparte. The book also examines his often difficult relationships with his family and explores his ability to transcend his gathering deafness.

Ed Gordon talks with comedian Nick Adams about his new book Making Friends with Black People — a humorous how-to take on bridging racial divides.