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Melodrama is essential to any American soap opera, and the same holds true for their Chinese counterparts. Rachel DeWoskin talks about her role as an aggressive Westerner in a Chinese daytime drama, and her new book, Foreign Babes in Beijing.

The landmark New Orleans eatery turns 100 this year. Locals and celebrities, U.S. presidents among them, have queued up for a table over the years at a bistro celebrated in a biography by two regulars.

Nearly a year after President Bush declared the Taliban had been ousted from power, Afghanistan has seen its bloodiest year yet since the American occupation. NPR's Philip Reeves, in Kabul, discusses the Taliban's recent resurgence.

The ideals that have shaped what it means to be American are the subject of Neil Baldwin's latest book, The American Revelation: Ten Ideals That Shaped Our Country From the Puritans to the Cold War.

Jack Coughlin, a gunnery sergeant in the Marines, is the author of the new book Shooter: The Autobiography of the Top-Ranked Marine Sniper. He grew up in a wealthy Boston suburb and joined the Marines at age 19, spending the next 20 years behind the scope of a long-range rifle as a sniper. He has more than 60 confirmed kills, 38 of which took place during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Gloria Hillard recently joined the growing ranks of self-published authors, and reports on the how self-publishing firms are answering a growing desire by writers to see their words in print — and get around the air-tight New York City publishing houses.

The cultivation of opium poppies in Afghanistan is soaring. The Afghan and U.S. governments are working to counter the drug trade.

A New York state board rejects a proposed stadium on Manhattan's West Side, which supporters believe severely weakens the city's chances of hosting the 2012 Summer Olympics. Andrea Bernstein of NPR station WNYC says the sports facility was to serve as the centerpiece of New York's Olympic bid.

The former president appears on Talk of the Nation to discuss his presidency, the state of modern politics, and his views on the future. He also takes questions and e-mails from listeners.

Melissa Block and food writer Mark Bittman visit a farmer's market, and return with ingredients for a springtime meal that features an unusual use for beets.