Host of NPRs 'Talk of the Nation,' Neal Conan

Ira Glass is the host of the popular public radio program This American Life. A TV version of his show will premiere on Showtime in March. What will it be like to make the transition?

He was honored last week with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Third Coast Festival for "his signature contributions to the field of radio." He started in radio at WBAI, Pacifica's New York station, in 1977, and soon became co-host of NPR's "All Things Considered." He's produced several series for KCRW and NPR, including "Somewhere Out There" and "The Other Side." He's also worked in live theatre, and much of his radio work has been adapted for stage and screen.

NPR correspondent Jacki Lyden has written a memoir, entitled "Daughter of the Queen of Sheba" (Houghton Mifflin). It's a tale of her mother, who suffered from manic depression, often imagining herself as various historical and fictional characters. The book also touches on how her mother's illness influenced Jacki's fascination with "exotic" places, including the Middle East. Lyden was stationed in Baghdad as a correspondent during the Persian Gulf War.