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Despite some darkly inspired moments, the fifth of seven Harry Potter movies feels like — well, like the next to the next-to-last installment in a series that's taking its time.

Actor and writer Ricky Gervais is best known as creator and star of the British TV comedy The Office, which was adapted into a U.S. hit starring Steve Carrell. Gervais also stars in Extras, which airs in the U.S. on HBO, and writes the Flanimals children's books.

Natasha Trethewey was recently awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her poetry collection Native Guard. Trethewey grew up bi-racial in Mississippi, and her mother was murdered by her stepfather; these, along with the South, are recurring themes in her poetry.

An American Idol-style contest to choose the stars of Broadway's latest Grease revival wasn't exactly a ratings smash. But hefty advance ticket sales means that the NBC series may have been a success in a different way: as a marketing gimmick.

Fresh Air's critic-at-large reviews a new DVD set featuring two masterpieces by French filmmaker Chris Marker: 1962's La Jetee and 1984's Sans Soleil. The first is a science-fiction story set in a post-apocalyptic Paris; the narrator of the brilliantly perceptive Sans Soleiltells viewers about the letters she's received from a globe-trotting friend; her monologue is accompanied by footage from around the world.

As a reporter for Ebony and Jet magazines, Simeon Booker chronicled some the biggest social and political events of the 20th century. For 50 years, Booker's coverage of the civil rights movement was a fixture in many homes.

For centuries, Venice maintained strong economic and social ties with the Islamic world. The city's art and architecture bear the mark of this vibrant exchange.

Artist Edward Hopper is best known for provocative, shadowy oil paintings of people in urban settings — diners, offices and bedrooms. But the work that put Hopper on the map is a watercolor of an elegant, light-drenched house in Gloucester, Mass.

Children are going to have to read fast to avoid finding out from others what happens in the long-awaited final book of the Harry Potter series. Young readers discuss strategies for keeping the ending secret.

Nearly 500 protesters held a recent rally outside the Washington, D.C. home of Debra Lee, chairperson of cable network BET. The protesters expressed discontent with what they called the "derogatory images of black men and women" portrayed by the network. BET's most recent scrutiny stems from a controversial public service announcement (PSA). The creator of the ad, Bomani "D'Mite" Armah, responds to his critics.