Moby Dick
This American Icon continues to resonate in our culture more than 150 years after it was written. Kurt Andersen explores the contemporary influence of Herman Melville's brilliant novel. The composer and performer Laurie Anderson was inspired by the novel to write a strange, cool, modern opera. Her Songs and Stories from Moby-Dick premiered in 1999. Listen here

Examining the Pixies
The Pixies' rise to critical fame in the late 1980s and wildly successful reunion tour have firmly established the band as an alternative rock legend. Music writer Ben Sisario breaks down their album "Doolittle" and explains why it was truly ahead of its time. Listen here

From Russia with MP3's
Australian journalist Charles Wright explain those super-cheap MP3 Web sites based in Russia. Listen here

Lullabies From the "Axis of Evil"
In his 2002 State of the Union address, President Bush singled out Iran, Iraq, and North Korea and their allies as part of an "axis of evil." In response to this branding, the Norwegian Eric Hillestade traveled to Iraq, Palestine, Iran and North Korea to record lullabies mothers sang to their children. The result is a new compilation called “Lullabies from the Axis of Evil.” The album contains lullabies from Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Palestine, Syria, Afghanistan and Cuba, sung by women from these countries, along with a western version sung by singers like Nina Hagen (Germany), Eddi Reader (Scotland), and Lila Downs (USA/Mexico). Listen here

Halliburton
George W. Bush isn't the first President with ties to Halliburton. On today's edition of Backstory, we'll take an in-depth look at the company with Vijay Vaitheeswaran, a correspondent for The Economist, and the author of Power to the People. Listen here

In the Footsteps of Muhammad
In the Footsteps of Muhammad Edward Stourton traces the roots of Islam and its prophet Muhammad, the mystic and warrior at the heart of this vast faith movement. Listen here

In the Footsteps of Jesus
There has never been a greater public demand for information about Jesus, the real man. Mel Gibson's The Passion and Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code have both tapped into this desire to learn more about the man who is at the centre of the world's largest religion. Listen here

Freud
In Freudian Slips Lisa Appignanesi revisits five of Freud’s major works for their centenary. Listen here