Ira Glass is the brains, heart and larynx behind the wildly popular program This American Life; each show employs a theatrical, multiple-act structure to carve strange slices of life out of a unique thematic pie. The show began almost 12 years ago as a Chicago public radio program but has since mutated into an Emmy-nominated TV series on Showtime – a leap that prompted Glass and his team to relocate to New York City, bringing the radio version in tow. But Glass still keeps one foot in Chicago; he’s compiled a new book whose proceeds benefit 826CHI, the free writing program open to all students in Chicago. He’ll be appearing at Town Hall Monday night with Susan Orlean, Malcolm Gladwell and Chuck Klosterman, who have each contributed to the book, called The New Kings of Nonfiction. (Tickets cost $30; all proceeds benefit 826CHI.) more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a pedestrian was struck at East 51st St. and Linden Blvd. in Brooklyn, a fatality as a person was struck by a train at West Houston St., and a baby water rescue on Bodine St. on Staten Island.
• In response to an overabundance of animals at city shelters, Broadway stars gathered to promote pet adoption this weekend at Broadway Barks.
• Little Leaguers played tee-ball on the South Lawn of the White House, and all wore number 42 in honor of Brooklyn Dodger Jackie Robinson. It's the 60th anniversary of Robinson breaking the color barrier in baseball.
• A seventh floor apartment in the newly renovated Plaza on 5th Ave. and Central Park South was sold in 2006 for more than $51 million.
• The Vatican says that the Pope's NYC visit is being scheduled for sometime in 2008.
• IFC will be airing ten more installments of R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet" rap opera series. The channel will be also streaming the original twelve episodes with the ten extra chapters.
• WNYC public radio host Soterios Johnson has a very large and devoted contingent of fans.
• The tourist who had his neck broken at Yankee Stadium, when a possibly drunken fan fell on him, was released from the hospital today.

Brooke Gladstone is the managing editor and co-host of WNYC’s On the Media which is heard throughout the country on National Public Radio stations and as an internet podcast. She has won several awards, including two Peabody Awards, for her coverage at NPR, which she joined in 1987. She has been a foreign correspondent for NPR covering the reemergence of Russia out of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. She recently returned to Russia to report for On the Media about the current state of the Russian media and the challenges it faces. The result of her visit aired on the June 22nd edition of On the Media. more ›

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A look at some noteworthy television this week: more ›

VINYL SALE: If you're looking for some rare vinyl, you might want to check out this monthly event: Shakey's Record Fair. A meatpacking district locale seems...a little off, but as FreeNYC points out, if you're "looking for that super rare old school funktified 7"...Shakey's Record Fair is probably the only place you'll find it." more ›

Studio 360, the public radio show hosted by Kurt Andersen, found the perfect antidote to the daunting task of creating yet another Christmas-themed show: treat it like a brand and ask Michael Bierut of Pentagram – and six of his partners – to redesign it. more ›

SFist commeters pose for before and aftershocks when the mayor commemorates a 1906 earthquake...at 4:30 in the morning. A hot tip on the Chronicle vending machines comes in and the SFist war correspondent risks life and limb to post this dispatch from the frontlines. more ›

National Public Radio has a great interview with Mike Moffitt, who lived on Liberty Island for ten years while his dad was head ranger there:

"People would ask 'What part of the city are you from?' I'd say, 'Staten Island.' I got so tired of explaining Liberty Island. And 99 percent of the people would not ask one more question..." more ›

http://www.concertartist.info/IMCA/scandia.html">Scandia Orchestra! That's a sorta dooce, isn't it? Matson suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome, which is apparently blamed on a strained relationship with school administrators, and while she's been on unpaid leave since earlier this year (at her request), Matson has conducted twice. Matson's argument is that since she's away from the environment causing her CFS, then she is able to conduct! This is definitely a classier second job that former social studies teacher Matthew Kaye's wrestling gig, but the fact that Kaye had his mom or sister call the school saying he was sick while he was really on the road takes the cake. The Board of Education is investigating whether or not Matson should repay the school for the fake sick days and they are "seeking her termination." more ›

If you're a fan of artists like Norah Jones, Lucinda Williams or Tom Waits, Gothamist highly recommends New Jerseyan-turned South Sloper Dayna Kurtz, playing tonight at Joe's Pub. more ›

Dean Olsher, The Next Big Thing more ›

And Gothamist's favorite stops for food information include Menupages, Chowhound, eGullet, NYCEats, The Food Section, Curbed's food section, she loves new york, and Manhattan User's Guide. more ›

John Hodgman, Writer more ›

Planet Gordon was mentioned on the local ABC 7 tech update (from Sree Sreenivasen) as a top wedding site, and Doug will be speaking on WNYC this Saturday on Public Radio Weekend about groom stuff. more ›

This weekend, I plan to buy The Best of Paolo Conte CD. Why? Because he's got this fantastic craggy (like "Tom Waits" as the Amazon review says) voice that sounds wonderful over the jazzy sort of bossa nova rhythms...bosso pop-like. His song, "Via Con Me," was featured prominently in the film, Mostly Martha, and when the song was played yesterday, I immediately went to Google to find out who sang it. more ›