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For nearly two decades, the North Carolina Literary Review has been gathering the state's celebrated writers in its pages, and introducing new ones to a wider audience. To mark its 20th issue, host Frank Stasio talks with editor Margaret Bauer, Rives Chair of Southern Literature at East Carolina University, which publishes the North Carolina Literary Review. Two longtime contributors to the Review, James Applewhite and Bland Simpson, read from their work in the latest issue, centered on the theme of environmental writing.

Jon Herington has played with Steely Dan for 11 years. His guitar stylings are masterful interpretations of the famous rock band's iconic songs. He appears with Steely Dan tonight in Durham, but first he joins host Frank Stasio in our studio to play some original compositions from his solo CD “Shine, Shine, Shine” and discuss how a guy who grew up on jazz keeps a legendary rock sound going.

Law enforcement officials say their efforts to crack down on people who text on their cell phones while driving is resulting in some success. Jessica Jones reports.

A state law banning texting while driving went into effect about a year and a half ago. Since then, the State Highway Patrol has issued about 11 hundred tickets to people who've been texting on the road. Sergeant Jeff Gordon is a spokesman for the department. He says the patrol conducts periodic "Operation Distracted Driver" campaigns to crack down on the practice.

Creative people are more likely to cheat and lie. That's according to a new study out of Duke University. Dan Ariely is a Professor of Behavioral Economics at Duke and co-author of the study. He says the research shows the ability to think creatively makes someone more likely to use that ability for personal gain.

The Chapel Hill-Carrboro school district has warned county commissioners and mayors that school growth could put building permits on hold.

 A local ordinance in Chapel Hill-Carrboro prevents home builders from receiving permits if schools are overcrowded. Right now schools in the district are at full capacity. When they reach 105 percent, the ordinance takes effect, says Todd LoFrese, an assistant superintendent with the district.

Emergency Dispatch services in Durham County can now receive text messages. Verizon subscribers in distress in Durham can now send an text message to 9-1-1. The six month trial is a joint venture between the wireless company and the county. The capability was installed at no charge to taxpayers. Jim Soukup of the Durham Police Department says the trial opens the door for the integration of sophisticated mobile phone technology.

North Carolina’s legislature has enacted some of the most stringent requirements in the nation for women seeking abortions. How the bill will affect medical practice in the state? What legal challenges is it likely to face? Host Frank Stasio finds out what's in the bill and how this new state law fits into the convoluted history of family planning in America with WRAL Capitol Bureau Chief Laura Leslie; Senator Warren Daniel (R-Burke & Caldwell), who is a primary sponsor of the bill; Dr.

The Raleigh City Council has approved a proposal for a downtown light rail line.

City council members voted last night to support a route that goes through the west side of downtown along Harrington Avenue. It's a segment of the light rail proposal from Triangle Transit Authority that would eventually run from Chapel Hill to Garner. The council's plan breaks from a recommendation by the city's Passenger Rail Task Force. That route would have brought tracks into the heart of downtown on both sides of the Capitol building.

Dolly Parton is an American icon. Her skills as a singer, songwriter, musician, actress, performer and businesswoman are legendary. She brings her rhinestone-studded road show to The Durham Performing Arts Center tonight, so we're taking some time today to sing her praises. Host Frank Stasio is joined by Cecelia Tichi, the William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of English at Vanderbilt University. She’s the author of the books “Reading Country Music: Steel Guitars, Opry Stars, and Honky-Tonk Bars" (Duke University Press, 1998) and “High Lonesome: The American Culture of Country Music,” (The University of North Carolina Press,1994.); Also joining us will be Daniel Boner, Director of Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies at East Tennessee State University.

Last month, Peace College announced that, for the first time in its 154-year history, it will begin admitting men to its undergraduate programs. Along with a new approach, the school has a new name: William Peace University. Many alumnae were outraged and caught off guard by the Board of Trustees’ decision. We take a look at the future of Peace and consider the role that single-sex education plays in our increasingly co-ed world. Host Frank Stasio talks with Debbie Cottrrell, Peace University Provost; Omisade “Billie” Burney-Scott, a Peace graduate from the class of 1987; Jane Stancil, higher education reporter for The News & Observer in Raleigh; Jo Allen, president of Meredith College, the lone remaining all-women’s college in Raleigh; and Rosemary Salomone, professor of law at St. John’s University and author of the book “Same, Different, Equal: Rethinking Single-Sex Schooling” (Yale University Press, 2003).