Summer on the Porch
Why So Blue? Color Graces Many a Porch Ceiling()
August 14, 2006 A preponderance of porch ceilings are painted blue, but why? Is it just popular? Is it to ward off spirits, or even pesky bugs? The assistant manager of a paint store, a tour guide in Charleston, S.C., and an expert on insects look at theories on why so many porch ceilings are painted this color.
Your Turn: Favorite Porch Stories()
August 14, 2006 From childhood memories to present-day revelations, All Things Considered listeners from across the country sent us their most-cherished porch stories. We share a sampling of them here.
The Porch: A Place of Literary Prominence()
August 8, 2006 A part of American architecture, porches also play an important role in America's literary landscape. In To Kill a Mockingbird and many other works, the space between indoor and out has been the scene of drama, conflict and nostalgia.
A New Orleans Stoop: Solace After the Storm()
August 4, 2006 The front porch of New Orleans Times-Picayune columnist Chris Rose became an unofficial town hall and community center after Hurricane Katrina. Neighbors congregated to vent, cry and laugh; he likens it to a "24-hour therapy session."
Porches Knit Together New Urbanist Communities()
August 1, 2006 New Urbanism advocates communities with small-town-like layouts that encourage walking and decrease reliance on cars. The front porch, which had gone out of vogue after World War II, has played a key role in fostering community in such developments.
Sitting on the Porch: Not a Place, But a State of Mind()
July 28, 2006 All Things Considered asks you to sit down a spell as it examines an important place in summertime mythology, the front porch: its history, its role in American life and literature and its rich symbolism.
