Summer on the Porch All Things Considered looks at an icon of American life in summertime, the front porch: its role in history, architecture, community, literature and culture. From Southern verandas to New Urbanist porches, we explore the mediating space between indoors and out.

Special Series

Summer on the Porch

Exploring the role of the front porch in history, architecture, community, literature and culture.

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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.

Why So Blue? Color Graces Many a Porch Ceiling

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Opinion

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.

The Porch: A Place of Literary Prominence

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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."

A New Orleans Stoop: Solace After the Storm

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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.

Porches Knit Together New Urbanist Communities

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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 summer mythology, the front porch: its history, its role in American life and literature and its rich symbolism.

Sitting on the Porch: Not a Place, But a State of Mind

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