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These interviews with American authors and playwrights, culled from NBC News' archives, reveal the mysteries of the writing process and never fail to fascinate. In a conversation filmed in 1976, Norman Mailer and Henry Miller share appraisals of each other's writing, and the works of other writers who influenced them. Writer Joan Didion discusses her novel, "A Book of Common Prayer" with Tom Brokaw. Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist William Styron describes the themes that unite his novels "Confessions of Nat Turner" and "Sophie's Choice." Kurt Vonnegut discusses his "writing process." And Joyce Carol Oates, author of more than 30 books, talks about what makes up a writer's temperament.

These stories from NBC News report on new ways of doing things in American schools. From making students bring musical instruments into math class to having them do community service, schools across the country are finding ways to innovate to educate.

NBC News reports on the rise in the popularity of organic food, starting back in the 1980s, when California cuisine launched an organic movement, to today, when organic entrepreneurs are searching for innovative ways to bring healthy food to a broader group of Americans.

NBC News was committed to covering the civil rights struggle as it happened, from the Montgomery Bus Boycott to the last days of Martin Luther King, Jr. and beyond. These historic clips are just a small selection from the NBC Learn series, "Finishing the Dream" found at nbclearn.com/finishingthedream.

The Mars Rover missions have captivated viewers of NBC News for over ten years. From Sojourner to Phoenix, these are the stories of the people who made the historic Mars missions happen.

Go back to the future with this look at the latest in home technology, at least as seen from NBC News in the late '70s and early '80s. The VCR is changing how we watch TV shows, an early form of e-mail is starting to be used by a lucky few, and IBM has a new personal home computer on the market -- priced at just over $2,600.