The year is 1956. Deep in the throes of the Cold War, the U.S. State Department decides to send a batch of unlikely cultural ambassadors abroad: jazz musicians. Hear Dr. Curtis Sandberg, co-curator of Meridian International Center’s exhibit, “Jam Session: America’s Ambassadors Embrace The World,” discuss some of the most iconic tour photographs.

Twitter, which enables us to share short, 140-character messages, has moved on from sharing small personal stories to sharing culture. Users are tweeting Shakespeare, recipes and Hindu epics. But Bill Wasik, author of And Then There’s This, a book about how the Internet is changing culture, says he is unconvinced Twitter will stick around forever.

A native of Beijing, author Diane Liang sometimes simplifies some of the Chinese names and details in her books for the benefit of her foreign audience. Nevertheless, her fiction is still steeped in the sights and sounds of her homeland.

Have you ever wished you could e-mail or telephone a character from a book you’re reading? A new “multiplatform transmedia experience” by authors J.C. Hutchins and Jordan Weisman offers readers the opportunity to do just that.

For Amy Wells, set decorator for AMC’s Emmy-winning show — set in a 1960s advertising agency — life is one big scavenger hunt. She goes to great lengths to get the era’s details just right — right now she’s hunting for vintage Halloween decorations.

Claire loves Henry, and Henry loves Claire — only half the time he doesn’t know it, because he hasn’t met her yet. Audrey Niffenegger’s novel of an accidental time-traveler and the woman who falls for him gets a glossy if hardly coherent big-screen adaptation, starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams.

Two decades after refugee extraterrestrials arrive on Earth, they remain quarantined in a violent, squalid Johannesburg ghetto — unwanted, but not allowed to leave. Never mind its visible roots and references: Neill Blomkamp’s frenetic debut is staggeringly original.

Three guitar gods get together to jam in Davis Guggenheim’s new documentary. The film weaves together interviews and archival footage to profile Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, The Edge of U2 and Jack White of the White Stripes.

A goldfish gets her chance to live above sea level in a sweet-natured film by animation visionary Hayao Miyazaki. Film critic Kenneth Turan says the film’s special mixture of fantasy, adventure and affection make Ponyo unforgettable.

Vanessa Hudgens, of High School Musical fame, turns in an encore as a raven-haired bookworm in a music-driven comedy about the building of a band-challenge contender. Gaelen Connell co-stars, backed by a cast of young, adorably neurotic creative-kid characters and a pitch-perfect soundtrack.