PBS
Author Elaine Pagels Explores Why Humans Rely On Religious Belief
Why do people have faith in what they cannot see? Author Elaine Pagels explores the concept of religious belief, and shares her own experience with finding faith in the face of tragedy, in her new book, "Why Religion?" Jeffrey Brown...
PBS
Author Joel Stein On Sticking Up For The ‘Intellectual Elite’
The word “elite” has a negative connotation today, often unleashed as a political attack. But author Joel Stein has a different perspective on the word’s meaning, and he spoke with Americans across the country in order to define it....
PBS
Looking Back In History To Help Inform And Improve Future Race Relations Extended Interview
Daily reports of disturbing racial incidents and what appear to be
deepening racial divisions within the country leave many looking for
answers. Special correspondent Charlayne Hunter-Gault recently spoke with
Dr. Ronald Crutcher, a...
PBS
Kevin Wilson’s Novel “Nothing To See Here” Makes Fun Of Your Child’S Meltdown
A new, acclaimed novel takes a young child's meltdown and turns it into a surreal satire of modern life. In "Nothing to See Here," author Kevin Wilson uses a universal experience of parenthood to explore some incendiary family dynamics....
PBS
Author Ann Patchett On What To Read While Staying Home
As Americans stay home to try to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus, we wanted to provide suggestions for how to fill that time. Author Ann Patchett joins Jeffrey Brown to offer book recommendations for this strange time,...
PBS
Stuck behind bars, a writer found a way to connect to the world
Reginald Dwayne Betts grew up an honor student with hopes for college, but went to prison at 16 for carjacking, his first run-in with the law. Reading, and poetry in particular, became a comfort and gave him a new identity. The writer,...
PBS
Appreciating The 'Powerful Good' Of The Public Library
As the American Library Association bestows its 2018 "I Love My Librarian" awards, librarian Kristen Arnett expresses her humble opinion on why visiting a library is the best way to show your appreciation.
PBS
Legendary Dancer Baryshnikov
At the age of 59, ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov is still dancing. He recently opened the Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York City, which provides space and support for creating art.
PBS
Why learning Latin stays with you forever
What's the use of learning a language that's not spoken in conversation nor used in business transactions, and which most people consider "dead"? Writer Frankie Thomas shares her humble opinion on why it's time to learn Latin.
PBS
Brendan Slocumb
Brendan Slocumb spent most of his career as a performer and teacher, but this year released his first book, a mystery called "The Violin Conspiracy." The novel is a reflection of Slocumb's experience in the classical music world, where...
PBS
Yo-Yo Ma On Encouraging ‘Songs Of Comfort’ Amid Global Crisis
Yo-Yo Ma, one of the world’s most renowned and beloved musicians, is trying to provide comfort in this time of crisis. Ma has been posting videos of himself performing short pieces and encouraging other musicians -- of all levels --...
PBS
How The Dallas Street Choir Grants Homeless Residents A Voice
The mantra of the Dallas Street Choir is “homeless, not voiceless.” Some 2,000 singers have passed through the group in the last five years, seeking support, artistic expression and community as they contend with life on the streets. The...
PBS
Tech Leader And Philanthropist Jean Case On Achieving Transformative Success
Tech leader and philanthropist Jean Case has written a book describing what she sees as the five key principles needed for achieving transformative success. The book, “Be Fearless,” leverages years of research conducted by the Case...
PBS
Jerry Seinfeld On The Science Of Laughter
The one and only Jerry Seinfeld has had a big year with a Netflix special and a new book. Jeffrey Brown caught up with Seinfeld for our ongoing arts and cultural series, "Canvas."
PBS
Summer Reading Lists For Young People At A Time Of Crisis
Amid dual national crises of a pandemic and outrage over racism and police brutality, books provide opportunities both to learn more and to find distraction from reality. Jeffrey Brown talks to writer Jason Reynolds, the Library of...
PBS
Civil Rights Pioneer Ruby Bridges On Activism In The Modern Era
In the 1960s, Ruby Bridges became the first African-American student to
integrate into an entirely white public school system in New Orleans. She
joins Charlayne Hunter-Gault, who followed in Bridges' footsteps 60 years
ago and...
PBS
Author Jia Tolentino On American Culture Through The Prism Of The Internet
The January pick for our “Now Read This” book club was a book of essays
exploring many aspects of American culture through the prism of the
internet and social media. At age 32, author Jia Tolentino has gained
acclaim as one of its most...
PBS
The Long History Of Presidents As Authors
Journalist and historian Craig Fehrman has written a book called “Author in Chief: The Untold Story of Our Presidents and the Books They Wrote.” He sits down with John Yang to discuss the long history of presidential writing, the...
PBS
Why this poet says there is no single story spun on a single tongue
Erica Dawson, a professor and writer, said she was surprised while on book tour recently to be faced with the same question over and over again, about speaking for “the black experience.” Black poets never went away. We don’t only...
PBS
How this 72-year-old weightlifter is lifting expectations
In our NewsHour Shares moment of the day, a 60-year-old grandmother from
Fairfax, Virginia, developed a love for weightlifting and garnered up to 12
world records in her age and weight categories. Now 72, Linda Leightley can
deadlift...
PBS
Egan Candy House
Imagine a beautiful cube in which you can store all your memories, allowing access to them whenever you want. But there is a tradeoff. Others can access it, or, in a sense, you. Jennifer Egan has dreamed up this nonexistent technology in...
PBS
How Muslim Women's Fashion Is Shaping Conversation Around Creativity And Power
What's long been referred to as the "modest" fashion of Muslim women has grown into a major industry generating hundreds of billions of dollars annually. The first U.S. museum exhibit highlighting Islamic culture within the context of...
PBS
How The Autobiography Of A Muslim Slave Is Challenging An American Narrative
Omar Ibn Said was 37 years old when he was taken from his West African home and transported to Charleston, South Carolina, as a slave in the 1800s. Now, his one-of-a-kind autobiographical manuscript has been translated from its original...
PBS
A Humble Opinion On Accepting Risk In Order To Choose Joy
Hobbies can offer an amazing sense of purpose and fulfillment, and many of us acquire new ones as we grow older. But what happens when a pursuit of passion poses risk of physical harm? Novelist Jane Hamilton shares her humble opinion on...