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Category Archive
Wednesday on the NewsHour: The Houston Grand Opera Sings to a New Audience May 22, 2013 |
An epic journey told in song. Laments about lost loves. A protracted death scene. Just another production at the Houston Grand Opera. But there's nothing typical about "Cruzar la Cara de la Luna," or "To Cross the Face of the Moon."
Conversation: The Jazzed Up 'Gatsby' May 17, 2013 |
It is--again--a Gatsby/Fitzgerald moment. "The Great Gatsby" is on the big screen now in by Baz Luhrmann's new film version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel. There are also several new books about the lives of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.
Charles Henry Rowell Is 'Prepared to Do Battle' Using Poetry May 13, 2013 |
For nearly four decades, Charles Henry Rowell has been a talent scout of sorts, looking for young and often ignored African-American artists. His mission is to identify, nurture, promote and publish new black writers.
In 'Other Desert Cities,' a Family History Lush in Secrets May 10, 2013 |
When Jon Robin Baitz's family drama "Other Desert Cities" closed on Broadway last June, it concluded a strong run and had been showered with high praise for showcasing its creator's talents. But for all of that, Baitz and his work may be getting more attention from a wider national audience now.
Conversation: Tony Hoagland on 'Poems That Could Save America' May 3, 2013 |
"Twenty Little Poems That Could Save America." There are many assumptions, questions and provocations in the title of an essay in Harper's Magazine by poet Tony Hoagland, who clearly has a thing for great titles: Among his books of verse are "Unincorporated Persons in the Late Honda Dynasty" and "What Narcissism Means to Me."
Conversation: Jazz Saxophonist Charles Lloyd April 26, 2013 |
Saxophonist Charles Lloyd is celebrating his 75th birthday year with grand concert celebrations, and he continues to tour and record, including a new duet album with pianist Jason Moran titled "Hagar's Song."
'No Place on Earth' Brings to Light Story of Holocaust Survivors Who Hid in Caves April 19, 2013 |
The new film "No Place on Earth" tells the incredible story of a small group of Jews who literally went underground, into caves, to escape the horrors of the Holocaust.
How Is the Sequester Affecting the Arts? April 12, 2013 |
With the government sequestration now a fact of life, we've been looking on the program at how cuts are affecting or might affect various sectors. Jeffrey Brown looks at the arts and arts organizations with a leading advocate, Robert Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts.
Conversation: For Poetry Lovers, April Is the Coolest Month April 5, 2013 |
April is National Poetry Month and that's because of an initiative by the Academy of American Poets beginning in 1996. The Academy claims it's now become the largest literary celebration in the world, reaching over 10 million Americans.
On the NewsHour: Mohsin Hamid, Author of 'How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia' March 29, 2013 |
A poor young boy from an impoverished village comes to a sprawling, wild, sometimes violent city, where he makes and loses a fortune. This is the tale of "How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia," set in an unnamed country very much like Pakistan, told in the form of a self-help book. Author Mohsin Hamid talks to Jeffrey Brown and reads an excerpt of his work.
Remembering Nigerian Novelist Chinua Achebe March 22, 2013 |
Nigerian novelist, poet, essayist, statesman and dissident Chinua Achebe died Thursday in Boston after a brief illness. He was 82. Achebe emerged upon the literary world in 1958 with the publication of his novel "Things Fall Apart," which has sold more than 10 million copies and has been translated into more than 50 languages.
New Anthology Captures Postmodern American Poetry March 15, 2013 |
What is postmodern poetry? That's the question Paul Hoover poses for his introduction to the Norton Anthology's second edition of "Postmodern American Poetry."
Conversation: Glenn Frankel's 'The Searchers' March 8, 2013 |
"The Searchers" is, of course, the name of director John Ford's famous 1956 Western starring John Wayne. But it's also part of a much bigger American story, steeped in myth, told and re-told in different forms. It's now at the heart of a new book titled "The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend."
Conversation: Mary Zimmerman's 'Metamorphoses' March 1, 2013 |
Based on the classical mythology by Ovid and notably set in a pool of water (a nod to the ancient maritime cultures), Mary Zimmerman's "Metamorphoses" earned her a 2002 Tony Award and a claim as one of the theater world's leading directors. That play is currently being performed at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.
Poet David Ferry: 'A Special Kind of Thief' February 28, 2013 |
Poet David Ferry reads from his collection "Bewilderment."
The Oscar Documentaries, Part 5: '5 Broken Cameras' February 22, 2013 |
We're talking to all of the filmmakers nominated this year for an Academy Award in the category of Best Documentary Feature, including David France, director of "How to Survive a Plague," Malik Bendjelloul ("Searching for Sugarman"), Kirby Dick ("The Invisible...
The Oscar Documentaries, Part 4: 'The Gatekeepers' February 20, 2013 |
"The Gatekeepers" is a film that consists mostly of interviews with six men, but they happen to be six former heads of Shin Bet, the Israeli security agency. Jeffrey Brown talks to the director of the Academy Award-nominated documentary.
The Oscar Documentaries, Part 3: 'The Invisible War' February 18, 2013 |
Sexual assault within the U.S. military has been the subject of scandals, studies and a recent congressional hearing. But it's perhaps never been so thoroughly investigated and dramatically presented as in the documentary, "The Invisible War," which has been nominated for an Academy Award.
The Oscar Documentaries, Part 2: 'Searching for Sugar Man' February 15, 2013 |
In 1970, a singer-songwriter going by the name Rodriguez released an album called "Cold Fact." It got some good reviews but sold next to nothing, and within a few years Rodriguez had returned to life as a laborer in Detroit. But in South Africa he became a major star. The story is told in the Oscar-nominated documentary, "Searching for Sugar Man."
Conversation: Dave Barry, Author 'Insane City' February 8, 2013 |
A bachelor party that doesn't quite go as planned, followed by a wedding that's interrupted by the arrival of a boat of Haitian refugees. Throw in a large python snake, some Russian gangsters and the city of Miami -- or at least Dave Barry's version of it -- and you get his new novel, "Insane City."
Tuesday on the NewsHour: Arabs, Jews Unite Under One Baton February 5, 2013 |
More of Jeffrey brown's report on the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra.
Live Chat: Author George Saunders Answered Your Questions February 5, 2013 |
On Tuesday at 12 p.m. ET, George Saunders will join us for a live chat. Do you have questions for the acclaimed storyteller? Leave them in the comments section or tweet them to @NewsHour using #SaundersChat. Come back Tuesday at 12 p.m. ET to watch it unfold below.
Conversation: Uncovering the Bard With Jeremy Irons February 1, 2013 |
Airing now on PBS is the series "Shakespeare Uncovered," six films that tell the stories behind some of the Bard's greatest plays. The series is hosted by some pretty hefty talent, including Ethan Hawke, Derek Jacobi, Trevor Nunn and Jeremy Irons.
Conversation: Poet Gerald Stern January 31, 2013 |
At 87, Gerald Stern has been writing poetry for a long time and has been one of the nation's most honored poets. He recently received a new honor for a collection called "Early Collected Poems: 1965-1992": the prestigious Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry from the Library of Congress, given to the most distinguished book of verse published in the last two years.
Did Shakespeare Have Syphilis? January 25, 2013 |
In a new book, "Shakespeare's Tremor and Orwell's Cough: The Medical Lives of Famous Writers," Dr. John J. Ross of Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital looks at how disease and mood disorder may have infected the lives, creativity and words of some of the world's most beloved authors.
Conversation: Brad Meltzer, Author of 'The Fifth Assassin' January 23, 2013 |
Brad Meltzer spent much of the last four years researching for his thriller "The Fifth Assassin" and learned about much of what the government does to protect us against attacks, including the role of the Secret Service. He sat down recently to discuss his work.
Friday on the NewsHour: Inaugural Poet Richard Blanco January 18, 2013 |
Extended interview, reading: inaugural poet Richard Blanco.
One Couch, Two Americas: a Weekend With George Saunders and NFL Football January 18, 2013 |
My assignment to myself last weekend: Rest, take it easy, fight off a cold. The only obligations: football and reading.
Conversation: George Saunders, Author of 'Tenth of December' January 18, 2013 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to George Saunders, author of "Tenth of December."
Never 'Misunderestimate' Word Power of the Presidency January 16, 2013 |
With the second inauguration of President Obama next Monday, we thought we'd take a different look at the American presidency. We often think of the White House as a seat of power in the country and in the world, but we don't usually think of it as a seat of words and language.
Breaking Down the Oscar Nominations January 11, 2013 |
This year's Oscar nominations were announced Thursday. From Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" to Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty," the choices always stir great interest, debate and offer a chance to look at the direction and quality of movies these days.
How Are Arts Organizations Using Digital Technologies? January 4, 2013 |
A new study, "Arts Organizations and Digital Technologies," was published Friday by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. It looks at the ways in which cultural organizations -- theater companies, orchestras, museums -- are using the Internet, social media and mobile apps to grow, promote and enrich the things they do.
Greek Novelist Ersi Sotiropoulos: 'The Crisis Empties the Wallets as Well as the Souls' December 25, 2012 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Ersi Sotiropoulos, a Greek poet, novelist and short story writer. Her novel "Zigzag Through the Bitter-Orange Trees," published in English in 2007, was awarded the Greek National Literature Prize and Book Critics' Award.
Conversation: David Denby on the Movies December 7, 2012 |
David Denby writes about the immediate moment in his role as film critic for The New Yorker. He also looks at the much bigger picture in his latest book, "Do the Movies Have a Future?"
Conversation: Lorin Stein, Editor of The Paris Review, on the Art of the Short Story November 30, 2012 |
What is a great short story and what does it take to write one? The Paris Review posed those questions to 20 contemporary authors and asked them to pick a story they love in the almost 60-year-old archives of the Review. The result is a new collection titled "Object Lessons: The Art of the Short Story."
Monday on the NewsHour: Kevin Powers, Author of 'The Yellow Birds' November 12, 2012 |
Extended interview and reading with Kevin Powers, author of the novel "The Yellow Birds."
Conversation: Bringing Joey to Life in 'War Horse' November 9, 2012 |
The play "War Horse" is the story of friendship, war, love and one remarkable steed named Joey. To get an idea of what it's like to control Joey from his expressive ears to his hooves, Jeffrey Brown sat down with "War Horse" actor Danny Yoerges, who handles the head of Joey.
Bill Ivey, Former NEA Chairman, Author of 'Handmaking America' October 29, 2012 |
More of Jeffrey Brown's conversation with Bill Ivey, former chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts and author of "Handmaking America: A Back-to-Basics Pathway to a Revitalized American Democracy."
Conversation: Leon Botstein on How Circus Music Helped Shape American Pop Culture October 26, 2012 |
"Circus and the City: New York, 1793-2010" is an exhibition now showing at the Bard Graduate Center Gallery. It is, as it sounds, a big look at the development and pageantry of the circus over time through many different angles.
Tuesday on the NewsHour: Philip Glass October 23, 2012 |
More of Jeffrey Brown's interview with Philip Glass.
Conversation: Louise Erdrich on Her New Novel, 'The Round House' October 19, 2012 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Louise Erdrich, author of the novel "The Round House," which has been nominated for a National Book Award.
Conversation: Cellist Maya Beiser's 'Elsewhere' October 17, 2012 |
With its elements of music, singing, theater, dance and video, "Elsewhere" is described by its creator, cellist extraordinaire Maya Beiser, as a "CelloOpera." It's a collaboration of Beiser and theater director Robert Woodruff that tells the Biblical story of Lot's wife and will be performed Wednesday at the Brooklyn Academy of Music as part of its 30th Next Wave Festival.
Monday on the NewsHour: Salman Rushdie October 8, 2012 |
More of Jeffrey Brown's interview with writer Salman Rushdie.
Dissident Vietnamese Poet Nguyen Chi Thien, Author of 'Flowers of Hell,' Dies at Age 73 October 8, 2012 |
Nguyen Chi Thien, a Vietnamese dissident poet who spent 27 years in communist prisons and was the acclaimed author of "Flowers of Hell," died last week in California after a long bout of illness.
Conversation: Kevin Powers, Author of 'The Yellow Birds' October 4, 2012 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Kevin Powers, author of the novel "The Yellow Birds" and who served in the U.S. Army in Iraq in 2004 and 2005.
Conversation: Junot Diaz September 28, 2012 |
The writer Junot Diaz is back with a new collection of stories titled "This Is How You Lose Her." They feature several characters from his first novel, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao," which won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2008. The stories look at themes of family, love and infidelity, and are all told through Yunior, Diaz's dazzling character and narrator from "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao."
U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey Talks About Her New Job and Fourth Book September 21, 2012 |
The new official face of American poetry is one familiar to NewsHour viewers. Natasha Trethewey has just taken on the job of poet laureate of the United States, appointed by the Librarian of Congress. She's the author of four books of verse, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Native Guard" and her latest, "Thrall."
Conversation: Director Jonathan Demme on His New Film and Hero, Carolyn Parker September 20, 2012 |
The film is titled "I'm Carolyn Parker: The Good, the Mad, and the Beautiful," and indeed Carolyn Parker is all those things and more. A resident of the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, acclaimed filmmaker Jonathan Demme tells her story.
Conversation: 'Broadway or Bust' on PBS September 14, 2012 |
Have you ever wanted to be on Broadway? Well, thousands of young people from around the country do, and a new PBS series is documenting their struggle to get there. It's called "Broadway or Bust," produced by WGBH in Boston. The first episode aired last week, the second is this Sunday.
Conversation: Mike Birbiglia and Ira Glass on Their New Film, 'Sleepwalk With Me' August 24, 2012 |
"Sleepwalk With Me" began life in, well, the real-life, sleep-walking episodes of comedian Mike Birbiglia, then a one-man theater production, a radio story on "This American Life," a book, an album and now a movie.
Wednesday on the NewsHour: Richard Ford August 22, 2012 |
More of Jeffrey Brown's conversation with Richard Ford. Ford reads an excerpt from his novel "Canada."
Conversation: Graphic Novelist, Director Marjane Satrapi August 17, 2012 |
Marjane Satrapi's "Persepolis" won international acclaim as an autobiographical tale, told first in the form of a graphic novel, later turned into a film, of a young girl coming of age amid the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran. Now comes the film version of "Chicken With Plums," another story based on her family's history.
Need a Good Cry? These Songs Are for You August 10, 2012 |
Everyone has their favorite sad song, but have you ever thought about the sad song as a whole category of music? Well, Adam Brent Houghtaling has, and he set down theories, profiles and a catalog of songs in the new book, "This Will End in Tears: The Miserabilist Guide to Music."
Wednesday on the NewsHour: Olympic Poetry August 8, 2012 |
Poet Priscila Uppal of Canadian Athletes Now reads "Obsessive Compulsive Cycling Disorder."
Tuesday on the NewsHour: Walter Dean Myers July 31, 2012 |
Tuesday on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown talks to award-winning author Walter Dean Myers, the Library Of Congress' National Ambassador For Young People's Literature.
Conversation: Lauren Greenfield, Director of 'The Queen of Versailles' July 27, 2012 |
The building of Versailles, not the one in France, but one in Orlando, Fla., which was set to become the largest home in the nation, is the starting point for a documentary film titled, "The Queen of Versailles." Jeffrey Brown talks to director Lauren Greenfield.
Conversation: What Makes Some Arts Buildings Successful and Others Not? July 13, 2012 |
Anyone paying attention to American cultural life has noticed a boom of art-centered buildings in cities across the country. A new study by the Cultural Policy Center at the University of Chicago takes what it builds as the first systematic look at this trend.
Castleton Festival Is Part Celebration, Part Training Ground for Musicians and Singers July 6, 2012 |
In central Virginia's Rappahanock County, the four-year-old Castleton Festival is part traditional summer music festival and part music training program. Jeffrey Brown talks to founder and renowned conductor Lorin Maazel.
Conversation: Shawn Colvin Looks Back in New Memoir, 'Diamond in the Rough' June 22, 2012 |
"Diamond in the Rough" is the name of a 1989 hit song from Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin's first album, "Steady On." Now, it's the name of a new memoir she's just released. Jeffrey Brown talks to the musician.
On Wednesday's NewsHour: Poet Natalie Diaz June 20, 2012 |
A reading and extended interview with Natalie Diaz.
Tuesday on the NewsHour: Toni Morrison May 29, 2012 |
Toni Morrison reads an excerpt from her novel "Home."
Friday on the NewsHour: Stephen Greenblatt, Author of 'The Swerve' May 25, 2012 |
Pulitzer prize-winning author Stephen Greenblatt reads an excerpt of "The Swerve."
Conversation: Chris Thile and the Goat Rodeo Sessions May 25, 2012 |
"The Goat Rodeo Sessions" is the name of a recording released in October of last year. It's also the name of a performance that airs on PBS this Friday. It's an all-star and eclectic group made up of cellist Yo-Yo Ma, fiddler Stuart Duncan, bassist Edgar Meyer and mandolinist Chris Thile.
Remembering Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau May 21, 2012 |
Remembering German singer Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau.
Conversation: Kristen Dupard, 2012 Poetry Out Loud National Champion May 18, 2012 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Kristen Dupard, the 2012 Poetry Out Loud National Champion.
Conversation: Poet Natalie Diaz May 11, 2012 |
A profile of poet Natalie Diaz and her language preservation work will air on the NewsHour soon, but here below is sneak peek of our interview with the 33-year-old writer, conducted along the banks of the Colorado River.
Three New Looks on the National Mall May 4, 2012 |
The National Mall here in Washington, D.C., is indeed a national treasure, but it's one that is in some disrepair. The Trust for the National Mall has just held a competition to design three new sections in oft-neglected areas on the Mall. The winners were announced Thursday.
40 Years After Gaye's Hit, John Legend Explores 'What's Going On...Now' May 4, 2012 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to singer-songwriter John Legend and producer Harry Weinger about Marvin Gaye's hit record, "What's Going On," on its 40th anniversary.
Conversation: W. S. Di Piero, Winner of the 2012 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize April 27, 2012 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to W. S. Di Piero, the winner of the 2012 Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, a $100,000 award given by the Poetry Foundation.
Tuesday on the NewsHour: Nick Cave's Soundsuits Are Sculptures Come to Life April 24, 2012 |
More with Chicago artist Nick Cave and his Soundsuits.
'Los Angeles Review of Books' Makes Launch April 19, 2012 |
There's a brand new entry into the world of books and publishing. It's call the Los Angeles Review of Books, and you'll find it online.
Conversation: Philippe Falardeau's 'Monsieur Lazhar' April 13, 2012 |
After the suicide of a teacher in a Montreal middle-school, a class of grieving students is thrown together with an Algerian immigrant with tragic secrets of his own and who becomes their new teacher. The film, "Monsieur Lazhar," directed by Philippe Falardeau and adapted from a play, tells a story of cultural gaps and emotional chasms in one small classroom and out into the wider world.
Buddy Guy, 75 Years Young April 6, 2012 |
More from Jeffrey Brown's profile of blues legend Buddy Guy.
Conversation: Henry Ossawa Tanner at Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts April 6, 2012 |
Henry Ossawa Tanner is known as the first African-American artist to gain international success and fame. He was born in Pittsburgh in 1859, spent much of his youth in Philadelphia, but lived most of his adult life in Paris.
Conversation: The Life, Work and Legacy of Elizabeth Catlett, 1915-2012 April 5, 2012 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Lowery Stokes Sims, a curator at the Museums of Arts and Design, about the life, work and legacy of Elizabeth Catlett, who died Monday at age 96.
Conversation: Woody Guthrie at 100 March 30, 2012 |
Woody Guthrie was born 100 years ago this July. He died in 1967 at the age of 55, but he left behind a legacy as one of this nation's greatest songwriters and troubadours. That legacy is being celebrated this year around the country. Guthrie's daughter Nora visited us in our newsroom earlier this week to tell us about her father and the centennial events.
Monday on the NewsHour: Albany Park Theatre Project March 26, 2012 |
An extended interview with Albany Park Theatre Project founder David Feiner.
Conversation: 2012 Whitney Biennial March 23, 2012 |
The 2012 edition of the Whitney Biennial opened earlier this month at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. Jeffrey Brown talks to the curators, Elisabeth Sussman and Jay Sanders, about the show.
Condoleezza Rice Makes the Case for Arts as Vital Part of Education March 20, 2012 |
EmbedVideo(2962, 514, 320); On Tuesday, Jeffrey Brown sat down with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and former New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein to discuss a new report examining the connections between education and national security. He...
Conversation: Singer Ruthie Foster March 16, 2012 |
Singer Ruthie Foster has roots that hark back to gospel and funk. She sang in her church back home in Texas and later on as part of a funk bank during a stint in the Navy. But her work is becoming increasingly known for her recordings and performances of blues and folk music.
Conversation: Eavan Boland March 9, 2012 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Irish poet Eavan Boland.
The First-ever PBS Online Film Festival March 2, 2012 |
Earlier this week, PBS kicked off its first-ever Online Film Festival, which will showcase 20 short films from independent filmmakers. Every Monday for five weeks, a new category of films will be available to watch via the PBS website and the PBS YouTube channel. At then end of the festival, a People's Choice winner will announced.
Conversation: Jazz Musician Jason Moran February 24, 2012 |
Jason Moran was recently made the artistic adviser for jazz at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., a position held for many years by the great jazz musician and educator Billy Taylor.
Conversation: Rosenblatt's 'Kayak Morning' February 21, 2012 |
Jeffrey brown talks to Roger Rosenblatt about his new book, "Kayak Morning: Relfections on Love, Grief, and Small Boats."
Conversation: Pianist Jonathan Biss February 10, 2012 |
Beethoven's 32 piano sonatas remain landmarks in music history, works that pianists in every generation have felt the desire, the inspiration, the need to take on. A new recording by Jonathan Biss is recently out, the first of nine to be released over nine years, that will eventually include the entire cycle.
Conversation: Edward Gero on Rothko, 'Red' February 8, 2012 |
Mark Rothko's life has been turned into art in the play "Red," starring Edward Gero, written by John Logan and directed by Robert Falls, now at the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.
The Life, Work of Poet Wislawa Szymborska February 2, 2012 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Wislawa Szymborska's longtime translator, Clare Cavanagh, professor of Slavic languages and comparative literate at Northwestern University, about the poet's life and work.
Adam Johnson Reads From His Novel, 'The Orphan Master's Son' January 31, 2012 |
Adam Johnson reads from his novel, "The Orphan Master's Son."
1927's 'Napoleon' Set for Grand Premiere January 20, 2012 |
It's billed as the U.S. premiere of a film made in 1927. The film is "Napoleon," made by the great director, Abel Gance. The U.S. premiere with full orchestra will be at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival in March. Jeffrey Brown talks to Kevin Brownlow, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker who's put it together.
On the Angelina Jolie Press Junket January 17, 2012 |
I might as well quickly get out of the way the most obvious detail: Yes, Angelina Jolie is an attractive human being, this day exuding more seriousness of purpose than glamor. But I left thinking less about her than about the strange experience of interviewing her.
Conversation: Jake Shimabukuro Leading a Ukulele Renaissance January 13, 2012 |
The ukulele has just four strings, a fairly limited range and, historically, a limited appeal. But Jake Shimabukuro has been out to change that, and he seems to be leading something of a ukulele renaissance in pop music.
Conversation: Joan Didion January 6, 2012 |
Mortality is a subject Joan Didion has grappled with in recent years, both in life and on the page. In the span of roughly two years, her husband, the writer John Gregory Dunne, and their only child, Quintana Roo, both died. Her new book is "Blue Nights."
'How to Live' in 2012 January 4, 2012 |
We're not making Art Beat into a "how to" or life advice blog. But I began the new year reading a delightful book: "How to Live, or A Life of Montaigne" by Sarah Blakewell -- part intellectual history, part biography and, yes, part philosophy of how one might live a better, fuller, richer life.
Conversation: The Year in Film December 23, 2011 |
As 2011 draws to an end, Jeffrey Brown talks to the New York Times' A.O. Scott about the year in movies.
Conversation: The Year in Music December 22, 2011 |
As 2011 draws to a close, we take a look at the the year in pop music and the big changes in the industry, including new cloud services like Spotify. Jeffrey Brown talks with Los Angeles Times critic Randall Roberts.
Conversation: The Year in Fiction December 21, 2011 |
What was 2011 like for fiction? And what was it like for books themselves? I recently talked with Washington Post book critic Ron Charles about the novels and authors who stood out from the others and about the business of publishing in a big year for e-readers like the Kindle.
A Warlord's Quest for Forgiveness Explored in 'The Redemption of General Butt Naked' December 19, 2011 |
A new documentary follows Joshua Milton Blahyi, aka General Butt Naked, an African warlord who renounced his violent past to become a Christian evangelist seeking forgiveness from his victims. Filmmakers Eric Strauss and Daniele Anastasion talk to NewsHour about making the film.
Conversation: Michael Ondaatje December 16, 2011 |
The fictional voyage in Michael Ondaatje's new novel, "The Cat's Table," is like one that he took long ago before becoming the much honored writer of such works as "The English Patient" and "Anil's Ghost" and "Divisadero." Jeffrey Brown talks with Ondaatje.
Friday on the NewsHour: Rita Dove December 16, 2011 |
An extended interview and reading with poet Rita Dove.
Conversation: Why Do Americans Protest Art? December 9, 2011 |
Art can soothe, it can inspire, but it also at times stirs heated passions and outright protest. Why does that happen and why in some cases but not others? That's the subject of the new book, "Not Here, Not Now, Not That!"
Conversation: Andrew Graham-Dixon, Author of 'Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane' December 2, 2011 |
Michelangelo Caravaggio was one of the great painters in the history of Western art. He also remains one of the most mysterious and elusive of artistic geniuses. A new biography wrestles with the man, his times and his work. "Caravaggio: A Life Sacred and Profane" is by Andrew Graham-Dixon, an art critic, historian and television host of documentaries on art for the BBC.
Allen Gets 'Masters' Treatment on PBS November 18, 2011 |
A new film not by but about Woody Allen is coming to the PBS series, "American Masters." It's called "Woody Allen: A Documentary." It comes in two parts and airs on Nov. 20 and 21.
Crystal Bridges: a New Home to American Art November 18, 2011 |
The Crystal Bridges Museum opened last week in Bentonville, Ark. The building was designed by Moshe Safdie, and the collection was amassed by Alice Walton of the Wal-Mart fortune.
Tuesday on the NewsHour: 'Midnight Rising' November 15, 2011 |
Tony Horwitz reads from his book, "Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid that Sparked the Civil War."
Conversation: Stephen Mitchell, Author of the New Translation of Homer's 'The Iliad' November 11, 2011 |
Stephen Mitchell is a poet and one of the preeminent translators and interpreters of ancient and modern classics. His works include "Gilgamesh," "Tao Te Ching," "The Book of Job," "The Gospel According to Jesus" and "The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke."
Conversation: Julian Barnes, Winner of the 2011 Man Booker Prize November 8, 2011 |
The Man Booker Prizeis given annually to a novel by an author in Britain, Ireland or one of the Commonwealth nations. It is highly prestigious, as well as often highly contentious and controversial. This year was no exception. This year's prize went to one of Britain's leading writers, winning for his first time, Julian Barnes.
Around the World in '100 Objects' November 7, 2011 |
In this extended conversation, Jeffrey Brown talks to Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum and author of "A History of the World in 100 Objects," about the 16th century double-headed, serpent turquoise mosaic and what it's like to run a museum.
Omar Offendum, Hip-Hop and the Arab Spring November 4, 2011 |
Born in Saudi Arabia to Syrian parents and raised in America, hip-hop artist Omar Offendum uses his lyrical talents to bridge his Middle Eastern roots to his Western upbringing.
Conversation: Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to Grant $50 Million to Artists November 1, 2011 |
Last month, the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation announced a major new program to assist artists. The Doris Duke Performing Artists Initiative will provide $50 million in grants to 200 artists in jazz, theater and contemporary dance -- the largest allocation of cash grants ever given to individuals in these fields.
San Francisco Symphony Celebrates 100 Years October 28, 2011 |
The San Francisco Symphony turned 100 this year. With a busy touring schedule and listeners around the world, the symphony has won some of the most prestigious awards in music.
Gibson Guitars Under Investigation October 27, 2011 |
An unlikely culprit has stirred up controversy in the music community: The Lacey Act, legislation aimed to curb illegal logging. Based on suspicions that the Gibson Guitar Corporation violated the act by importing illegal wood, federal agents raided the company's facilities in Tennessee in August, raising concern among musicians that their instruments could be at risk of government confiscation.
'Margin Call': Calm Before the Storm of 2008 Financial Crisis October 21, 2011 |
The 2008 financial collapse is a complex phenomenon to fathom. It's an even harder phenomenon to recreate in a cinematic narrative. "Margin Call," a film that opens in theaters Friday, takes on that challenge and offers a fictional account of the first 24 hours inside a Wall Street financial firm as it discovers that it's over-run with toxic assets.
Architect Moshe Safdie Uplifts the Skyline and Spirit of Kansas City October 14, 2011 |
Jeffrey Brown speaks to Moshe Safdie, architect of the Kauffman Center in Kansas, about the moral purpose of architecture and the need for a building to reflect the cultural essence of its location.
Al-Bassam Theatre Takes Inspiration From Shakespeare and the Arab Spring October 7, 2011 |
Kuwaiti playwright and theater director Sulayman al-Bassam adapts Shakespearean plays to the modern Arab context to explore issues of religion and society in the contemporary Gulf. Art Beat spoke with al-Bassam on the phone from Brooklyn about the effect of the Arab Spring on his play and on art across the Arab world.
Transtromer, Swedish Poet With 'Tinge of Modernism, Surrealism,' Wins Nobel October 6, 2011 |
The 2011 Nobel Prize for Literature has gone to Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer, the first poet to win the award since 1996. Judges selected Transtromer because, they wrote, "through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality."
Weekly Poem: Remembering Taha Muhammad Ali October 3, 2011 |
Taha Muhammad Ali was born in 1931 in the Galilee village of Saffuriya. After fleeing to Lebanon during the Arab-Israeli war of 1948, Muhammad Ali and his family settled in Nazareth where they have lived since. He and his sons have been operating a souvenir shop there for decades. Muhammad Ali died on Sunday, October 2 in Nazareth.
Conversation: A.E. Stallings, Poet and Translator Inspired by the Classics September 30, 2011 |
The MacArthur Awards were recently announced, and one of the winners this year was the poet and translator A.E. Stallings.
Extended Interview: Russell Banks Discusses 'Lost Memory of Skin' September 28, 2011 |
A squalid encampment under a causeway in an American city is the unusual and charged setting for a new novel, "Lost Memory of Skin," which explores some deep issues of American life rarely raised and rarely seen by most of us.
Conversation: Francisco Nunez, Choral Conductor for Kids September 23, 2011 |
Nunez is the artistic director of the Young People's Chorus of New York City, which he also founded in 1988.
R.E.M. Breaks Up (Everybody Cries) September 22, 2011 |
After 31 years as a band, R.E.M. announced Wednesday that they're calling it quits.
'Last Train Home' Goes on Long Journey With Chinese Migrant Workers September 21, 2011 |
This week on the NewsHour, "Last Train Home," a documentary that looks at the annual migration of millions of factory workers for the Chinese New Year, will be airing as part of our partnership with The Economist Film Project. Jeffrey Brown talks to director Lixin Fan.
Conversation: Tom Piazza, Author of 'Devil Sent the Rain' September 16, 2011 |
Tom Piazza's works of fiction include the novel, "City of Refuge" and those of non-fiction include "Why New Orleans Matters." His new book is a collection of essays on a wide array of topics, titled "Devil Sent the Rain."
Conversation: 'Rebirth' Tells Stories of Healing After Attacks September 9, 2011 |
From 2002 to 2009, director Jim Whitaker and a film crew chronicled the lives of five people who were directly impacted by the attack on the Twin Towers on 9/11 for a new documentary, "Rebirth."
Preview of 'America Remembers 9/11': Reading by Poets Billy Collins, Nancy Mercado September 8, 2011 |
For our "America Remembers 9/11" special program, we invited two poets -- Billy Collins and Nancy Mercado -- to each read a poem to mark the anniversary.
Conversation: Amy Waldman, Author of 'The Submission' September 7, 2011 |
What if a jury selected a design for the new 9/11 memorial and then discovered that its architect was a Muslim? Ten years after the terrorist attack, the actual memorial is just about to open. But an alternative history is imagined in the new novel, "The Submission."
'Engineering Ground Zero' Explores Architectural Challenges of Honoring 9/11 September 7, 2011 |
Jeffrey Brown talks with Paul Goldberger, architecture critic for The New Yorker and Professor at the Parsons New School of Design, about the architecture and construction of the memorial.
The Art of Saif al-Islam Gadhafi September 2, 2011 |
As we speak, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, the son and would-be heir to Moammar Gadhafi, is on the run and still vowing not to surrender to the rebels in Libya. Under very different circumstances in 2002, he staged an exhibition of his art in London.
In 'Salvage the Bones,' Jesmyn Ward Tells Personal Story of Hurricane Katrina August 26, 2011 |
"Salvage the Bones," a new novel by Jesmyn Ward, tells the story of a Mississippi Gulf Coast family in the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall in the U.S. now six years ago this week.
Philip Glass Composes New Arts Festival August 19, 2011 |
The Days and Nights Festival of the Arts, led by composer Philip Glass, begins its inaugural season this weekend.
Monday on the NewsHour: Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh August 15, 2011 |
Actress Cate Blanchett came from the theater, and to the theater she's returned. Now artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company, she and her husband Andrew Upton have brought a new production of 'Uncle Vanya' to Washington.
Conversation: Esmeralda Santiago, Author of 'Conquistadora' August 12, 2011 |
Set in the 1800's, Esmeralda Santiago's epic novel, "Conquistadora," tells two coming-of-age stories: one of its heroine, Ana Cubillas, the daughter of Spanish aristocrats who becomes head of a plantation in the new world, and the other of Puerto Rico itself.
Pulitzer-winning 'Clybourne Park' Returns to Woolly Mammoth With Story of Race August 5, 2011 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Howard Shalwitz, artistic director and co-founder of the Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, about Bruce Norris' Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "Clybourne Park."
Conversation: Norwegian Author Anne Holt on the Lessons of Oslo July 29, 2011 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to crime writer Anne Holt about the situation in Norway in the aftermath of the July 22 attacks by Anders Behring Breivik. Holt is one of Scandinavia's most successful crime writers, but she's also had quite a career before that.
Conversation: Amy Winehouse, 1983-2011 July 25, 2011 |
A conversation with writer Sophie Heawood about the life and career of Amy Winehouse.
Conversation: Imagination in Education July 22, 2011 |
This week, the Lincoln Center Institute in New York is holding what it bills as the "first national conference focused on making imagination an integral part of American education."
Preview: Pianist Leon Fleisher July 14, 2011 |
More of Jeffrey Brown's conversation with conductor and pianist Leon Fleisher.
Historian David McCullough's 'The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris' July 8, 2011 |
More of Jeffrey Brown's conversation with historian David McCullough, author of "The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris."
American Painter Cy Twombly Dies at 83 July 5, 2011 |
Celebrated American painter Cy Twombly, whose paintings featured scribbles, graffiti and unusual materials and who invigorated American post-War art alongside Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg, has died. He was 83.
Monday on the NewsHour: Josh Ritter July 4, 2011 |
Josh Ritter reads from his novel, "Bright's Passage," and performs his song, "Girl in the War."
Conversation: Eleanor Henderson, Author of 'Ten Thousand Saints' July 1, 2011 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to Eleanor Henderson, author of "Ten Thousand Saints," a novel that's garnering strong reviews for its treatment of teens, an underground youth culture and troubled family relationships.
Conversation: What Next for Ai Weiwei? June 30, 2011 |
Internationally known Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was released from prison last week after a three month detention. Jeffrey Brown gets an update on Ai's situation from Alison Klayman, who has been working on a documentary about him, "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry."
Brooke Gladstone's Graphic Commentary of Media's 'Influencing Machine' June 24, 2011 |
Brooke Gladstone is the long time co-host and managing director of WNYC's On The Media. Her new book about media in society is "The Influencing Machine," a comic book illustrated by Josh Neufeld.
Preview: Director Robin Hessman Explores Last Soviet Generation in 'My Perestroika' June 21, 2011 |
This week on the NewsHour, "My Perestroika," a documentary that looks at the last Soviet generation, will be airing as part of our partnership with The Economist Film Project. Jeffrey Brown talks to director Robin Hessman.
Conversation: Summer Movies May 27, 2011 |
Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday joined us by phone to discuss the strong roster of films at this year's Cannes Film Festival, and, as we kick off the season this holiday weekend, what we can expect and look forward to in theaters this summer.
Conversation: Bob Dylan Turns 70 May 24, 2011 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to David Hajdu, author of "Positively 4th Street," about the career and influence of Bob Dylan, who on Tuesday turned 70.
Conversation: McQueen's 'Savage Beauty' May 13, 2011 |
An exhibition of the work of designer Alexander McQueen has just opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City.
30 Years After Bob Marley's Death May 11, 2011 |
Today marks the 30th anniversary of the death of music legend Bob Marley. The Jamaican reggae star died young in 1981, at just 36 from cancer, leaving behind a legacy that reaches across all musical genres, ages and around the world.
Conversation: Karen Russell, Author of 'Swamplandia!' May 6, 2011 |
Karen Russell's novel, "Swamplandia!" centers around the Bigtree family, which runs an amusement park in the Florida everglades. But this isn't a Disney-style park -- alligator wrestling is the major draw.
Conversation: 2011 Tony Award Nominations May 4, 2011 |
Critic Linda Winer of Newsday discusses the 2011 Tony nominations in a year of many strong new productions.
Conversation: More Reflections on Writing from Roger Rosenblatt April 29, 2011 |
We've invited Roger Rosenblatt, author of 'Unless It Moves The Human Heart: The Craft and Art of Writing', back to our newsroom to continue a conversation we began in January.
Conversation: PEN World Voices Festival Director Laszlo Jakab Orsos April 28, 2011 |
Now in New York until May 1, more than 100 writers from around the world have gathered for the annual PEN World Voices Festival of International Literature.
Tonight on PBS, Remaking a Life in the Made-up World of 'Marwencol' April 26, 2011 |
Mark Hogancamp's therapeutic imaginary world is the subject of 'Marwencol', a documentary by Jeff Malmberg that airs on "PBS' Independent Lens":http://www.itvs.org/films/marwencol on Tuesday.
Conversation: Denis Villeneuve, Director of 'Incendies' April 22, 2011 |
Jeffrey Brown talks to filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, director of "Incendies," which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was released in theaters Friday.
Conversation: Howard Jacobson April 15, 2011 |
British novelist Howard Jacobson was the winner of the 2010 Man Booker Prize for "The Finkler Question." Jacobson's touring now with a novel called "The Might Walzer," which is being published for the first time in the United States.
Conversation: Mike Daisey's 'The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs' April 14, 2011 |
Obsession, lust, a bit of espionage, a lot of laughs, and some serious questions of ethics and working conditions are all questions raised by one man, sitting at a table for an hour-and-a-half monologue titled, "The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs."
Conversation: Creed Taylor Looks Back at Influential Jazz Label, Impulse! Records April 13, 2011 |
A new CD collection, "First Impulse: The Creed Taylor Collection," celebrates the 50th anniversary of the founding of Impulse! Records, the influential and important jazz label. Jeffrey Brown talks to Creed Taylor, the great music producer and founder of Impulse.
Conversation: Marina Abramovic April 8, 2011 |
Marina Abramovic is a pioneer of performance art, capped off most recently by her retrospective last year at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, 'The Artist Is Present,' which drew widespread acclaim.
Iowa Writers' Workshop Turns 75 April 7, 2011 |
More of Jeffrey Brown's report on the Iowa Writers' Workshop, which celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.
Conversation: Tea Obreht, Author
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How Is the Sequester Affecting the Arts?
After 31 Years, Robinson Takes Final Bow
Weekly Poem: 'Not a Verbal Equivalent'
Weekly Poem: 'Child Support Hearing'
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