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| 2009 NOVEMBER
Nov. 20, 2009
Oprah's New Venture: Can She Still Mobilize Fan Base?
After decades as a popular talk show host, Oprah Winfrey will end her daytime program to concentrate on a new cable channel. Jeffrey Brown examines Winfrey's mark on the media landscape.
   
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| Nov. 20, 2009
Conversation: Frederick Wiseman, Director of 'La Danse'
Director Frederick Wiseman has documented a wide range of people's everyday routines and the goings-on inside institutions. A "big ballet fan," and a sometimes-resident of Paris, Wiseman recently turned his camera to one of France's most important cultural institutions: the Paris Opera Ballet.
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| Nov. 19, 2009
Wu Man's Music Aims to Bridge East and West
Whether playing folk music with villagers in China, or performing scores written just for her by top classical composers, musician Wu Man has emerged as one of the world's foremost musical ambassadors. Jeffrey Brown reports.
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| Nov. 19, 2009
Thursday on the NewsHour: Wu Man
Tonight on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown talks to Wu Man, who at age 45 is one of the world's leading musical ambassadors. She's a master of the pipa -- a four-stringed lute with ancient roots in central Asia and China.
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| Nov. 19, 2009
Jeanne-Claude Was Muse and Collaborator
Jeanne-Claude, the artist who collaborated with her partner Christo on monumental installation projects like "The Gates" in New York and "The Wrapped Reichstag" in Berlin, passed away Wednesday at a hospital in New York from complications of a brain aneurysm. She was 74.
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| Nov. 19, 2009
Conversation: Robert Kimball, Author of 'Complete Lyrics of Johnny Mercer'
On Wednesday, prolific songwriter and singer Johnny Mercer would have turned 100. In his lifetime, he worked with more than 200 collaborators and churned out lyrics for more than 1,500 songs for both Broadway and the silver screen, which were made famous by stars like Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire and Louis Armstrong.
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| Nov. 19, 2009
Artist Jeanne-Claude Has Died at 74
Artist Jeanne-Claude, who with her husband Christo, created public art installations around the world, has died. She was 74. Her family said she died Wednesday night at a New York hospital from complications of a brain aneurysm.
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| Nov. 18, 2009
The Picture of Health: How Arts Advocates Weigh in on the Health Care Debate
There are at least 2.2 million working artists in America, 300,000 of whom don't have health insurance, according to federal statistics. Some are self-employed and can't afford individual plans. Some work for non-profits or part-time jobs that don't offer insurance plans.
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| Nov. 17, 2009
A Photography Debut, 65 Years in the Making
Holding out for the course of a career that spans more than 40 years, photographer Robert Bergman refused to compromise on when and where he would hold his first show.
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| Nov. 17, 2009
Tonight on PBS, 'No Subtitles Necessary'
Airing tonight on Independent Lens is "No Subtitles Necessary," the story of two Hungarian filmmakers who reconfigured the landscape of American film in the 1960s and 70s.
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| Nov. 16, 2009
'Monuments Men' Explores Hunt for Art Stolen by Nazis
Jeffrey Brown talks to author Robert M. Edsel about his new book "The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History."
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| Nov. 16, 2009
Weekly Poem: 'Storm'
Kwame Dawes is director of the South Carolina Poetry Initiative and the University of South Carolina Arts Institute, where he also teaches as distinguished poet in residence.
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| Nov. 13, 2009
Conversation: Writer Barbara Kingsolver
"The Lacuna," a new novel by Barbara Kingsolver is a sweep of history and a mix of the real and the imaginary.
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| Nov. 12, 2009
Herblock's Sketches of History on Exhibition
Herbert Block, better known as "Herblock," drew his first editorial cartoon in 1929, and over the course of the next seven decades sketched the major events of the second half of the 20th century for the Washington Post.
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| Nov. 11, 2009
Conversation: Robert Edsel, Author of 'The Monuments Men'
Robert Edsel's "The Monuments Men" tells the drama that largely took place behind the scenes of the great sweep of destruction, violence and final triumph of the second world war: the systematic looting of art by the Nazis, and the response and rescue effort by the United States and its allies.
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| Nov. 10, 2009
Big Bird Celebrates Big Day with 'Sesame Street' Anniversary
On the 40th anniversary of 'Sesame Street," Jeffrey Brown explores how the classic PBS program has helped shape childhood education in the United States and around the world.
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| Nov. 10, 2009
Conversation: Sesame Street's 'Maria'
Sesame Street celebrates its 40th anniversary Tuesday, and there at nearly the beginning was Sonia Manzano, who was cast as "Maria" in 1971, becoming one of the first Hispanic characters on television.
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| Nov. 10, 2009
Weekly Poems: On Sesame Street's 40th Birthday, Kermit and Cookie Monster
Hit children's television show "Sesame Street" celebrates its 40th anniversary Tuesday. Please enjoy Cookie Monster's hilarious poetry reading below.
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| Nov. 9, 2009
20 Years After the Fall, Nostalgia Builds for East German Design
Nostalgia for the East -- or 'ostalgie,' a portmanteau combining the words ost ('east') and nostalgie ('nostalgia') -- has taken hold in contemporary, unified Germany.
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| Nov. 9, 2009
Preview: 'Ancient Paths, Modern Voices'
Coming soon on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown reports on "Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: A Festival Celebrating Chinese Culture," a festival currently taking place at Carnegie Hall in New York.
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| Nov. 6, 2009
Conversation: Jonathan Lethem
In Jonathan Lethem's new novel, "Chronic City," two friends travel through a Manhattan that is both very recognizable -- from the billionaire mayor to the burgers at a local diner -- while also surreal, looking for truth.
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| Nov. 6, 2009
Around the Nation, Friday Roundup
Here are some of this week's arts and culture headlines from public broadcasters around the nation.
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| Nov. 5, 2009
Winning Faces in Modern Portraits
Every three years, the National Portrait Gallery holds a contest showcasing the best efforts in the country in portraiture. Out of 3,300 entries to the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, an exhibition of the top 49 is now on display.
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| Nov. 4, 2009
Christie's Art Sale Underwhelms Buyers
In the first autumn auction held Tuesday evening at Christie's in New York, total sales fell short of pre-sale estimates -- only $65.6 million instead of $68.6 to $97.1 million -- making for a slow start to the U.S. art market season.
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| Nov. 3, 2009
A Mission to Save a Cultural Legacy, One Deli Sandwich at a Time
Last month, writer and journalist David Sax visited the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue in Washington, D.C., to kibbutz about a favorite, salivating subject: the delicatessen.
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| Nov. 2, 2009
Kindle, Price War Changing the Way We Read
Jeffrey Brown explores the shifting world of book publishing, and examines how technology and readers are changing the industry.
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| Nov. 2, 2009
Weekly Poems: a Double From the 'Mets Poet'
Frank Messina, also known as the "Mets Poet," is the author of four books of poetry, including "Full Count: The Book of Mets Poetry," released in April, and "Disorderly Conduct," published in 2002.
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| OCTOBER
Oct. 30, 2009
Burtynsky's 'Oil': Refining Art from the Crude
Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky's recently opened exhibition at the Corcoran Gallery of Art takes a large-scale look at something most of us never see, but use or benefit from nearly everyday of our lives: oil.
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| Oct. 28, 2009
For Ben Folds, an Orchestral Backing Makes Classic Sense
When rock 'n' roll pianist Ben Folds writes songs, he often does so with an orchestra in mind. Now on tour performing with leading symphonies, Folds is experiencing a homecoming of sorts, reports Jeffrey Brown.
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| Oct. 28, 2009
Extended Interview with Ben Folds
In this extended interview, Jeffrey Brown talks to musician Ben Folds at a concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
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| Oct. 27, 2009
Beloved Sculptor Anne Truitt Gets Her Due
Anne Truitt was many things -- a sculptor, author, professor and mother -- and above all, it seems, she was beloved by her student and friends for her spirit, integrity and seriousness of purpose.
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| Oct. 26, 2009
Writer Michael Chabon Explores Regrets, Pleasures
Pulitzer-prize winning author Michael Chabon sits down with Jeffrey Brown to talk about his new book, "Manhood for Amateurs."
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| Oct. 26, 2009
Michael Chabon Reads from 'Manhood for Amateurs'
Pulitzer Prize-winning author writer Michael Chabon reads from "Manhood for Amateurs," a collection of essays.
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| Oct. 26, 2009
Weekly Poem: 'The Golden Window'
Jim Harrison has published more than 30 collections of poetry and prose. "In Search of Small Gods" is his twelfth book of poems.
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| Oct. 23, 2009
Conversation: 'A New Way Forward' Through Cultural Exchange
From "American Idol" to "Afghan Star," art and entertainment can be powerful tools for cultural exchange. That's the argument in the recent report, "A New Way Forward," which calls for the utilization of the arts to build a better relationship with the Muslim world.
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| Oct. 22, 2009
Poet Sherman Alexie Talks 'Faces' and 'War Dances'
Author Sherman Alexie talks about his new book of poetry called "Faces" and his new short story collection, "War Dances."
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| Oct. 22, 2009
Poet Laureate Kay Ryan Pushes Verse for Community Colleges
Kay Ryan came into office as an "unlikely" poet laureate, she has said, living a quiet life in California, working away on her refined, compact verse. Now in her second term as the 16th U.S. poet laureate, she has decided on a project to share with the nation.
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| Oct. 20, 2009
'Austin City Limits' Style Still Evolving After 35 Years
Jeffrey Brown reports on the 35th anniversary of "Austin City Limits," the longest-running music series in television history.
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| Oct. 20, 2009
Extended Interviews, Performances from Austin City Limits
Extended interviews and performances from Jeffrey Brown's report on Austin City Limits as the PBS music program celebrates its 35th anniversary year, featuring Ben Harper and the Relentless7, Pearl Jam, the Dave Matthews Band and Johnny Cash from his legendary 1987 show.
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| Oct. 20, 2009
Conversation: Deborah Eisenberg, Short Story Writer and MacArthur Grant Winner
A recipient of a 2009 MacArthur genius grant, Deborah Eisenberg has been publishing spare and elegant short fiction to national acclaim since the '80s, winning the Rea Award for the Short Story in 2000, a Guggenheim fellowship and three O. Henry Awards.
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| Oct. 19, 2009
Weekly Poem: 'Ode to Mix Tapes'
Sherman Alexie is a Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Indian born on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Wellpinit, Wash. He is the author of several novels and collections of short fiction and poetry, including "Face" and "War Dances," published this year.
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| Oct. 16, 2009
Conversation: Nick Hornby
"Juliet, Naked," a new novel by Nick Hornby, explores middle-age relationships, online communities, and the nature of being a fan of popular music.
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| Oct. 16, 2009
In Theaters Is 'Where The Wild Things Are'
Opening in theaters nationwide today is the film adaptation of Maurice Sendaks' beloved children's book, "Where The Wild Things Are." Directed by Spike Jonze, the film has been years in the making and the reviews have been generally positive.
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| Oct. 15, 2009
White House Fiesta Celebrates Latin Music
A sampling of Latin music performed at the White House this week at a cultural event hosted by the president and first lady.
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| Oct. 15, 2009
Conversation: Joan Baez
Last night on PBS's American Masters, viewers got an intimate portrait of one of America's most famous singers. Joan Baez began performing with her guitar in coffee shops at just 17, but went on to help define the sound and social momentum of the 1960s with her politically-charged folk songs.
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| Oct. 15, 2009
Andrew W.K. Rocks a Classical Sound
Andrew W.K., a solo rock act known best for his bombastic 2001 debut album, "I Get Wet," has earned a reputation as a party-friendly, long-haired headbanger who combines earnest optimism with exuberant piano playing plus some distorted guitar and frequent, frenetic dancing.
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| Oct. 15, 2009
Solar Energy as Competitive Sport
Green technology can take many forms, be it in eco-friendly light bulbs, hybrid cars, or wind turbines. It can even take the form of homework, as in the case of students competing in the Department of Energy's "Solar Decathlon."
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| Oct. 14, 2009
Gustavo Santaolalla, Making Music For Both Stage and Screen
The first thing Argentine musician Gustavo Santaolalla wants people to know about him is that he is an artist: one who works with a guitar rather than an easel. The 57-year-old has spent the last four decades recording, producing and composing music for his various labels, bands and movies.
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| Oct. 13, 2009
Health Care Bill Clears Senate Panel with One G.O.P. Vote
President Obama's top domestic initiative, health care reform, inched closer to final votes in Congress on Tuesday after clearing a key hurdle in the Senate Finance Committee. Betty Ann Bowser reports.
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| Oct. 13, 2009
'Herb & Dorothy,' a Love Story About Art, Opens New Season of Independent Lens
The story of a postal worker and his librarian wife, who with modest means created one of the most priceless collections of contemporary art in the world, is the subject of Tuesday's season premier of Independent Lens on PBS.
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