Aug 25 Watch 3:14 The problem with only liking things we find relatable By PBS News Hour The social media culture of “likes” is contributing to our conformity, says novelist and creative writing teacher Charmaine Craig. Instead of trying to empathize with the unfamiliar, we “like” and find refuge only in the things that seem most relatable. Continue watching
Aug 24 Watch 3:28 It’s time to really get uncomfortable and talk about racism, says this filmmaker By PBS News Hour As filmmaker Damon Davis tells it, being black in America comes with anxiety. To survive, he says, you’re constantly walking on eggshells because the way you talk and the clothes on your back can be used as a weapon against… Continue watching
Aug 23 Watch 6:37 How old-timey ‘skiffle’ music liberated British rock By PBS News Hour Singer/songwriter Billy Bragg gained fame as a punk rock and folk musician in the 1980s. Now nearing 60, he’s still singing songs of protest and passion, but also singing the gospel of skiffle, a folk and blues-inspired genre that helped… Continue watching
Aug 22 This poet is making sure women of the Bauhaus movement get their due By Elizabeth Flock The Bauhaus German art school of the early to mid-20th century is today associated with several things: its stark white modernist buildings, its emphasis on re-combining arts and craft, and the male artists and architects who taught there, including Paul… Continue reading
Aug 21 Watch 6:25 ‘Mrs. Fletcher’ becomes an object of desire in Tom Perrotta’s new novel By PBS News Hour Suburbia, sex and a touch of the supernatural are familiar themes for novelist Tom Perrotta, author of “Election,” “The Leftovers” and “Little Children.” In his new book “Mrs. Fletcher,” Perrotta offers a story about an empty-nester who adopts a new… Continue watching
Aug 19 This projection artist is using the Trump International Hotel to protest the president By Lora Strum “The President of the United States is a Known Racist and Nazi Sympathizer,” read an artist's projection on the side of the Trump International Hotel. Continue reading
Aug 18 Watch 3:25 Math is amazing and we have to start treating it that way By PBS News Hour Numbers and algorithms aren’t just useful to mathematician Eugenia Cheng -- they’re exhilarating. That’s why she’s on a mission to help transform math’s notoriously boring reputation in education into one of thrilling wonder and creativity. Cheng gives her humble opinion… Continue watching
Aug 18 Watch 8:14 Movies are more than screen deep. Here’s how to watch like a critic By PBS News Hour A movie teaches us how to watch it in the first few minutes, says Ann Hornaday, film critic for The Washington Post. Jeffrey Brown sits down with Hornaday, author of “Talking Pictures,” to discuss how she hears what movies and… Continue watching
Aug 18 Spotify has removed white power music from its platform. But it’s still available on dozens of other sites By Elizabeth Flock Music that promotes white nationalism is still easily available for free on YouTube and SoundCloud and for sale from independent music labels and distribution services. Continue reading
Aug 18 The 4 coming-of-age memoirs you need to read By Elizabeth Flock Author Tom Perrotta, who wrote "Election," "Little Children" and "The Leftovers," shares his favorite real-life stories about growing up. Continue reading