Dec 16 Watch 5:27 A poetry publisher on the math of rejection By PBS News Hour Every year, Jeff Shotts, executive editor of Graywolf Press, sorts through thousands of poetry submissions -- and rejects about 99 percent of them. It’s not a success rate poets like to hear, he says, but it’s the reality in the… Continue watching
Dec 16 6 books that got a Trump bump this year By Hillel Italie, Associated Press NEW YORK — Books by such familiar names as J.K. Rowling, Jeff Kinney and Bill O'Reilly were among the top sellers of 2016. But the most unexpected presidential election in memory also led to some unexpected successes. Donald Trump's rise… Continue reading
Dec 14 Column: A once-secret story of humanity in the face of war comes to life on stage By Spencer Michels Singing, prancing and chasing an errant cat is an odd way to remember an American tragedy that happened just prior to the D-Day invasion of Normandy in 1944. But somehow the imported play “946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips”… Continue reading
Dec 13 Watch 6:21 One painter on why understanding art is as simple as looking By PBS News Hour What do we see when we look at art? Many of us aren't sure what we're supposed to absorb. For artist David Salle, reading a painting should be natural, not intimidating. He believes that museum-goers should enjoy the act of… Continue watching
Dec 13 Helping veterans turn their 'intense overload of experiences' into theater By MN Original - Twin Cities PBS The Telling Project uses the stories of veterans and their family members to deepen people's understanding of military life by creating a theatrical production based on those real experiences. The national performing arts organization is based in Austin, Texas, but… Continue reading
Dec 13 In joy and discrimination, poet explores duality of growing up black By Mary Jo Brooks Clinton Smith's debut collection of poetry, "Counting Descent", examines what it means to grow up Black in America. Smith recounts moments from childhood when Black lives were celebrated and juxtaposes them with incidents that have become all too common in… Continue reading
Dec 12 Watch 7:18 Nashville's storied music spaces threatened with silence By PBS News Hour Downtown Nashville has been a backbone of the nation’s music industry for more than six decades, giving the nation stars such as Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. But the increasing demand for new apartments and office buildings is threatening its… Continue watching
Dec 11 Watch 4:31 'Not That Jewish' is a comic roadmap to Jewish-American life By Christopher Booker, Melanie Saltzman Monica Piper has worked in nearly every corner of comedy, including stand-up and television. Now, she’s lent her comedic pen to “Not That Jewish,” a one-woman Off-Broadway show, starring Piper as herself. It chronicles the origins of her life in… Continue watching
Dec 07 Watch 6:13 Exhibit illuminates the divine art of the Quran By PBS News Hour A major exhibition on the art of the Quran is being billed as the first of its kind in the U.S. Sixty-eight of the most important and exquisite Qurans ever produced are on view now at the Smithsonian’s Sackler Gallery… Continue watching
Dec 06 Watch 6:37 The 'white heat' and vulnerability of improvisational jazz By PBS News Hour What is improvisational jazz all about? Saxophonist Joshua Redman and pianist Brad Mehldau agree that the answer is vulnerability. Their musical genre requires players to follow one another’s lead -- often letting another performer dictate the musical conversation. Jeffrey Brown… Continue watching