May 08 Watch 5:28 Novelist Paul Beatty pokes fun at how we talk about race in America By PBS News Hour Paul Beatty’s new book “The Sellout” offers a satirical skewering of racial politics in America. Jeffrey Brown speaks with the author about not being afraid to say taboo things and the ways the U.S. is still segregated. Continue watching
May 08 'Just me and Allah': Photographer seeks to capture diversity of Islam By Elisabeth Ponsot Photographer and editor Samra Habib's work is chronicled on the Tumblr, "Just me and Allah" and is being showcased at an exhibit this weekend at the Brooklyn Community Pride Center in New York City. Continue reading
May 08 Big Bird puppeteer tugs at heartstrings with poignant memories in Reddit AMA By Joshua Barajas Caroll Spinney, the puppeteer behind Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on “Sesame Street,” did a Reddit AMA session Friday, where he fielded questions about his decades-long career with the PBS children’s television show. Continue reading
May 07 Watch 6:13 Destruction of Nepal's temples puts spiritual culture at risk By PBS News Hour Since a massive earthquake struck last month, Nepal has been overwhelmed by the unfolding humanitarian crisis, as well as a culture crisis. Home to a rich heritage of art and architecture, the mountainous, remote country has suffered significant damage to… Continue watching
May 05 Watch 6:42 After her husband's sudden death, Elizabeth Alexander writes their love story By PBS News Hour Continue watching
May 05 Child's toy or the voice of nightmares? Listen to the Edison talking doll By Joshua Barajas One of the earliest known milestones in recorded history was nestled into an 18-inch doll. Inventor Thomas Edison embedded small phonographs inside the metal torsos of thousands of dolls that “talked” or played fragments of nursery rhymes, including “Twinkle, Twinkle,… Continue reading
May 05 Here's what a fantasy world full of 'wayward creatures' looks like By Jackie Shafer, WOSU Artist Amanda Louise Spayd has created a whole world populated by endearing doll-sized creatures. Her fabric creations bring to mind cast-off children’s toys and ill-conceived taxidermy experiments with crooked human teeth. Continue reading
May 05 Watch 3:41 Artist creates fantasy world in her 'halfway house for wayward creatures' By PBS News Hour Continue watching
May 05 Spicy curry and spaghetti with '100 onions': Poet shares beloved dishes of her late husband By Mary Jo Brooks From Spicy Red Lentil and Tomato Curry to Spaghetti with 100 Onions (not really!), poet Elizabeth Alexander shares the recipes that her late husband, artist and chef Ficre Ghebreyesus, loved to prepare for his family. Continue reading