Jun 02 Weekly Poem: Mark Ford evokes memory through poetic form By Victoria Fleischer Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Ford only lived there until the age of 4, but the move from Kenya to England stuck with him. From his memories of that time in his life, the poet crafted a pantoum, "which recreates that… Continue reading
May 30 Watch 7:43 How opera legend Jessye Norman learned to ‘Stand Up Straight and Sing’ By PBS NewsHour Jessye Norman’s voice is known around the globe for its power, range, and beauty. In her new memoir, “Stand Up Straight and Sing!” Norman recalls her journey from growing up in the segregated South to singing on the greatest stages… Continue watching
May 30 Photographer goes to great heights for call to arms on sprawl By Victoria Fleischer Christopher Gielen is not an architect and he can't speak to the future of land development, but he hopes his photographs will serve as a tool for those who can make a difference. Continue reading
May 30 Arts education helps build ‘whole people,’ says singer Jessye Norman By Frank Carlson Award-winning singer Jessye Norman has a big problem with declining arts programs in America’s schools. “It is a big issue and it makes me completely crazy,” Norman told correspondent Jeffrey Brown, when they sat down to discuss her new memoir,… Continue reading
May 29 How an unlikely group changed the face of the FBI, retold in ‘The Burglary’ By Victoria Fleischer “There was a sense in the anti-war movement that it was being infiltrated by spies, by informers, but there was no evidence,” said Betty Medsger, author of "The Burglary." In 1971, a small group of unlikely individuals -- including a… Continue reading
May 28 Watch Remembering Maya Angelou’s iconic voice By PBS News Hour Drawing on a childhood of abuse and segregation, writer and author Maya Angelou moved the nation. Works such as her 1978 poem, “And Still I Rise,” explored the effects of racism and sexism on personal identity, with a voice that… Continue watching
May 28 Watch From rough beginnings, respected writer and activist Maya Angelou made a remarkable journey By PBS News Hour Maya Angelou, one of the most respected cultural figures of her generation, has died at the age of 86. Her debut memoir, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” made her one of the first bestselling African-American female authors. Jeffrey… Continue watching
May 28 Maya Angelou, renaissance woman, dies at 86 By Ellen Rolfes Renaissance woman and civil rights activist Maya Angelou has died at the age of 86. Continue reading
May 26 Weekly Poem: Dan Chiasson and his poetry time machine By Victoria Fleischer Poet Dan Chiasson started working on his book “Bicentennial” after the death of his father, who left when Chiasson was 7 months old. While the two never really knew each other, that event prompted Chiasson to revisit his childhood in… Continue reading
May 25 Watch Soldier documents experience in Afghanistan in tintype photographs By PBS News Hour Continue watching