Feb 24 Comedian, writer, actor Harold Ramis dies at 69 By Victoria Fleischer Harold Ramis, the Chicago actor best known for his roles in “Ghostbusters” and “Stripes,” died of a rare autoimmune disease early Monday morning. Ramis was the head writer and performed for Second City’s television series. He got his big break… Continue reading
Feb 24 Weekly Poem: E. E. Cummings biographer reads his poem 'Cambridge Ladies' By Victoria Fleischer Susan Cheever's new biography of the poet is called "E. E. Cummings: A Life." She has also written biographies about Louisa May Alcott, Bill Wilson and her father John Cheever, in addition to 12 other published fiction and nonfiction books. Continue reading
Feb 21 Susan Cheever writes of life behind E.E. Cummings's famous verse By Victoria Fleischer Cummings was one of the most popular poets of his time. His work is linked to the movements of Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso, Gertrude Stein, and Ezra Pound. The group of modernists from the 1930s and ‘40s covered all artistic… Continue reading
Feb 20 In Oscar-nominated 'The Act of Killing,' mass murderers boastfully reenact their war crimes By Victoria Fleischer The Oscar nominated documentary "The Act of Killing" challenges Anwar Congo, a death squad leader during the mass killings in 1965 Indonesia, to re-enact the horrors of his past. Director Joshua Oppenheimer spoke to the NewsHour's Jeffrey Brown about why… Continue reading
Feb 20 Watch 'The Act of Killing' looks into the mind of war criminals By PBS News Hour Continue watching
Feb 20 Watch Former Indonesian death squad leaders discuss informing the public of the truth in 'The Act of Killing' By PBS News Hour Continue watching
Feb 19 'House of Cards' finds popularity in China By Zachary Treu It can be difficult for even a politically aware U.S. citizen to follow the twists and turns of "House of Cards." But that hasn’t stopped millions of Chinese from tuning in. Continue reading
Feb 18 Watch Breaking stereotypes and sharing stories, women use cameras to take aim at hunger By PBS News Hour Continue watching
Feb 18 Picturing hunger in America By Mary Jo Brooks "Hunger Through My Lens" gives digital cameras to food stamp recipients and asks them to chronicle what it's like to be hungry in America. So far, 15 women --who come from all walks of life-- have participated. Over the months,… Continue reading
Feb 17 Weekly Poem: Suzanne Cleary tried to learn Italian, instead she wrote a poem By Victoria Fleischer Suzanne Cleary loves the sound of Italian. When she picked up a copy of “Italian Made Simple,” she was determined to teach herself the language before a trip to Italy. Instead Clearly came away fascinated by the characters in the… Continue reading