Arts Sep 15 Rita Dove’s ‘Playlist for the Apocalypse’ is her plea for unity, collective well-being Jeffrey Brown has the story of prominent poet Rita Dove confronting private pains and public strains; home and history. This report on her book, “Playlist for the Apocalypse,” is part of our arts and culture series, CANVAS.
Nation Sep 10 Smithsonian Institution pieces together 9/11 history through personal, poignant relics With memories of Sept. 11, 2001 fading for some, and images of that day unknown to a younger generation, the Smithsonian Institution is working at piecing together history object by object. William Brangham takes a behind-the-scenes look as part of…
Arts Aug 27 In ‘Flag Day,’ Sean and Dylan Penn aim to break cinema’s ‘three thought rule’ Jeffrey Brown talks to Sean Penn and his daughter, Dylan, about their real-life family ties, and those on-screen in their new film "Flag Day." They also discuss Sean Penn's relief work as he's on the ground in Haiti this week.
Arts Aug 23 How America’s writers are joining forces in hopes to bridge divides A group of prominent writers has come together in an innovative way during the pandemic to reckon with these divisive times. Its mission statement says, "The nation is injured. We hope to contribute to its healing." Jeffrey Brown has a…
Arts Aug 13 This author traveled across the country to ask: What does it mean to be Latino? What does it mean to be Latino? Author Hector Tobar took a 9,000-mile road trip across the country last winter exploring exactly that. In an essay for Harper’s and a forthcoming book, “A Migrant’s Light,” he captures the history and…
Arts Jul 30 Marcia Chatelain examines McDonald’s’ mixed impact on Black America Fast food is a staple of American culture, but in recent decades there has been a new focus on health and wage inequality. Jeffrey Brown talks to author Marcia Chatelain about the complicated history of McDonalds in the Black community:…
Arts Jul 23 How Latinos changed baseball in America As ballparks fill up around the country due to an easing of pandemic restrictions, Jeffrey Brown looks at a new exhibit on the long history of Latinos playing baseball and how they changed the sport fundamentally in the U.S. It’s…
Arts Jul 15 How artist Firelei Báez transforms spaces to build connections Dominican-American Artist Firelei Báez’s new installation in Boston is an enormous, transformed space meant to connect her native Caribbean culture with the port-side city. Using everyday materials she reconstructed a ruined Haitian palace and introduces visitors to symbols to bridge…
Arts Jul 06 Bernd Heinrich on his ‘unusual’ life as a runner and biologist in Maine A new book out Tuesday, "Racing the Clock: Running Across a Lifetime," explores a life of scientific research and discovery in nature, and some extraordinary feats of the human body. And the author himself, Bernd Heinrich, is the subject of…
Arts Jun 18 In ‘On Juneteenth,’ author Annette Gordon-Reed explores how Texas’ history shaped her life On this first federal Juneteenth holiday, Author and Historian Annette Gordon-Reed talks to Jeffrey Brown about the importance of this date through her personal history growing up in Texas. This reporting is part of NewsHour's arts and culture series, CANVAS.