Arts Dec 05 Tariq ‘Black Thought’ Trotter on his impact on hip-hop and new memoir, ‘The Upcycled Self’ The Roots are one of hip-hop’s most important and influential groups and lead lyricist and emcee Tariq Trotter, better known by his stage name Black Thought, has established himself among the leading rappers. The Grammy-winner tells his own story in,…
Arts Nov 30 Simone Leigh’s work explores how Black women have been misrepresented in art and culture Last year, artist Simone Leigh represented the U.S. at what is widely considered the world’s most important exhibition of contemporary art, the Venice Biennale. She was the first Black woman to have that honor. Now, there’s a chance to see…
Arts Nov 28 Kentucky writing program amplifies unheard voices through the power of publishing Ordinary people with extraordinary stories. That’s the ethos behind the Louisville Story Program which is celebrating ten years of amplifying unheard voices and untold stories. Jeffrey Brown went to Kentucky to see the power of writing one’s own story. It’s…
Arts Nov 22 A look inside the National Museum of Women in the Arts after its major renovation In leading museums these days, women artists are gaining more prominence. But studies of acquisitions and overall exhibitions show just how much the gender gap remains. The National Museum of Women in the Arts is solely dedicated to the creativity…
Arts Nov 16 Elle and Keegan-Michael Key chronicle ‘The History of Sketch Comedy’ in new book Keegan-Michael Key is a modern master of sketch comedy, starring in hits shows “Mad TV,” “Key and Peele” and “Schmigadoon!” Now, he and his wife, film and TV producer Elle Key, have taken a long look into the history of…
Arts Nov 08 Opera Philadelphia pushes forward amid financial uncertainty In the wake of the pandemic and other changes, arts organizations are struggling. Opera, one of the most expensive of all art forms, is especially feeling the pinch and looking for new ways to move forward in its music, business…
Arts Oct 31 Author Viet Thanh Nguyen’s new memoir reflects on family’s experience of war and exile The Vietnamese-born, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen has long written on themes of war, refugees and exile. He covers those directly and personally in a new memoir about his own family’s experience, "A Man of Two Faces." Jeffrey Brown…
Arts Oct 27 How a young conductor in Kentucky is using music to serve his community At a time when many classical music and other traditional arts organizations are facing major challenges, a young conductor in Louisville, Kentucky, is expanding the playbook. He's combining music-making with public service and orchestrating community in every corner of the…
Nation Oct 23 Israel-Hamas war leads to heated debate and protests on college campuses The attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians two weeks ago and the subsequent bombardment of Gaza by Israel has roiled college and university campuses across the country. Jeffrey Brown reports on how protests, backlashes and debates around free speech are…
Arts Oct 18 Filmmaker Werner Herzog writes about his prolific and varied career in new memoir Long recognized as one of the world’s leading independent filmmakers, Werner Herzog is also an actor, opera director and writer. And after filming stories around the world, he now tells his own story in a new memoir, "Every Man for…