Arts Apr 26 The modern relevance of the ‘Les Miserables’ hero story PBS "Masterpiece" has a new spin on an old story, with a six-hour serial version of “Les Miserables.” Unlike recent Broadway and film presentations, this one is not a musical, and its length offers the audience more time to connect…
Science Apr 25 Why humans may have more in common with chimps than we thought What can humans learn about ourselves from studying chimpanzees? Primatologist Frans de Waal has spent almost three decades studying the behavior and intelligence of chimpanzees. Now, he’s focused on their emotional lives--and he’s found primates and people aren’t so different…
Arts Apr 22 A photography exhibit of melting ice — and shifting consciousness The melting of polar ice masses is a prominent topic in the news lately, but it’s difficult to imagine what the process would look like. In Austin, Texas, a recent photography exhibit aimed to make the concept of climate change…
Arts Apr 16 How landscape designer Piet Oudolf captures nature’s ‘emotion’ As spring takes hold, sparking thoughts of budding plants and new life, we explore how one of the world’s preeminent landscape designers approaches creating a garden. Piet Oudolf is perhaps best known for his work on New York City’s High…
Arts Apr 12 Inside country legend Loretta Lynn’s ‘first birthday party’ (at age 87) Loretta Lynn's six decades of boundary-breaking country music and a 1980 film adaptation of her life, "Coal Miner's Daughter," took her from Kentucky poverty to American legend. But in all those years, she says she never had a birthday party...
Arts Apr 08 Biographer Robert Caro on why it’s taking decades to fully capture LBJ Robert Caro is one of the nation’s preeminent biographers, known for meticulous research and taking his time with a subject. Indeed, he began his massive series "The Years of Lyndon Johnson" in 1977, but its final volume won't be published…
Arts Mar 29 Singer-songwriter Patty Griffin on doing something ‘magical’ with her life Singer-songwriter Patty Griffin has developed a faithful following as well as critical acclaim for her folk and Americana music. But after being diagnosed with breast cancer, she formed a new perspective on telling her personal stories through song. Jeffrey Brown…
Arts Mar 28 ‘The Power’ author Naomi Alderman answers your questions Naomi Alderman, author of our March pick for the PBS NewsHour-New York Times book club, Now Read This, joins Jeffrey Brown to answer reader questions about “The Power.” Plus, Jeff announces the April book selection.
Arts Mar 21 A culinary tradition for the Persian new year Nowruz, the Persian holiday celebrating the new year, is observed in Iran and parts of Western and Central Asia. It marks the first day of the vernal equinox. Najmieh Batmanglij, author of eight cookbooks on Iranian cuisine that are widely…
Arts Mar 18 Shunned by country radio, female artists in Nashville are looking to break through The proportion of female voices on country radio has been dropping in recent years, amid “long-held beliefs” that male singers drive larger audiences and greater ad revenue. But not everyone in Nashville buys into that theory. Jeffrey Brown reports on…