Education Nov 27 How schools are forced to close as rural populations dwindle Across the country, rural schools are being forced to shut down as more families move to urban areas and funding sources dry up. In Arena, Wisconsin, six-year-old Brady Schlamp must now travel 10 miles to school. His former school, right…
Arts Nov 26 Remembering the career of filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci On Monday, Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci died at his home in Rome. The director earned both praise and condemnation for movies, such as “Last Tango in Paris,” that included graphic content and tackled sensitive topics. Jeffrey Brown takes a look…
Arts Nov 23 In ‘Green Book,’ a black pianist and his white driver forge a bond amidst Jim Crow "Green Book," a new film based on the true story of black concert pianist Don Shirley, explores what happens when he hires a white bouncer to drive him through the dangerous Deep South in the Jim Crow era. Director Peter…
Nation Nov 20 This conductor wants you to reject an ‘elitist’ view of the symphony Gustavo Dudamel is one of the world's most celebrated classical musicians, as well as conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Striving to make music more accessible, he is working with Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA), a program that offers free,…
Arts Nov 16 Why ‘Widows’ isn’t just another heist movie The new fall film “Widows” looks like a heist movie, featuring plenty of star power, thrilling plot twists and explosions, as the widows of four armed robbers band together to finish the job their late husbands’ began. But director Steve…
Arts Nov 13 Why a library fire feels like an ‘attack on humanity’ In April 1986, fire raged through the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles, damaging or destroying more than a million books. Journalist and author Susan Orlean resurrects this nearly forgotten story in “The Library Book,” which also explores the emotional…
Nation Nov 12 New film ‘Boy Erased’ explores the ‘self-hatred’ dealt by gay conversion programs “Boy Erased,” a new film based on a memoir by Garrard Conley, tells the story of a young man who is forced by his parents to attend a gay conversion therapy program. Jeffrey Brown speaks to Conley about how his…
Nation Nov 05 In ‘These Truths,’ historian Jill Lepore weaves in underappreciated political stories A new, single volume of history sets out to explore the experiment in government that is the United States. Jeffrey Brown sits down with award-winning Harvard historian Jill Lepore, author of “These Truths: A History of the United States,” to…
Nation Nov 02 This festival aims to bridge the urban-rural political divide ‘in a time of rot’ A food and arts festival in central Wisconsin has grand ambitions. “Fermentation Fest” celebrates art, farming and all things fermented. But in addition to serving up sauerkraut and kombucha, festival organizers from The Wormfarm Institute also hope it provides…
Arts Oct 31 ‘American Wolf’ author Nate Blakeslee answers your questions Nate Blakeslee, author of our October pick for the NewsHour-New York Times book club Now Read This, joins Jeffrey Brown to answer questions from readers, plus Jeff announces November’s book.