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.
Nation Oct 26 For Hilary Swank, a 'vulnerable' role as the daughter of an Alzheimer's patient The new film “What They Had” explores the painful journey of a family coping with an Alzheimer’s diagnosis. Its accomplished cast includes Blythe Danner as an ailing mother and Hilary Swank as the daughter who comes home to care for…
Arts Oct 24 Octavio Solis on growing up a 'skinny brown kid' on the U.S.-Mexico border As politicians spar over immigration, playwright Octavio Solis recounts his childhood as a “skinny brown kid” in El Paso in his memoir “Retablos”. Solis says that though he was in the U.S. legally, Border Patrol would ask him to recite…