Arts Dec 20 In Broadway's 'The Band's Visit,' mistranslation leads to musical connection When the members of an Egyptian band arrive in an Israeli city for a performance, it's clear something is wrong -- they've gotten the name wrong and ended up in a sleepy desert town. That's the premise of a new…
World Dec 12 South Africa at a crossroads, new chronicle of Mandela's presidency looks back for guidance While Nelson Mandela remains a larger-than-life symbol of historic change, there's a national debate going on in South Africa over the nation's progress since its turn to democracy. Mandla Langa, a writer and former activist, hopes that Mandela's words and…
Nation Nov 28 Prison-produced podcast 'Ear Hustle' lets you listen to real stories of incarcerated life Prisoners inside one of California’s prisons are getting the opportunity to be heard -- behind bars and beyond. “Ear Hustle” is a podcast that offers listeners a rare look at inmate experiences, from race relations to sharing a tiny cell.
Arts Nov 27 New contemporary art museum shows off complex identities of Africa Africa’s first contemporary art museum just opened its doors in Cape Town, South Africa, featuring art from across the continent and the African diaspora. The grand new space has a grand ambition: to tell the stories of a diverse continent…
Arts Nov 21 In John Adams' new Gold Rush opera, cultures clash with a tragic ending For contemporary composer John Adams, it was three notes that launched his latest opera: the sound of a pick axe “chipping away at stone.” Premiering at the San Francisco Opera, "Girls of the Golden West," a collaboration with director Peter…
Arts Nov 15 Tig Notaro laughs through her darkest moments Tig Notaro has found a way to make life’s trials and uncomfortable moments funny. After surviving a potentially deadly infection, breast cancer and her mother’s death, Notaro is now healthy and enjoying a prolific television and comedy career. The comedian…
Arts Nov 14 How Amy Tan's family stories made her a storyteller Amy Tan was going to write a book about writing. But what came to her mind instead were memories of childhood, reflections on family treasures, photos, documents. In “Where The Past Begins: A Writer’s Memoir,” Tan explores revelations about her…
Politics Apr 18 Inside Neil Gorsuch's first day at the Supreme Court The new justice had clearly done his homework.
Arts Dec 19 31 books you should add to your holiday reading list Hello viewers and book lovers -- you know who you are -- and welcome to our holiday book picks. We asked members of our staff to recommend books that moved them this past year, newly published works but also oldies…
Arts Aug 09 How a 'custody war' broke out over a famous patient's damaged brain In the new book "Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets," Luke Dittrich tells the story of the man known to science for decades under that moniker. But Dittrich does something more, because the man who performed…