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Nov. 11, 2013
Eleanor Catton, 28, called her novel a "publisher's nightmare" for its length and complexity, but the fun she had writing it has paid off. "The Luminaries" won Catton the Man Booker Prize, making her that award's youngest winner ever. Jeffrey Brown talks to the writer about her "astrological dance" of a murder mystery.
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Nov. 11, 2013
Eleanor Catton started writing "The Luminaries" when she was 25. At 28, she is now the youngest author to ever win the Man Booker Prize. The novel follows Walter Moody during the New Zealand gold rush. On a recent visit to the NewsHour, Catton read an excerpt from her prize-winning book.
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Nov. 8, 2013
George Pelecanos is the author of 18 novels and the writer behind HBO's "The Wire" and "Treme." His new book "The Double" follows private eye Spero Lucas as he investigates cases while denying the trauma he experienced deployed in Iraq. Pelecanos spoke to chief arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown on a recent visit to the studio.
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Nov. 7, 2013
After 9/11 writer Richard Rodriguez was puzzled by how intimate relationships with God can also be dangerous. This exploration of spirituality inspired him to pen "Darling: A Spiritual Autobiography." Jeffrey Brown speaks with Rodriguez on his challenge to readers to consider what belief is in a world afire with religion.
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Nov. 7, 2013
Richard Rodriguez used to contribute video essays to PBS NewsHour and now he has just published a new collection of written essays titled "Darling: A Spiritual Biography," his meditations on religion and sexuality in the wake of 9/11. He spoke to chief arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown about what it means to be an essayist."
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Oct. 31, 2013
Abraham Lincoln is usually remembered for his work on the Emancipation Proclamation, not for his contributions to U.S. foreign policy. Hari Sreenivasan talks to Kevin Peraino, author of "Lincoln in the World: The Making of a Statesman and the Dawn of American Power" about another side of Lincoln's presidency so often overlooked.
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Oct. 30, 2013
Roger Rosenblatt thinks he perhaps pursued a life of words to express understanding of his own life experiences. In "The Boy Detective: A New York Childhood," he draws on recollections of growing up in Gramercy Park in order to craft his memoir. Judy Woodruff sits down with Rosenblatt to discuss the use of memory in his writing.
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Oct. 29, 2013
"I knew that poets seemed to be miserable," says writer Billy Collins about his younger self, yearning to fit in. While he admits he "faked a miserable character" at the start of his career, he's since embraced his sense of humor. Jeffrey Brown talks to Collins about his new collection, "Aimless Love: New and Selected Poems."
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Oct. 28, 2013
Peter Baker, chief White House correspondent for The New York Times, says Dick Cheney was arguably the most influential vice president, but that his relationship with President George W. Bush was quite complicated and unique. Baker joins Judy Woodruff to discuss his new book, "Days of Fire: Bush and Cheney in the White House."
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Oct. 25, 2013
The new book, "The System: The Glory and Scandal of Big-Time College Football," offers a behind-the-scenes look at some of the costly -- and often unprofitable -- practices behind the sport, including extreme salaries for coaches and treating players like commodities. Jeffrey Brown talks to author Armen Keteyian.
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Oct. 25, 2013
Elizabeth Becker, a former foreign and war correspondent for the New York Times, explores the best and worst of the tourism industry in her new book, "Overbooked." The United Nations estimates that 1 in 11 jobs is tied to tourism, making it one of the largest industries in the world. Is this a blessing or a curse?
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Oct. 25, 2013
Humor wasn't always integral to Billy Collins' poetry. The former U.S. poet laureate thought he had to be serious, or at least "pretend to be serious." Collins stopped by the NewsHour recently to speak with chief arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown about his new collection and capturing everyday life in a poem.
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Oct. 23, 2013
As the former head of the Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships under President Barack Obama, Joshua Dubois would seek and offer scripture to serve as inspiration in daily life and in the face of national tragedy. Gwen Ifill sits down with Dubois to discuss his collection, titled "The President's Devotional."
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Oct. 22, 2013
Set in the mid-20th century, Jonathan Lethem's novel "Dissident Gardens" explores the private lives of American communists and the "radical tradition" that has become part of the fabric of our nation. Jeffrey Brown talks to the author about his inspiration and the intersection of political ideology and personal experience.
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Oct. 18, 2013
Jonathan Lethem, author of "Dissident Gardens," sat down with chief arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown to talk about communism in the U.S. and his job as a novelist in reconstructing history.
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Oct. 16, 2013
Jazz great and sax player Charlie "Bird" Parker was remarkable for his speed, listening and improvisational intuition. Jeffrey Brown talks to author Stanley Crouch about his new biography, "Kansas City Lightning: The Rise and Times of Charlie Parker."
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Oct. 15, 2013
What if the glass bubble top on the car in which President John F. Kennedy was riding in Dallas had not been removed by a Secret Service agent? The NewsHour's own Jim Lehrer explores that idea in "Top Down: A Novel of the Kennedy Assassination." Jim joins Judy Woodruff to discuss his personal experience that inspired the book.
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Oct. 14, 2013
"The Jazz story ... it's the American story" or so says Stanley Crouch, author of the new book, "Kansas City Lightning." The first installment on the legendary saxophonist chronicles Charlie Parker's childhood during the Depression, discovering the music of Kansas City and his move to New York that launched him into history.
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Oct. 10, 2013
Alice Munro, the newest Nobel laureate in literature, is admired around the world for her masterful writing and dedication to the short story form. Jeffrey Brown talks to Deborah Treisman of The New Yorker for insight on the Canadian author's work and what it was like to be her editor.
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Oct. 9, 2013
In her first novel in seven years, National Book Award winner Alice McDermott set out to tell the story of a character who most people pass over in favor of "more appealing characters." She talks to Jeffrey Brown about her book "Someone," and how she tapped into the character's voice.
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Oct. 3, 2013
Alice McDermott tells the story of an ordinary woman named Marie from childhood to death in her new novel, "Someone." The narrative centers on a woman who is shy, plain, unremarkable on the surface, but has a very active internal life.
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Oct. 2, 2013
Best-selling author Tom Clancy has died in Baltimore at the age of 66. His espionage novels ushered in a new genre of military thrillers and spawned successful films. What made Clancy's books so popular? Gwen Ifill talks to NPR book commentator Alan Cheuse about the late author's characters and strong imagination.
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Oct. 2, 2013
What if an unintended consequence of the feminist movement was to make women feel inadequate? Barnard College president Debora Spar argues the expectation that women can "have it all" actually sets them up for failure. Jeffrey Brown talks to Spar about her new book, "Wonder Women: Sex, Power, and the Quest for Perfection."
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Oct. 1, 2013
Rita Moreno is one of only a few entertainers to win an Emmy, Grammy, Tony and an Oscar -- and the only Latino American to hold that honor. In a new self-titled memoir, Moreno describes finding her place in show business. She sits down with Ray Suarez to discuss the continuing struggle for minorities to land significant roles.
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Sept. 26, 2013
A member of the 1960s British rock group the Hollies and one-fourth of the super-group Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Graham Nash has just come out with a new memoir of his life called "Wild Tales." Jeffrey Brown caught up with the musician during a solo tour, where they discussed some of his famous musical partners.
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Sept. 24, 2013
In his new book, "Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth," author and scholar Reza Aslan sets out to dig through generations of interpretation to get to know Jesus, the real, historical figure and the world he lived in. Aslan sits down with Ray Suarez to discuss his research and why he wanted to write the book.
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Sept. 23, 2013
What makes for educational success for kids around the world -- and how can we apply that in the U.S.? Jeffrey Brown speaks with Amanda Ripley, author of "The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way," on her conclusions after studying the diverse academic environments of Poland, Finland and South Korea.
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Sept. 20, 2013
Writer Jesmyn Ward discusses the role and strength of women in her community, and the time it took to write and understand the loss of her loved ones for her memoir "Men We Reaped."
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Sept. 20, 2013
In the space of four years, writer Jesmyn Ward endured the loss of five friends and family members -- all black men from rural Mississippi. In her new memoir, "Men We Reaped," she sets out to understand why. Ward talks to Jeffrey Brown about some of the institutional forces, coupled with personal choices, behind their deaths.
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Sept. 18, 2013
Mathew Brady, a 19th century pioneer of American photography, was known for both his portraits of celebrities as well as for his searing images of the Civil War. Jeffrey Brown talks to Robert Wilson, author of a new biography called, "Mathew Brady: Portraits of a Nation," about how the artist shaped the vision of America.