Jan 20 Watch 7:08 'Miracle Children' explores admissions scandal that exposed inequalities in education By Amna Nawaz, Stephanie Kotuby, Alexa Gold A few years ago, a small, private school in an underprivileged Black community in Louisiana made national headlines for propelling student after student into elite universities like Harvard and Yale. But according to the new book “Miracle Children,” the school's… Continue watching
Jan 12 Watch 6:34 Literary Arts Fund created to rekindle a love for reading By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport According to a recent study, reading for pleasure has fallen by 40% in the last 20 years, continuing a long-running downward trend. By many measures, reading skills for both students and adults continue to fall. Jeffrey Brown spoke with Elizabeth… Continue watching
Jan 10 Watch 6:14 New book offers glimpse inside world of controversial tech firm Palantir and its CEO By Ali Rogin, Andrew Corkery Palantir Technologies is one of the most secretive and powerful companies in Silicon Valley. It develops software that can quickly analyze massive amounts of data, used by government agencies, the military and major corporations. Ali Rogin speaks with Michael Steinberger,… Continue watching
Jan 09 Watch 8:04 Jacob Soboroff reflects on lessons learned from LA wildfires in 'Firestorm' By Geoff Bennett, Courtney Norris It's been one year since the Pacific Palisades and Eaton fires tore through Los Angeles, destroying thousands of homes and killing more than 30 people. In his new book, journalist Jacob Soboroff offers a deeply reported account of the catastrophe,… Continue watching
Dec 24 Watch 8:23 How author David Baldacci and his wife are working to counter toxic political discourse By Geoff Bennett, Mike Fritz David Baldacci has written more than 50 suspense and legal novels. His latest is “Nash Falls,” a story about a successful businessman recruited by the FBI to expose a global crime network. But Baldacci and his wife are now tackling… Continue watching
Dec 18 Watch 8:00 Poet Billy Collins explores love, loss and life in 'Dog Show' By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport, Daria Nastasia It’s been said that nobody can fully understand the meaning of love unless they've had a dog. Billy Collins agrees, and he recently released his 12th volume of poetry, called “Dog Show." Senior arts correspondent Jeffrey Brown spent time in… Continue watching
Dec 14 Watch 6:44 New book 'Dirtbag Billionaire' tells story of Patagonia's unconventional founder By John Yang, Kaisha Young, Andrew Corkery Surveys consistently rank Patagonia as one of the most reputable brands in America, not just for its outdoor gear, but also for being good environmental stewards. The story of both the company and its iconoclastic founder is told in a… Continue watching
Dec 10 Sophie Kinsella, author of the millions-selling 'Shopaholic' novels, dies at 55 By Jill Lawless, Alicia Rancilio, Associated Press Writer Sophie Kinsella, whose effervescent rom-com “Confessions of a Shopaholic” sparked a millions-selling series, died Wednesday, her family said. She was 55 and had been diagnosed with brain cancer. Continue reading
Dec 09 Watch 8:03 Literary critics reveal their favorite books of 2025 By Jeffrey Brown, Anne Azzi Davenport, Simon Epstein, Daria Nastasia It’s that time of the year when PBS News Hour invites two of our regular literary critics, Ann Patchett and Maureen Corrigan, to highlight their favorite books of the year. Jeffrey Brown picks up the conversation for our arts and… Continue watching
Dec 09 14 best books of 2025, according to these experts By Jeffrey Brown, Daria Nastasia, Anne Azzi Davenport Jeffrey Brown talked with Maureen Corrigan, book critic for NPR’s Fresh Air, and author Ann Patchett about their top picks this year. Continue reading