Nov 19 Thursday on the NewsHour: Wu Man By Tom LeGro Tonight on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown talks to Wu Man, who at age 45 is one of the world's leading musical ambassadors. She's a master of the pipa -- a four-stringed lute with ancient roots in central Asia and China. Continue reading
Nov 19 Conversation: Robert Kimball, Author of ‘Complete Lyrics of Johnny Mercer’ By Arts Desk On Wednesday, prolific songwriter and singer Johnny Mercer would have turned 100. In his lifetime, he worked with more than 200 collaborators and churned out lyrics for more than 1,500 songs for both Broadway and the silver screen, which were… Continue reading
Nov 13 Conversation: Writer Barbara Kingsolver By Arts Desk "The Lacuna," a new novel by Barbara Kingsolver is a sweep of history and a mix of the real and the imaginary. Continue reading
Nov 11 Conversation: Robert Edsel, Author of ‘The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History’ By Arts Desk Robert Edsel's "The Monuments Men" tells the drama that largely took place behind the scenes of the great sweep of destruction, violence and final triumph of the second world war: the systematic looting of art by the Nazis, and the… Continue reading
Nov 10 Conversation: Sesame Street’s ‘Maria’ By Arts Desk Sesame Street celebrates its 40th anniversary Tuesday, and there at nearly the beginning was Sonia Manzano, who was cast as "Maria" in 1971, becoming one of the first Hispanic characters on television. Continue reading
Nov 09 Preview: ‘Ancient Paths, Modern Voices’ By Arts Desk Coming soon on the NewsHour, Jeffrey Brown reports on "Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: A Festival Celebrating Chinese Culture," a festival currently taking place at Carnegie Hall in New York. Continue reading
Nov 06 Conversation: Jonathan Lethem By Arts Desk In Jonathan Lethem's new novel, "Chronic City," two friends travel through a Manhattan that is both very recognizable -- from the billionaire mayor to the burgers at a local diner -- while also surreal, looking for truth. Continue reading
Oct 28 Ben Folds Turns Orchestras Into Rock Bands By Arts Desk While it might not appear to be the case, Ben Folds concedes he wasn't entirely comfortable playing the piano in front of an orchestra at first. That's because growing up in North Carolina, playing percussion in orchestras, he never dreamed… Continue reading
Oct 26 Monday on the NewsHour: Michael Chabon By Arts Desk Jeffrey Brown talks to Pulitzer Prize-winning author writer Michael Chabon about his first work of non-fiction, "Manhood for Amateurs," a collection of essays. Continue reading
Oct 23 Conversation: ‘A New Way Forward’ Through Cultural Exchange By Arts Desk From "American Idol" to "Afghan Star," art and entertainment can be powerful tools for cultural exchange. That's the argument in the recent report, "A New Way Forward," which calls for the utilization of the arts to build a better relationship… Continue reading