Mar 21 Watch 2:57 The blacklist that rising screenwriters want to be on By Steve Goldbloom Franklin Leonard is the founder of The Black List, a website that aims to connect potential screenwriters with filmmakers. The site allows users to upload their screenplays and earn ratings from the site’s community, with the possibility of seeing their… Continue watching
Oct 11 Watch 3:31 Why Walter Isaacson writes about innovators who make history Author, journalist and professor Walter Isaacson has delved into the lives of influential figures ranging from Leonardo da Vinci to Ada Lovelace. He believes that those who thrive at the intersection of arts and sciences are the ones who will… Continue watching
Apr 04 Watch 5:56 Giving advice to young writers, Colum McCann wants to see the fire in their eyes By PBS News Hour It's the sort of thing that Colum McCann says he would have liked to have had when he was younger. In his new book "Letters To A Young Writer," McCann says he writes advice about plot and characterization, as well… Continue watching
Sep 08 Watch 5:13 Scotland’s national poet writes for those who’ve been asked ‘where are you from?’ By PBS News Hour Jackie Kay is Scotland's first black national poet. Adopted as a child, much of her poetry and prose speaks to her own experience of not feeling entirely welcome in her own country. “I wrote the poems that I wanted to… Continue watching
Sep 01 Watch 3:26 How Lemony Snicket channels his bewilderment into words By PBS News Hour You may not have heard of Daniel Handler, but you’ve probably heard of his pen name: Lemony Snicket. Handler, author of the children’s book series “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” says much of children's literature is about “enforced morality,” but… Continue watching
Aug 18 Watch 2:56 The editor of the New Yorker on helping writers find their voice By PBS News Hour David Remnick has been a writer for The New Yorker since 1992 and its editor since 1998. In the age of modern media, his job requires not only producing a quality magazine, but also keeping up financially and technologically. One… Continue watching
Jan 11 Watch 8:23 Poetry helps youth at a juvenile detention center find peace By PBS News Hour, Frank Carlson Free Write Jail Arts and Literacy aims to help troubled youths in Chicago’s Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center address their personal issues by writing poetry about their circumstances and upbringing. Jeffrey Brown talks with poet Reginald Dwayne Betts, who… Continue watching
Jun 09 Watch 6:10 New Yorker’s ‘Comma Queen’ offers a guide for the grammatically insecure By PBS News Hour In "Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen," Mary Norris recounts a life of grammatical grief and glory as a copy editor for The New Yorker. Norris joins Jeffrey Brown to discuss the magazine’s style standards, and whether… Continue watching
Jan 08 ‘Selma’ director Ava DuVernay on writing new speeches for MLK By Murrey Jacobson The movie, "Selma," is getting plenty of attention for its portrayal of history, the relationship between Martin Luther King and President Lyndon Johnson -- and the way it showcases Dr. King's skills and choices as a political tactician and activist. Continue reading
Dec 10 Watch 5:35 Profane picture books make fun out of a parent’s pains By PBS News Hour Picture books are usually kid-oriented, but two expletive-laden tales, written like traditional bedtime stories, are parents-only hits. “You Have To F**king Eat” and “Go The F**k To Sleep” have become best-sellers, with audiobooks voiced by Samuel L. Jackson and Bryan… Continue watching