TED Talks
TED: Your identity is your superpower | America Ferrera
A clip from America Ferrera's TED Talk "My identity is a superpower -- not an obstacle" from TED2019 Hollywood needs to stop resisting what the world actually looks like, says actor, director and activist America Ferrera. Tracing the...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Why is William Faulkner so difficult to read? | Sascha Morrell
William Faulkner is considered one of America's most remarkable and perplexing writers. He confused his audience intentionally, using complex sentences, unreliable narrators, and outlandish imagery. His body of work is shocking,...
PBS
Pachinko’ author Min Jin Lee answers your questions
Min Jin Lee, author of our July pick for the NewsHour-New York Times book club Now Read This, joins Jeffrey Brown to answer questions from readers, plus Jeff announces August’s book.
PBS
The top library books people tried to ban or censor last year
Battles have erupted at schools, school boards and library meetings across the country as parents, lawmakers and advocacy groups are debating books. The American Library Association documented more than 1,200 demands to censor books and...
PBS
How Glory Edim's Online Book Club Provides Community For 'Invisible' Black Women
Glory Edim is the founder of Well-Read Black Girl, a book club that has transformed into an online community and literary festival, all celebrating voices that otherwise might not be heard. She talks with Jeffrey Brown about her original...
PBS
A Culinary Tradition For The Persian New Year
Nowruz, the Persian holiday celebrating the new year, is observed in Iran and parts of Western and Central Asia. It marks the first day of the vernal equinox. Najmieh Batmanglij, author of eight cookbooks on Iranian cuisine that are...
PBS
Tayari Jones Answers Your Questions About ‘The Street’
Author Tayari Jones wrote the introduction to a new edition of Ann Petry's 1946 novel "The Street," our May pick for the NewsHour-New York Times book club, Now Read This. Jones joins Jeffrey Brown to answer reader questions about the...
PBS
‘Conversations with Friends’ author Sally Rooney answers your questions
Sally Rooney, author of our September pick for the NewsHour-New York Times book club, Now Read This, joins Jeffrey Brown to answer reader questions on “Conversations with Friends”.
PBS
Octavio Solis on growing up a 'skinny brown kid' on the U.S.-Mexico border
As politicians spar over immigration, playwright Octavio Solis recounts his childhood as a "skinny brown kid" in El Paso in his memoir "Retablos". Solis says that though he was in the U.S. legally, Border Patrol would ask him to recite...
PBS
Sen. Duckworth writes of resiliency, healing in her book that’s a ‘love letter’ to America
Sen. Duckworth Writes Of Resiliency, Healing In Her Book That Is A ‘Love Letter’ To America
PBS
Author David Leavitt On Crossword Puzzles, Grief And Ritual
Sometimes it's the little things that get us through the hard times, and for many people crossword puzzles can serve as an escape. Author David Leavitt shares his humble opinion on the importance of this daily memento.
PBS
‘The Triumph Of Nancy Reagan’ Explores Former First Lady’S Influence In The White House
An actress-turned-first lady. During her more than 50 year marriage, Nancy Reagan was also the most trusted adviser to her husband, former President Ronald Reagan. Washington Post columnist Karen Tumulty is out with a new book about her...
PBS
Jerry Seinfeld On The Science Of Laughter
The one and only Jerry Seinfeld has had a big year with a Netflix special and a new book. Jeffrey Brown caught up with Seinfeld for our ongoing arts and cultural series, "Canvas."
PBS
Author Jia Tolentino On American Culture Through The Prism Of The Internet
The January pick for our “Now Read This” book club was a book of essays
exploring many aspects of American culture through the prism of the
internet and social media. At age 32, author Jia Tolentino has gained
acclaim as one of its most...
PBS
Poet Tess Taylor On How Verse Can Provide Solace
For many, it's a time of uncertainty and isolation. But in poet Tess and culture series, "CANVAS.""
Taylor's humble opinion, turning to verse can provide solace. Her recent
book of poems is Rift Zone," and the following essay is part of...
PBS
Author Marlon James On Never Outgrowing The Magical
Marlon James is best known for writing literary fiction, including “A Brief History of Seven Killings,” which won the prestigious Man Booker Prize. But his latest book, “Black Leopard, Red Wolf,” draws on a lifelong love of comics and...
PBS
Author Elizabeth Acevedo On Writing A Coming-Of-Age Novel - Extended Interview
Our November pick for the NewsHour-New York Times book club, "Now Read This," is "The Poet X" by Elizabeth Acevedo. She spoke to Jeffrey Brown about finding her voice through poetry and why she wrote a novel in verse.
PBS
Poet Sherman Alexie Talks 'Faces' & 'War Dances' (Oct. 22, 2009)
Author Sherman Alexie talks about his new book of poetry called "Faces" and his new short story collection, "War Dances."
PBS
Why we need to stop sharing American Dream success stories
Why would author Casey Gerald want people to stop highlighting success stories like his own? Gerald says he grew up on "the wrong side of the tracks" and went on to Harvard Business school. But he says celebrations of the American Dream...
PBS
Poet Amanda Gorman On How She Prepared For Inauguration Day
The poet who will carry on a tradition and present her new work, "The Hill We Climb" at the inauguration this week is already quite accomplished at the age of 22. Jeffrey Brown talked to Amanda Gorman to learn more, as part of our...
PBS
Outgoing Washington Post Editor Marty Baron Reflects On The State Of American Journalism
This week marks a turning point at one of the nation's premier newspapers.
Washington Post Executive Editor Marty Baron is stepping down on Sunday
after eight years at the Post and more than four decades in the news
business. His...
TED-Ed
TED-ED: Grammar's great divide: The Oxford comma - TED-Ed
If you read "Bob, a DJ and a clown" on a guest list, are three people coming to the party, or only one? That depends on whether you're for or against the Oxford comma -- perhaps the most hotly contested punctuation mark of all time. When...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Denice Frohman: "Accents"
This animation is part of the TED-Ed series, "There's a Poem for That," which features animated interpretations of poems both old and new that give language to some of life's biggest feelings. [Poem by Denice Frohman, directed by KAPWA /...
Crash Course
Gender, Guilt, and Fate - Macbeth, Part 2: Crash Course Literature 410
This week on Crash Course Literature, John Green is continuing to talk about Shakespeare's dark, bloody, Scottish play, Macbeth. This time around, we're looking at the play's characters operate, how the play deals with gender, and the...