Why Only Some Monkeys Have Awesome Tails

Though he was descended from some of the world's most successful conquerors, Babur struggled to gain a foothold among the many other ambitious princes in Central Asia. So he turned his attention to India, where his descendants stayed and...

In 1998, a school district removed one of American literature's most acclaimed works from its curriculum. Parents pushing for the ban said the book was both "sexually explicit" and "anti-white." The book at the center of this debate was...

Common, the award-winning musician, actor, activist, and now author, says that in a world of division and anxiety, he wanted to offer solution-oriented resources for healing that have helped him overcome trauma and tough times in his...

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...

Terese Marie Mailhot, author of our January pick for the NewsHour-New York Times book club, Now Read This, joins Jeffrey Brown to answer reader questions on “Heart Berries,” and Jeff announces the February book selection.

Sarah Broom’s 2019 memoir, “The Yellow House,” won the National Book Award for non-fiction. Jeffrey Brown sits down with Broom to discuss her mother and how an obsession with houses passed down two generations to the author herself, why...

Why do people have faith in what they cannot see? Author Elaine Pagels explores the concept of religious belief, and shares her own experience with finding faith in the face of tragedy, in her new book, "Why Religion?" Jeffrey Brown...

Thirty five years after the conclusion of the Vietnam War, Tim O'Brien's collection of stories about an American platoon, "The Things They Carried," is being reissued as it celebrates its own 20th anniversary. Jeffrey Brown talks to the...

Robert Caro is one of the nation’s preeminent biographers, known for meticulous research and taking his time with a subject. Indeed, he began his massive series "The Years of Lyndon Johnson" in 1977, but its final volume won't be...

Why Only Some Monkeys Have Awesome Tails

Virginia Giuffre: Nobody's Girl Memoir excerpts and book coverCredit: Virginia Roberts Giuffre

Pupil outcome: I can understand the context of 'Coming to England'. Key learning points: - 'Coming to England' is an autobiographical memoir, written by Floella Benjamin. - Floella writes about her early childhood in Trinidad in an...

Pupil outcome: I can discuss the main ideas of 'El Deafo'. Key learning points: - El Deafo is a graphic novel memoir based on author Cece Bell's childhood. - At the age of four, in 1974, Cece is diagnosed as deaf, following a bout of...

Pupil outcome: I can explain my response to a text and identify how imagery is used both descriptively and thematically. Key learning points: - A dramatic account is likely to be full of emotion, danger and conflict. - We expect an...

Pupil outcome: I can explore what makes a memoir particularly vivid and emulate this craft in my own writing. Key learning points: - Memoirs are historical accounts or biographies written from personal experience or knowledge. - Helen...

David Greenberg, a historian and professor at Rutgers University, recently authored John Lewis: Life, the first comprehensive biography of civil rights icon and longtime Georgia congressman John Lewis. Greenberg chose to write this book...

Joanna Sliwa is a historian, educator, and author working at the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, where she administers academic programs on Holocaust studies. She co-authored The Counterfeit Countess: The Jewish...

This video explores Maya Angelou's rise to fame as a writer, starting with her groundbreaking memoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. It highlights her success in poetry, her Pulitzer-nominated collection Just Give Me a Cool Drink of...

Mr. Griot reviews the elements of a memoir as he reviews the memoir "Augusta Rain: Secret Superhero." He also discusses making connections and author's purpose.

Mr. Griot reviews the elements of nonfiction and memoirs. Then he summarizes the memoir "Augusta Rain: Secret Superhero."

Anne Frank was a Jewish girl who wrote a diary about her life in hiding from the Nazis during World War II. Her powerful story reflects resilience, hope, and the tragic impact of the Holocaust.

This video explores John Lewis's post-SNCC career, detailing his leadership in voter registration, his tenure in the US Congress, and his continued activism. It highlights his commitment to civil rights, healthcare reform, and...

This video discusses the components of an autobiography <br/>
and how to critically read works in the genre.