PBS
‘Class’ author Stephanie Land on the realities of college when living in poverty
Stephanie Land's 2019 memoir, “Maid,” recounted her struggles as a single mother, cleaning houses to earn money and wrestling with the rules of government assistance programs. It was a New York Times bestseller and the basis of a hit...
SciShow
Can Cold Showers Actually Change Your Life?
Many people swear that a cold shower every morning has the power to change your life, and improve your health- but can this be proved by science? Join us as Hank Green dives into the world of cold showers and discusses whether these...
PBS
Why our culture is a seed, not a treasure
Our culture and heritage is part of who we are. But if we treat it as something that can't change, if we feel threatened by other cultures, says award-winning children's books author Grace Lin, "we make our lives smaller." Lin shares her...
Crash Course
Synge, Wilde, Shaw, and the Irish Renaissance: Crash Course Theater #36
The Irish Renaissance in the early 20th century included a wealth of new plays written both in Ireland, and by Irish ex-patriots elsewhere. W.B. Yeats, Lady Augusta Gregory, and J.M. Synge were creating a new national theater of Ireland...
PBS
Harnessing Boys' Strengths & Passions to Improve Academic Achievement (May 7, 2014)
Increasingly, boys appear to be falling behind girls academically. Test statistics, grades and college degrees are part of the story, but experts are also concerned about the messages young men get about masculinity. Gwen Ifill talks...
PBS
Rosa Parks Trained for Life Full of Activism
Gwen Ifill talks with biographer Jeanne Theoharis, whose book "The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks" offers a complex portrait of the woman best known for refusing to give up her seat on an Alabama bus in 1955.
PBS
Isabel Allende's Newest Historical Novel Tells Familiar Story Of Refugee Life
"A Long Petal of the Sea," a new historical novel by renowned writer Isabel Allende, draws upon events spanning from the Spanish civil war to the 1973 coup in her native Chile -- and with resonance for the experience of refugees today....
PBS
George Kennan Interview (April 18, 1996)
David Gergen talks with George Kennan about his book At A Century's Ending: Reflections 1982-1995.
PBS
The tough decision of which species to save from extinction
Roughly 1 million species of wildlife face extinction worldwide, according to a recent United Nations report. Ecologist and author Rebecca Nesbit joins Geoff Bennett to discuss the ethics and decision-making process behind figuring out...
PBS
How Anti-Racism Is A Treatment For The 'Cancer' Of Racism
The deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor have sparked a renewed dialogue on racism in America. Reform advocates want policy and institutional changes, but individuals are also asking how they can address their own...
PBS
The Long History Of Presidents As Authors
Journalist and historian Craig Fehrman has written a book called “Author in Chief: The Untold Story of Our Presidents and the Books They Wrote.” He sits down with John Yang to discuss the long history of presidential writing, the...
PBS
What Does it Mean to be a Girl? How Parents Can Help Daughters Decide for Themselves (May 6, 2014)
In the last few decades, a multi-billion dollar industry has evolved around princess stories and toys. But in contrast to this pink and purple "girlie" world are alternatives emphasizing more diverse interests and portraying different...
PBS
Kate DiCamillo, Newberry Winner for 'The Tale of Despereaux' (Mar. 30, 2004)
Kate DiCamillo, Newberry winner for "The Tale of Despereaux" (Mar. 30, 2004) (Author Interview)
PBS
18 Years After September 11th, An Oral History That Recalls The Details
For everyone old enough to remember September 11th, 2001, their experience of that catastrophic day is seared into memory. But details of what the victims, survivors and emergency responders endured have faded from national consciousness...
TED Talks
TED: The creativity and community behind fanfiction | Cecilia Aragon
The wildly diverse, thoughtful and hilarious world of fanfiction -- where writers reimagine favorite stories like "Harry Potter," "Pokémon," "My Little Pony" and more -- is ever-growing and becoming a vital social and learning tool....
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: How Phillis Wheatley captured the attention of the world | Charita Gainey
In 1775, General George Washington received a poem from one of colonial America's most famous writers. Its verses praised the burgeoning revolution, invoking the goddess of their new nation to aid the general's cause. But this ode to...
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Silvia Moreno-García: Titan of terror: the dark imagination of H.P. Lovecraft
Arcane books of forbidden lore, disturbing secrets in the family bloodline, and terrors so unspeakable the very thought of them might drive you mad. These have become standard elements in modern horror stories. But they were largely...
SciShow
Can Cold Showers Really Improve Your Health?
Some people tout the health and productivity benefits of cold showers, but how much do they really do?
SciShow
Science Says You Shouldn't Drink Your Whiskey "Neat"
If you’ve ever sauntered up to the bar and ordered a whiskey neat, you might have felt cool doing it. But... is that really the best way to drink whiskey? Let's ask science!
TED-Ed
TED-Ed: Alex Gendler: Why should you read "The Master and Margarita"?
The Devil has come to town. But don't worry– all he wants to do is stage a magic show. This absurd premise forms the central plot of Mikhail Bulgakov's masterpiece, "The Master and Margarita." Its blend of political satire, historical...
TED Talks
TED: The nit-picking glory of The New Yorker's Comma Queen | Mary Norris
Copy editing for The New Yorker is like playing shortstop for a Major League Baseball team -- every little movement gets picked over by the critics, says Mary Norris, who has played the position for more than thirty years. In that time,...