Alice Kessler-Harris

Today, the Supreme Court hears arguments in Whole Women's Health v. Hellerstedt, a case that could have far-reaching consequences for abortion rights in Texas.

Columbia University historian Alice Kessler-Harris describes the life and times of Lillian Hellman, a groundbreaking figure as one of the most successful female playwrights on Broadway. Today she's often remembered more as a bitter survivor and literary fabulist, the woman of whom Mary McCarthy said, "Every word she writes is a lie, including 'and' and 'the.'" Kessler-Harris tackles Hellman's legacy in A Difficult Woman: The Challenging Life and Times of Lillian Hellman.