The Americans

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Today we revisit the Cold War. First, with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Neil Sheehan, who tells the story of the nuclear arms race through the work of one Air Force officer. Then Nicholas Thompson discusses two of the most influential U.S. Cold War strategists: Paul Nitze and George Kennan. Joyce Carol Oates talks about her latest novel Little Bird of Heaven. And Robert Frank, one of the greatest photographers of the 20th century, and curator Jeff Rosenheim talk about a new exhibition of his groundbreaking work, The Americans, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Have you ever wondered how a word finds its way into the dictionary? Or who decides how a word is defined? Find out on Monday, October 5th, when you can ask your own questions about dictionaries, words, and how we use them, at our live show in the Jerome L. Greene Space. Submit your questions here!

Get tickets to Monday’s live show in the Greene Space here.

Oil and Trouble

Monday, September 28, 2009

Peter Maass gives an account of the consequences of our addiction to oil and how it impacts places like Venezuela and Nigeria. Then bestselling author Nick Hornby on his latest novel, Juliet, Naked. John Peet, the European editor of the Economist, discusses yesterday's elections in Germany. Plus, McKenzie Funk reports on AIG's use of private firefighters to save AIG-insured homes threatened by California wildfires.

Have you ever wondered how a word finds its way into the dictionary? Or who decides how a word is defined? Find out on Monday, October 5th, when you can ask your own questions about dictionaries, words, and how we use them, at our live show in the Jerome L. Greene Space. You can ask submit a question here.

Find out how to get tickets to Monday’s live show in the Greene Space here.

A Kinder Society

Friday, September 25, 2009

Frans de Waal discusses the nature of empathy and whether animals other than humans possess it. Then, a Kurdish woman tells her daring story of escape from Iraq. And Audrey Tautou talks about starring in the new film "Coco Before Chanel." Plus, our latest Please Explain is all about sharks.

Disaster and Recovery

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Nobel Laureate Dr. James Orbinski discusses his experiences treating victims of the Rwandan genocide and what role he thinks humanitarian organizations should play in the 21st century. Then, we look at how some catastrophes like the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and Hurricane Katrina can have positive social outcomes. Also, Stanley Tucci on directing the film "Blind Date" and the Broadway revival of "Lend Me a Tenor." Plus, on our latest Underreported, journalist Scott Anderson explains why an imporant story he wrote about Russia for GQ magazine was never published or promoted in that country.

Explosive Issues

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Former George W. Bush Speech writer Matt Latimer offers an insider's account of the final years of the Bush administration. We’ll examine Benny Goodman's impact on Classical music. Then, we’ll hear about a plague that swept across parts of Europe in the 1500s that caused people to dance without stopping. Plus, Amir Aczel explains the history of the scientific race to harness radioactivity.

Wasting Away

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Sam Tanenhaus, the editor of the New York Times Book Review, discusses how the conservative movement has been split into two warring factions over the past 75 years and looks at whether traditional conservatism is dead. E. L. Doctorow talks about his latest novel, Homer & Langley, which is loosely based on the reclusive Collyer brothers. Then, Geoff Muldaur on his latest album. Plus, Gourmet magazine editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl, describes the revolution in American cooking over the past decade.

International Diplomacy

Monday, September 21, 2009

Today we’re talking about international diplomacy—with previews of the UN General Assembly and the G-20 summit. Lorrie Moore talks about A Gate at the Stairs, her first novel in 15 years. Then, Isabella Rossellini discusses her hit Web series, DVD, and book, Green Porno, about the bizarre mating rituals of sea creatures. Plus, Ken Burns discusses his new documentary series about what has been called America’s "best idea": our national parks.

From Greenbacks to Green Leaves

Friday, September 18, 2009

William D. Cohan, revisits the week the global economy imploded...a year later. Then, we’ll take a look at subway art in New York City—from graffiti to public installations. Curator Walter Liedtke discusses an exhibition of Dutch paintings on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art—featuring a very rare visit by Vermeer’s masterpiece "The Milkmaid." Plus our latest Please Explain is all about trees.

Branding and the Meaning of Life

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Advertising industry insider James P. Othmer takes a look at how branding influences our day-to-day lives. Pulitzer Prize-winner Tracy Kidder discusses his latest book, Strength in What Remains, about the experience of an immigrant from Burundi in the United States. Also, Paul Rudnick talks about his new collection of humorous essays. Plus, our latest Underreported segments look at the problem of "underbanking" and plans by France to include "happiness" in its GDP calculations.

Mom & Pop, Movies, and Music

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Today we'll talk about the role the mom and pop store can play in rebuilding the nation's economy. Then, writer/director Nicholas Meyer discusses writing the script for the most revered Star Trek film of all, The Wrath of Khan. Pianist Vladimir Feltsman and Tom Crawford, music director of the American Classical Orchestra, explain the difference between playing period and modern instruments. Plus, our Word Maven Patricia T. O'Conner is here.

The Whistleblower and the Informant

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Daniel Ellsberg and his wife Patricia Ellsberg tell the story behind his pivotal role in the release of the Pentagon Papers. They’re joined by one of the filmmakers who made a new documentary about them. Then, director and screenwriter Jane Campion on her new film, "Bright Star," which tells the story of the relationship between poet John Keats and his 18-year-old neighbor. Valeria Parrella discusses her book For Grace Received, four novellas set in Naples, Italy. Plus, Kurt Eichenwald on the eccentric FBI informant who blew the whistle on price-fixing at Archer Daniels Midland -- the basis for Steven Soderbergh's new film starring Matt Damon.

Rod, Rafe, and Rivera

Monday, September 14, 2009

Former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich explains Rod Blagojevich. Then, educator Rafe Esquith on how parents and teachers can better equip their children to be successful in school. Nicholson Baker discusses his latest book The Anthologist, a novel about the importance of poetry in our everyday lives. Plus, Fox News contributor Geraldo Rivera discusses the ways he thinks Hispanics are revitalizing America.

The Writing on the Wall

Friday, September 11, 2009

John Farmer, senior counsel to the 9/11 Commission, explains how the American people were misled about the nation’s response to the attacks. Swedish filmmaker Roy Andersson discusses his career and a series devoted to his work at MoMA. Then, Johnnie Temple Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz stops by to talk about this year’s Brooklyn Book Festival. Plus, Please Explain is all about typography.

Restoration and Reformation

Thursday, September 10, 2009

We’ll speak to Joseph Sebarenzi, a former speaker of the Rwandan parliament, whose family was massacred in genocide. Then, Sean Hemingway talks about why he re-edited his grandfather Ernest’s memoir A Moveable Feast. Also, Art Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly on their new collection of tales from the golden age of comic books. Our latest Underreported looks at the use of private contractors in the fight against piracy. Plus, we speak with Congressman Anthony Weiner about where healthcare reform legislation stands.

Stage and Screen

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Philip Seymour Hoffman joins director Peter Sellers to talk about the Public Theater’s new production of “Othello.” Then, Juliette Binoche on her latest projects—a film, called “Paris,” an exhibition of her paintings at the French Embassy, and her new dance performance at BAM. Plus, the gurus of how-to Al and Larry Ubell answer your home repair questions.

Spending Ways and Waterways

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Americans personal savings rate has increased amidst the recession. Today we’ll get a cultural history of "thriftiness" in the United States. Then, author Sue Monk Kidd and her daughter Ann Monk Taylor on a new book they wrote together. Journalist Jessica Dulong talks about her experience working on a rusty antique fireboat on the Hudson River. And filmmaker Joe Berlinger and lawyer Steven Donziger on the new film "Crude," about indigenous people in Ecuador’s efforts to sue Chevron for what’s been called the "Amazon Chernobyl."

Discounts, Diaries, Animals, and Art

Monday, September 07, 2009

Today's show is an encore edition of some of our favorite interviews from the past few months. We’ll investigate why retail discounting comes at a high hidden cost. Then, historian and biographer Caroline Moorehead on the diaries of Madame de la Tour du Pin. Also, Charles Siebert on why he thinks the estimated three thousand or so chimps living in America are severely traumatized creatures. Plus, Maya Lin on her career and her latest architectural and sculptural projects.

Up in the Air and Under the Surface

Friday, September 04, 2009

Today's show is an encore edition of some of our favorite interviews from the past few months. First, Arianna Huffington talks about what and who she thinks were behind the current economic crisis. Then, a woman who thought she was menopausal and was diagnosed with a tumor...only to discover that she was actually 6 months pregnant. And Colum McCann talks about his latest novel, Let the Great World Spin, which is set against the backdrop of Philippe Petit's tightrope walk between the Twin Towers in 1974. Plus, Suzanne Simons gives us an inside look at the company formerly known as Blackwater.

Reading Between the Lines

Thursday, September 03, 2009

On today’s show, one of the ACLU’s lead attorneys discusses the recently released CIA report on interrogation practices. Then we get a glimpse into the secret lives of sea horses—from their habitats to why they are a commodity on the black market. Then, Ammon Shea recounts some of the things he learned while reading every word in the Oxford English Dictionary over the course of a year. And our latest Underreported segment looks at the efforts of the New York Independence Party to go national.

Chewing the Fat

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

You've probably heard that Omega-3s are good for you, but on today's show we'll unravel why they've all but disappeared from Western diets and the possible health consequences that could have for each of us. Then, actor and political playwright Wallace Shawn. Also, we'll learn about the life of Clarice Lispector—one of the most popular, but least understood, Latin American writers. Plus, Harvard primatologist Richard Wrangham on the key role cooking played in human evolution.

From Homeland Security to Home Cooking

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge addresses the controversy around his new book. And Kaylie Jones stops by to talk about her memoir Lies My Mother Never Told Me, about growing up the daughter of the celebrated writer James Jones and a troubled mother. Then, Eric Ripert, the chef and owner of the famed Le Bernadin restaurant, talks about his new PBS series. Plus, Frank Bruni, who's leaving his job as New York Times restaurant critic, on how he developed a healthy love of food after decades of weight problems.