Grammy Award winning artist Jay-Z came to NYPL in 2010, when his long-awaited memoir, "Decoded," had just hit shelves. He’s joined by NYPL’s Paul Holdengraber and intellectual icon Cornel West for a conversation about his journey from a rough childhood to becoming an internationally renowned rap artist, philanthropist, and entrepreneur.
Feb 26, 2015•1 hr 47 min
New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow joins Khalil Muhammad, Director of NYPL’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, for a conversation about Blow’s new memoir, “Fire Shut Up in My Bones.” Through the lens of Blow’s powerful personal story, the two men discuss visual art, social justice, and the need for empathy in American culture.
Feb 20, 2015•1 hr 26 min
On the heels of the success of his bestselling 2012 novel “Back to Blood,” Wolfe came to NYPL to discuss identity, beliefs, and the weaving together of journalism and fiction.
Feb 12, 2015•1 hr 27 min
The great American playwright and poet Ntozake Shange, creator of the Obie Award-winning play “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf,” celebrates the 40th anniversary of her landmark work with a panel discussion about its inspiration, creation, and enduring legacy.
Feb 06, 2015•1 hr 6 min
The beloved writer talks to fellow bestselling author Sloane Crosley about the challenges of putting personal tragedy and illusory pleasure into words.
Jan 29, 2015•53 min
Before her memoir Wild become an oscar nominated film, Strayed joined NYPL to discuss the blockbuster memoir, measuring success, and good advice.
Jan 23, 2015•1 hr 26 min
The prolific and beloved writer talks about creativity, productivity, and the importance of living an inspired life.
Jan 16, 2015•1 hr 20 min
The two great authors discuss experimental narrative, political turmoil, and blending believable fiction with the absurd truth.
Jan 09, 2015•1 hr 10 min
This week, the New York Public Library Podcast welcomes Thomas Struth, the world-famous and influential photographer best known for his family portraits and large-scale cityscapes. To celebrate the opening of NYPL’s new exhibition "Public Eye: 175 Years of Sharing Photography," Struth joins us to speak about cultural memory, photographing Queen Elizabeth, and reading the stories that images tell.
Dec 30, 2014•1 hr 35 min
Acclaimed author Neil Gaiman performs a memorable dramatic reading from the Library’s own rare copy of "A Christmas Carol," which includes edits and prompts Charles Dickens wrote in his own hand for his unique public readings 150 years ago. Dressed in full costume and joined by writer and BBC researcher Molly Oldfield, Gaiman performs the classic tale as its great author intended.
Dec 19, 2014•1 hr 27 min
The illustrator and author of more than twenty books for both kids and adults sits down with us to talk about strong female characters, nonlinear storytelling, and drawing outside the lines.
Dec 11, 2014•26 min
This week, we honor Pulitzer Prize winner and former US poet laureate Mark Strand, who passed away over the weekend at the age of 80. The beloved poet and author joined us this October to discuss art, imagination, and the life of the mind.
Dec 02, 2014•26 min
This Thanksgiving week, we’re reaching back into the NYPL archives to bring you a story about food, family, and multicultural identity. Internationally acclaimed chef Marcus Samuelsson describes his remarkable journey from a humble kitchen in Sweden, to some of the most competitive and revered restaurants in the world — and, finally, to the opening of the beloved Red Rooster in Harlem.
Nov 24, 2014•1 hr 24 min
This week, we welcome novelist Richard Ford, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Sportswriter," "Independence Day," and "The Lay of the Land." Ford comes to NYPL to talk about his latest book, "Let Me Be Frank with You," a fourth installment in his bestselling Frank Bascombe series, which now finds its protagonist struggling to make sense of his past in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.
Nov 20, 2014•35 min
This week, the NYPL Podcast welcomes George Clinton, the singular musical phenomenon who twisted soul music into funk. Clinton joins us to talk about his life's work, learning from his proteges, and pushing the boundaries of what music can do.
Nov 13, 2014•1 hr 26 min
This week on the podcast, Neil Gaiman, the beloved bestselling author of "Coraline," "American Gods," and "The Graveyard Book," joins us on Halloween night for some scary stories and thrilling conversation. He speaks about disobedient adults, why he learned to read, and his own reimagining of "Hansel and Gretel."
Nov 06, 2014•1 hr 49 min
This week on the podcast, Sam Roberts joins us to discuss seeing history through objects, productive procrastination, and what he thinks the motto of New York City should be.
Oct 31, 2014•32 min
This week, the NYPL Podcast welcomes Marjane Satrapi, the graphic novelist, illustrator, film director, and children's book author who brought us Persepolis. She speaks to NYPL's Paul Holdengraber about the liabilities of learning English from American movies, the intelligence required for a sense of humor, and more.
Oct 24, 2014•1 hr 19 min
This week, acclaimed author Jane Smiley joins us to discuss the origins of her new trilogy "The Last Hundred Years," the hard part about spending a century with her characters, and her middle school reading tastes.
Oct 17, 2014•27 min
This week on the podcast, noted legal reformer Philip K. Howard discusses his latest work, "The Rule of Nobody: Saving America from Dead Laws and Broken Government."
Oct 10, 2014•35 min
This week, the New York Public Library Podcast welcomes Tom Perrotta, whose novels Little Children, Election, and The Leftovers have been adapted into highly-lauded films and television series. He joins us today to discuss his latest work, Nine Inches.
Oct 03, 2014•34 min
The award-winning poet and author of the novel Leaving the Atocha Station brings his masterful command of words from the page to the stage, celebrating the start of LIVE's Fall 2014 season and his new book, 10:04.
Sep 26, 2014•1 hr 28 min
This week on the podcast, acclaimed author Ayana Mathis comes to NYPL to talk about her latest work, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie.
Sep 22, 2014•29 min
This week, The New York Public Library Podcast features personal stories from adult children who have lost their parents to AIDS, including Alysia Abbott, author of Fairyland: A Memoir of My Father.
Sep 05, 2014•1 hr 38 min
This week on The New York Public Library Podcast, internationally renowned artist Robert Morris discusses various aspects of his practice and some of the key themes—time, memory, language, medium, and process—of his work.
Aug 22, 2014•1 hr 20 min
The Library for the Performing Arts presents an evening of songs—songs that were cut from this season’s new Broadway musicals, including The Bridges of Madison County, If/Then, and Rocky.
Aug 07, 2014•1 hr 10 min
This week, The New York Public Library Podcast welcomes Stephen Schlesinger, as he discusses his new book, The Letters of Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., a collection of his father’s vivid, witty correspondence influential political and cultural figures of his time.
Jul 24, 2014•50 min
This week on The New York Public Library Podcast, acclaimed author George Prochnik discusses The Impossible Exile, his new book about the life and work of Stefan Zweig, an icon of the Viennese cultural renaissance.
Jul 10, 2014•1 hr 33 min
In April 2014, Amazon and Hachette locked horns in what has become a very public, and still ongoing, battle over contract negotiations. After the online retailer removed the pre-order option, imposed shipping delays, and slashed discounts on the book publisher's titles, the reaction against Amazon was swift and fierce. But the story of the Amazon-Hachette dispute is anything but simple, and raises critical questions about the future of the book publishing industry. What is really at stake for th...
Jul 03, 2014•1 hr 35 min
When you've written biographies on Sophia Loren, Ernest Hemingway and Doris Day you're bound to have some pretty incredible stories. This week on the podcast we join editor, novelist, playwright, and biographer A. E. Hotchner as he reflects on some memorable moments from impressive career.
Jun 26, 2014•34 min