We sit down with U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith to discuss the ideas that drive her writing. Considered among the best poets of her generation, Smith won the Pulitzer Prize in 2011 for her collection, "Life on Mars," which melds science and science fiction with the discoveries, failures, and oddities of the human experience. She reads poems from her past collections and from her forthcoming book, "Wade in the Water," to be published in April 2018. (Season 2, Episode 09 - Revolutionary Writers...
Dec 12, 2017•52 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast Willie Nelson is a superstar of country music (Red Headed Stranger, Shotgun Willie, Stardust). He reinvented the genre as one of the founding fathers of outlaw country, forging a style of music that went against the convention of its time. Filmmaker Steven Cantor sat down with Willie to talk about how he got his start in this 2002 interview. [American Masters Willie Nelson: Still Is Still Moving (2002)]. (Season 2, Episode 08 - Revolutionary Writers)
Nov 26, 2017•25 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Will Oldham is an enigmatic singer/songwriter who commonly performs under the name Bonnie "Prince" Billy. For decades, his music and lyrics have explored the human experience with great intensity and respect. With an ear finely tuned to history, Oldham speaks candidly about the role music plays in the past, present and future of our culture in this new interview. (Season 2, Episode 07 - Revolutionary Writers)
Nov 05, 2017•51 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Edgar Allan Poe is a global literary icon, best known for his Gothic horror tales. Actor Denis OHare stars as Poe in the new documentary American Masters Edgar Allan Poe: Buried Alive. Listen to O'Hare read The Raven and Annabel Lee with an original score by Damon Hardjowirogo (Infinity Shred), then learn about the poems and Poes legacy from Dennis Paoli, professor of gothic fiction at Hunter College. The documentary premieres October 30 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and will be availa...
Oct 21, 2017•34 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Known as "The Horror Master," John Carpenter is Hollywood's ultimate auteur of fright. In this new interview, the writer, director and composer talks about his career and the constantly shifting horror landscape. Internationally renowned for genre classics including "Halloween," "They Live," "Escape from New York," "The Thing" and "Christine," he is touring this fall in support of his new album, "Anthology: Movie Themes 1974-1998." (Season 2, Episode 05 - Revolutionary Writers)
Oct 07, 2017•27 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast In this new interview, comedian Margaret Cho talks about her career and the role comedy plays in dealing with the current social climate. An outspoken advocate for LGBT, Asian-American and womens rights, Cho created the first primetime sitcom featuring an Asian-American cast, and currently she can be seen performing stand-up on her Fresh Off The Bloat comedy tour. (Season 2, Episode 04 - Revolutionary Writers)
Sep 23, 2017•38 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Satire is often described as one of the most powerful tools against tyranny. Listen to a previously unreleased interview with legendary comedian Mel Brooks, who reveals how his experience as a soldier in the U.S. Army during World War II led to his groundbreaking satirical comedy The Producers. Brooks earned Oscar and Tony awards for writing the hit film and musical, cementing his status as one of Americas sharpest wits. [American Masters Mel Brooks: Make A Noise (2013)]. (Season 2, Episode 03 -...
Sep 12, 2017•22 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast American Masters: Tyrus filmmaker Pamela Tom interviews filmmakers/artists Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi, who discuss their Oscar-nominated animated short The Dam Keeper and artist Tyrus Wongs influence on their work. See their work and learn more about Wong in American Masters: Tyrus, premiering September 8 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and streaming September 9 at http://pbs.org/americanmasters and PBS OTT apps.
Sep 06, 2017•20 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Witch hunts, political hysteria, and paranoia! Listen to previously unreleased interviews with Tony- and Pulitzer-winning playwright Arthur Miller and actresses Madeleine Sherwood and Lee Grant, who explore the themes of Millers landmark play The Crucible (1953). Published amidst the milieu of government persecution when McCarthyism struck Hollywood, the play is a stark and powerful allegory of the era with lasting implications. [American Masters Arthur Miller, Elia Kazan and the Blacklist: None...
Aug 27, 2017•25 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast Season 2 of the American Masters Podcast looks at the artists that challenge and shape our thoughts through the power of the written word. We begin with a new interview with Pulitzer Prize-winner and MacArthur Genius Award recipient Suzan-Lori Parks (Topdog/Underdog, The Red Letter Plays, Venus), who discusses her writing, inspirations and teaching the arts, and performs original music. (Season 2, Episode 01 - Revolutionary Writers)
Aug 13, 2017•1 hr 11 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Host and series executive producer Michael Kantor sits down with Ruben Santiago-Hudson, director of August Wilsons Jitney, which makes its Broadway debut this week at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Santiago-Hudson discusses the impact that Wilson has made as one of the most prolific African-American playwrights of the 20th century. Tune in to your local PBS station for American Masters August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand, which airs tonight, January 20th at 10 PM EST (Check your local li...
Jan 11, 2017•29 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Listen as host and series executive producer Michael Kantor sits down with Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, co-directors of American Masters Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You. The two veteran filmmakers share their experiences working in the film industry, and most recently with nonagenarian producer Norman Lear as their subject. The documentary is streaming now at http://pbs.org/americanmasters and is available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital HD from PBS Distribution. (Season 1, Episode 10 - Wo...
Oct 21, 2016•30 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Comedian Hasan Minhaj, senior correspondent for The Daily Show, shares a personal story with legendary producer Norman Lear, recorded live at this summers New York premiere of American Masters Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You. The documentary premieres nationwide Tuesday, October 25 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and is available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital HD from PBS Distribution.
Oct 10, 2016•19 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast We remember novelist Gloria Naylor, who died September 28, 2016, at the age of 66. Best known for The Women of Brewster Place, which received the National Book Award in 1983, and was adapted into a 1989 miniseries produced by Oprah Winfrey, Naylor speaks compassionately and critically about the notion of the American Dream. She explores this theme in three American classics: Nella Larsens novel Passing (1929), F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby (1925) and John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath (...
Oct 08, 2016•34 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Listen to singer-songwriters Joan Baez and Dar Williams perform as a duet in this impromptu rendition of If I Wrote You, written by Dar Williams. This exclusive performance is from the cutting room floor of award-winning filmmaker Mary Whartons American Masters Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound (2009). (Season 1, Episode 08 Bonus Track - Women on Women)
Oct 02, 2016•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast American folk music icon Joan Baez began her singer-songwriting career during the 1960s counterculture movement and celebrated her 75th birthday this year. Listen in on this conversation between Baez and fellow singer-songwriter Dar Williams as they share anecdotes about life on the road together, their musical collaborations and how theyve influenced each others lives and art. This never-before-heard interview is from the cutting room floor of award-winning filmmaker Mary Whartons American Mast...
Sep 23, 2016•34 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Before jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald became the First Lady of Song and earned 13 Grammy Awards, she spent much of her teenage years as an orphan, finding odd jobs to get by and, at times, living on the street. Filmmaker Charlotte Zwerin interviews journalist Nina Bernstein and Fitzgeralds longtime friend June Norton, who discuss one of the singers most difficult periods. Enduring harsh conditions at an abusive reformatory program in Hudson, New York, Fitzgerald faced prejudiced policies common in ...
Sep 10, 2016•24 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Celebrate the 2016 U.S. Open with tennis superstars Chris Evert and Venus Williams, who discuss athlete and social icon Billie Jean Kings impact both on and off the tennis court with filmmaker James Erskine. King won 39 Grand Slam titles, including a record 20 titles at Wimbledon, and was the first female athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A lifelong champion for social change and equality, shes created new inroads for both genders in and out of sports. [American Masters: Bill...
Aug 28, 2016•20 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist Patti Smith discusses the early days of punk rock. In this never-before-heard interview from American Masters Lou Reed: Rock-And-Roll Heart (1998) conducted by filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Smith paints a picture of the vibrant music scene of 1970s New York City, talks about her influences and shares her thoughts on art, poetry, censorship and punk. (Season 1, Episode 05 - Women on Women)
Aug 12, 2016•22 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Late comedian, actress, producer and television legend Lucille Ball would have turned 105 years old this year on August 6. Celebrate her birthday with actresses Doris Singleton, Fran Drescher, and Carol Burnett, who discuss Lucy's successes and challenges as one of America's first women media moguls and television sensations. Lucys contributions helped flip the script on the role of women in comedy: an impact that is still felt to this day [American Masters Finding Lucy (2000)]. (Season 1, Episo...
Jul 31, 2016•28 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast American comedian, actor and nonagenarian Betty White sits down with director Kyra Thompson to discuss the life and career of comedian, actor, singer and writer Carol Burnett. White shares personal anecdotes from her time spent working with Burnett and talks about The Carol Burnett Shows lasting influence, Lucille Ball and how comedy and audiences have changed [American Masters Carol Burnett: A Woman of Character (2007)]. (Season 1, Episode 03 - Women on Women)
Jul 15, 2016•26 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast American singer, dancer, actress and civil rights activist Lena Horne discusses the difficulties of navigating the 1940s and 1950s Hollywood studio system and her involvement in the civil rights movement. As a trailblazing person of color within the entertainment industry, Horne recollects times spent with Count Basie, Medgar Evers, Billy Strayhorn and others [American Masters Lena Horne: In Her Own Voice (1996)]. (Season 1, Episode 02 - Women on Women)
Jul 03, 2016•33 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast The first season of the American Masters Podcast presents interviews with influential women discussing women who have impacted our cultural landscape. Who better to kick off the season than American journalist and activist Gloria Steinem? Listen to her conversation with the late documentary filmmaker Gail Levin as they take a critical look at the life and career of Marilyn Monroe [American Masters Marilyn: Still Life (2006)]. (Season 1, Episode 01 - Women on Women)
Jun 17, 2016•27 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast The poet Muriel Rukeyser once wrote that the Universe is made of stories, not of atoms. The American Masters Podcast brings you previously unreleased long-form interviews from the series' 30+ years of award-winning documentary films. Listen to host and series executive producer Michael Kantor preview just a few of the many enduring voices from our archive that have left an indelible impression on our cultural landscape. Come back soon to hear our first full episode and subscribe now!
Jun 10, 2016•1 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
