American Literature

This program looks back at the life and work of Aldous Huxley. Best known for Brave New World, Huxley left behind a large body of work, from his early novels which helped set the mood of the Roaring Twenties, to his essay The Doors of Perception," which became the manifesto of the 1960s drug culture. The program evaluates Huxley's legacy with the poet Stephen Spender, close friends Yehudi Menuhin and Huston Smith, the late drug guru Timothy Leary, biographers Sybille Bedford and David Bradshaw, critic John Carey, geneticist Steve Jones, Huxley's widow Laura and his son Matthew, and in extracts from archival interviews with Aldous Huxley himself. Filmed in California, where Huxley spent most of his life, and in Maryland and England, the program features numerous extracts from Huxley's major works. (50 minutes)"

Being black, being a woman, and being a writer is just the most wonderful challenge. It's like having three eyes, three hearts, rather than one," says the author of The Color Purple in this profile, as she relives her journey from an impoverished childhood in rural Georgia to the peace and creativity of her present life in northern California. Alice Walker describes how the Civil Rights movement transformed her life, defines her concept of "womanism," and explains her recurrent theme of a woman's recovery of wholeness through resistance to racism and sexism. (33 minutes)"

What were Alice Walker's motivations in writing Everyday Use"? In this program, the author discusses her short story with her official biographer, Evelyn C. White. Over the course of the interview, Walker talks about the autobiographical aspects of the story, the significance of quilting to African-American women, the perception of class differences, and the important life lessons she wished to explore. (23 minutes)"

Maggie sees the old family quilt-an heirloom already promised to her-as something with practical utility as well as tradition. Her educated, social activist sister wants to hang it on the wall as folk art. With whom will their mother side? A study in class differences and the reclamation of Black history, Alice Walker's short story Everyday Use" is beautifully realized in this dramatization. (26 minutes)"

This two-part series offers an in-depth study of Alice Walker's widely studied short story Everyday Use," combining a poignant film adaptation with a focused interview of the author conducted by her official biographer, Evelyn C. White. 2-part series, 23-26 minutes each."

This program features readings and comments by the late Allen Ginsberg. Ginsberg analyzes the poetry of Blake, then reads from his own poems, Do the Meditation Rock" and "Skeleton." Other poets include Vietnamese-born Le Thi Diem Thuy, Robert Hass, Mark Doty, Marie Howe, and Yusef Komunyakaa. Komunyakaa, Li-Young Lee, Louis Jenkins, and Hass discuss poetic interpretations of personal and political history, and provide examples through readings from their poems. Filmed at the Biennial Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival. (60 minutes)"

The U.S. Poet Laureate has a unique opportunity to shape America's literary terrain-by fostering public appreciation of poetry and by continuing to produce his or her own work. This NewsHour collection profiles six such honorees at the onset of their terms. Each author reflects on experiences that have influenced his writing and describes what he hopes to accomplish during his tenure. In addition, each laureate reads a few of his own poems. Robert Pinsky delivers a compelling rendition of December Blues," Ted Kooser movingly presents "Father," and Stanley Kunitz records a powerful recitation of "The Layers." Donald Hall, Robert Hass, and Billy Collins are also featured. (60 minutes)"

Updike, Roth, Barth, Irving: their names reverberate in the halls of modern American literature. In this NewsHour program, these four literary icons-along with the highly regarded writers Frank McCourt and Susan Sontag-offer insights into their books and the heady, and sometimes frustrating, process of writing them. Episodes include... • Irish Ashes-A Conversation with Frank McCourt: Elizabeth Farnsworth speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Frank McCourt about his Irish childhood and his best-selling memoir Angela's Ashes. • Art of the Story-A Conversation with John Barth: Elizabeth Farnsworth is joined by John Barth, author of epic-length novels and the shortest of short stories, to talk about storytelling and his book On with the Story. • From Print to Film-A Conversation with John Irving: Elizabeth Farnsworth interviews novelist/screenwriter John Irving on adapting his novels for the cinema, with a focus on The Cider House Rules. • Wake Up, America-A Conversation with Susan Sontag: Be serious, be passionate, wake up." Elizabeth Farnsworth engages writer/photographer Susan Sontag on her book In America. • Early Years, Early Stories-A Conversation with John Updike: Jeffrey Brown speaks with John Updike about his early career as an author and his anthology The Early Stories: 1953-1975. • The Plot Thickens-A Conversation with Philip Roth: Jeffrey Brown and author Philip Roth talk about Roth's novel The Plot Against America. • Philip Roth-Looking Back: Jeffrey Brown and Philip Roth examine the creative process against the backdrop of Roth's long and prolific career as a writer of fiction. (75 minutes)"

Artist/activist Amiri Baraka has managed to alter not merely the face of African-American writing, but its very sound and substance as well: among the first to promote Africanized English, he also introduced an element of jazz into poetry. In this program, Bill Moyers and Mr. Baraka discuss topics centering on the black experience in America. Readings by Mr. Baraka spotlight Funklore," "First Fire," "The Pet's Reward," "X," "Wise-Africa," "Wise-One," "Wise-Ghosts," and others. Filmed at the Biennial Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival. (27 minutes)"

In the 1950s, Senator Joseph McCarthy set up the Un-American Activities Committee to combat the growing threat" of communism in the U.S. Playwright Arthur Miller was one of many writers summoned to testify at this political witch-hunt. Miller, who was nearly ruined, said that until that time he had not understood the "inexplicable darkness" that prevented people from seeing evil and denouncing it-the central theme in The Crucible, based on the Salem witch trials. Interweaving rarely seen excerpts from the BBC production of the play with dramatizations of congressional hearing testimony, this powerful documentary highlights fundamental themes in common with both, and their influence on the playwright's development. A BBC Production. (29 minutes)"

In this exclusive interview, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Arthur Miller speaks about his life and career. Beginning in New York, Miller traces his early years through the Great Depression, offering insights into how this lean time influenced his work. A portion of the program is devoted to a discussion of the 1950s McCarthy hearings and their impact on the development of Miller's masterwork, The Crucible. Film excerpts from Death of a Salesman, After the Fall, and A View from the Bridge are interwoven with Miller's observations on the political and poetic nature of his plays, and on the art of writing. A BBC Production. (76 minutes)

For 15 years, National Humanities Medalist Maxine Hong Kingston has been working with veterans-soldiers from World War II, from Vietnam, and now, from Iraq-to convert the ghosts of war into the poetry, fiction, and nonfiction that Kingston believes will help them survive. In this program, Bill Moyers speaks with Kingston about her book Veterans of War, Veterans of Peace, an anthology called powerful and finely written" by the Chicago Tribune. This timely work is the distilled wisdom of warriors and their loved ones expressing themselves with breathtaking artistry and truth. Broadcast date: May 25, 2007. (58 minutes)"

Catch-22, a classic among antiwar satires, added a dark new term to the English language and became an anti-establishment icon of the Vietnam War generation. This program, filmed in 1995, brings together Joseph Heller, Art Buchwald, Bill Mauldin, Catch-22 director Mike Nichols, Alan Yossarian" Arkin, members of Heller's own wartime bomber squadron, and others to unravel the novel's characters and the attitudes and institutions they represent. With more than 10 million copies sold worldwide, Yossarian unquestionably lives. Some content may be objectionable. A Discovery University Production. (51 minutes)"

Coleman Barks, Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Georgia, has become the primary conduit for translating into English the ecstatic poetry of the 13th-century Sufi poet Jelaluddin Rumi, the bard of Islam. In this program, Bill Moyers and Dr. Barks discuss topics including the intricate challenge of transforming antiquated Persian idiom into modern English while retaining its essence. Readings by Dr. Barks spotlight five of Rumi's marvelous poems and his own Love for Clouds," "A Wish," "New Year's Day Now," "Final Exam," and "Club." Filmed at the Biennial Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival. (27 minutes)"

In this program, two poets reflect on the cultural legacies they have inherited. Lucille Clifton and David Mura bring their talent and humor to bear as they look at the past and the lives they live in America today. Filmed at the Biennial Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival. (58 minutes)