PBS Books

2023 Hispanic Heritage Month - Author Highlights
2023-10-04 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
Streams on Wed., Oct. 4, 8 pm ET | 5 pm PT
Over the years, PBS Books has interviewed numerous talented Hispanic authors who write across various genres and for ages. In Honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, PBS Books pays tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively impacted and enriched our nation and society. To celebrate US Latinos and their culture and history, PBS Books will feature moments of our conversations with Hector Tobar, Maria Hinijosa, Kelly Lytle Hernández, Juliet Menendez, Claribel Oretega, Meg Medina and many more.
To see the full PBS Books Library of Author Talks and our suggested booklist, go to pbsbooks.org/hispanicheritage.
Featured Authors
Hector Tobar
Maria Hinijosa
Kelly Lytle Hernández
Juliet Menéndez
Claribel Ortega
Meg Medina

The Land of the Sun and the River of Spirits with Carolina Caycedo, David de Rozas, and Juan Macias Somi Se’k | The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series
2023-10-06 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Halifax)
This speaker event is recorded live on Thursday, September 28, 2023, at 5:30 pm at the Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI.
Somi Se’k (The Land of the Sun-La tierra del Sol) is how the Estok Gna, the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas, refer to the lands on both sides of the River of Spirits (Rio Grande), comprising the Chihuahuan Desert, the Rio Grande Valley, and its delta. Somi Se’k, is not just a name, nor a neutral place, but a multilayered net of universes where the region’s present, past, and future are still in conversation. Caycedo, de Rozas, and Mancias’s talk will focus on Texas’ native people’s philosophy, their profound knowledge and relationship to the land, and their continuous struggle to maintain their culture and lifeways against ongoing forms of colonization, erasure, and extraction.
Learn More>>

The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series Fall 2023 Season
This winter, the Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series brings respected leaders and innovators from a broad spectrum of creative fields to Ann Arbor’s historic Michigan Theater for weekly in-person events.
Detroit Public Television and PBS Books, in partnership with the Stamps School, will stream each week’s event Fridays at 8pm.
See the full schedule of events livestreamed by PBS Books here.
Some programs may not be available online, depending on artist requests. Interested in receiving notifications before online videos go live? Sign up to receive a reminder before each event begins streaming.
Watch Past Penny Stamps Episodes

Visions of America: Author Talk with Carlos Eire
2023-10-11 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
Visions of America HomeEpisodes
Streams on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2023 8pm ET | 5pm PT
Program Description:
PBS Books and Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)  are partnering on "Visions of America: All Stories, All People, All Places,"   PBS Books premiered "Visions of America: A Journey to the Freedom Tower – Stories of Cuban Migration to Miami" in September. The inspiration for this episode is Carlos Eire's "Waiting for Snow in Havana" and "Learning to Die in Miami". IMLS Director Crosby Kemper speaks with award-winning writer and scholar Carlos Eire to discuss his books, his life, and his experiences as an immigrant, an exile, and an American. Gain personal insights into a Cuban's experience and Pedro Pan, an unaccompanied children's exodus from Cuba. As you celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, don't miss this opportunity to hear a lesser-known American story.
To hear more about "Visions of America: A Journey to the Freedom Tower – Stories of Cuban Migration to Miami" go to visionsofamerica.org.
About the Author: Carlos Eire
Carlos Eire is a historian of late medieval and early modern Europe at Yale University who focuses on the Protestant and Catholic Reformations; the history of popular piety; the history of the supernatural, and the history of death.
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At Yale he has served as chair of the Religious Studies Department and the Renaissance Studies Program. Before joining the Yale faculty in 1996, he taught at St. John’s University in Minnesota and the University of Virginia, and was a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton for two years. He is the author of War Against the Idols (1986); From Madrid to Purgatory(1995); A Very Brief History of Eternity (2010); Reformations: The Early Modern World (2016); and The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila: A Biography (2019), and They Flew: A History of the Impossible (2023). He is also co-author of Jews, Christians, Muslims: An Introduction to Monotheistic Religions (1997). In 2003 he won the National Book Award in Nonfiction for his first memoir Waiting for Snow in Havana (2003), which covers the Cuban Revolution and its immediate aftermath and has been translated into more than a dozen languages.
His second memoir, Learning to Die in Miami (2010), explores his early years in exile. His book Reformations won the R.R.Hawkins Prize for Best Book of the Year from the American Publishers Association, as well as the award for Best Book in the Humanities. It was also awarded the Jaroslav Pelikan Prize by Yale University Press. All of his books are banned in Cuba, where he has been proclaimed an enemy of the state – a distinction he regards as the highest of all honors.
“Waiting for Snow in Havana”
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“Waiting for Snow in Havana“ is both an exorcism and an ode to a paradise lost. For the Cuba of Carlos’s youth—with its lizards and turquoise seas and sun-drenched siestas—becomes an island of condemnation once a cigar-smoking guerrilla named Fidel Castro ousts President Batista on January 1, 1959. Suddenly the music in the streets sounds like gunfire. Christmas is made illegal, political dissent leads to imprisonment, and too many of Carlos’s friends are leaving Cuba for a place as far away and unthinkable as the United States. Carlos will end up there, too, and fulfill his mother’s dreams by becoming a modern American man—even if his soul remains in the country he left behind. Narrated with the urgency of a confession, Waiting for Snow in Havana is a eulogy for a native land and a loving testament to the collective spirit of Cubans everywhere.
“Learning to Die in Miami”
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The memoir, “Waiting for Snow in Havana”, won the 2003 National Book Award. Carlos Eire narrates his coming of age in Cuba just before and during the Castro revolution. That book literally ends in midair as eleven-year-old Carlos and his older brother leave Havana on an airplane—along with thousands of other children—to begin their new life in Miami in 1962. It would be years before he would see his mother again. He would never again see his beloved father. “Learning to Die in Miami ” opens as the plane lands and Carlos faces, with trepidation and excitement, his new life. He quickly realizes that in order for his new American self to emerge, his Cuban self must “die.” And so, with great enterprise and purpose, he begins his journey. We follow Carlos as he adjusts to life in his new home. Faced with learning English, attending American schools, and an uncertain future, young Carlos confronts the age-old immigrant’s plight: being surrounded by American bounty, but not able to partake right away. The abundance America has to offer excites him and, regardless of how grim his living situation becomes, he eagerly forges ahead with his own personal assimilation program, shedding the vestiges of his old life almost immediately, even changing his name to Charles. Cuba becomes a remote and vague idea in the back of his mind, something he used to know well, but now it “had ceased to be part of the world.”
About the Moderator: Crosby Kemper
Crosby Kemper is the sixth director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. He was commissioned by the White House on January 24, 2020, following his confirmation by the United States Senate. IMLS, an independent government agency, is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s museums and libraries.
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Kemper is a dedicated advocate for education and learning for people of all ages and backgrounds. He came to IMLS from the Kansas City Public Library, where as director, he established the library as one of the city’s leading cultural destinations and a hub of community engagement. Kemper also served as chair of the board of directors of the Schools, Health, & Libraries Broadband Coalition, which supports open, affordable broadband connections for local community organizations.
Beginning his IMLS tenure at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kemper provided exceptional support and leadership to communities by elevating issues of pandemic impact, poverty, race, and the digital divide as part of the IMLS grantmaking process. Understanding the urgent need, Kemper delivered American Rescue Plan Act and CARES Act monies to grantees quickly and efficiently, with a focus on community impact in a time of extreme dislocation. Under his leadership, IMLS also created the REALM (REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums) project using CARES Act funds, a partnership to directly respond to the lack of information on the virus specifically for library and museum materials and spaces, as well as to research protocols and procedures for reopening.
Along with leaders of fellow cultural agencies the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Kemper is a member of the re-established President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, as well as the congressionally mandated Information Literacy Taskforce.
He is an ex officio member of the US Semiquincentennial Commission. As such, he has engaged museum, library, and arts leaders in deep conversations about American history and the Semiquincentennial. He also launched IMLS’s 250 initiative, “IMLS 250: All Stories. All People. All Places.”

Recover Faster: Building Resilience in Uncert(AI)n Times with John Maeda | The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series
2023-10-15 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Halifax)
This speaker event is recorded live on Thursday, October 5, 2023, at 5:30 pm in the Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI.
Life is a series of hurdles, and setbacks are inevitable. Join John Maeda as he explores the art of recovering faster and developing resilience in the face of adversity. In this talk, Maeda shares practical strategies for overcoming obstacles, bouncing back from failures, and navigating the many uncertainties in life. And given that we have entered a new era of disruptive AI technologies, Maeda also walks through how to deal with the new breed of uncert(AI)nties coming our way.
John Maeda (MBA, PhD) is a Vice President of Design and Artificial Intelligence at Microsoft. He is an American technologist and designer whose work explores where business, design, and technology merge to make space for the ​“humanist technologist.”
Learn More>>

The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series Fall 2023 Season
This winter, the Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series brings respected leaders and innovators from a broad spectrum of creative fields to Ann Arbor’s historic Michigan Theater for weekly in-person events.
Detroit Public Television and PBS Books, in partnership with the Stamps School, will stream each week’s event Fridays at 8pm.
See the full schedule of events livestreamed by PBS Books here.
Some programs may not be available online, depending on artist requests. Interested in receiving notifications before online videos go live? Sign up to receive a reminder before each event begins streaming.
Watch Past Penny Stamps Episodes

Climate Conversation with Author Ben Goldfarb
2023-10-18 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
Streams live on Wed. October 18, 2023 at 8pm ET | 5pm PT
Program Description:
PBS Books talks with award-winning journalist and author Ben Goldfarb to discuss his latest book “CROSSING: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet” and his Award-winning book “Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter”. This program is offered in conjunction with the new PBS initiative to explore the environmental and climate impacts on the country and planet; PBS Books is committed to highlighting the environment and its impacts on history and society.
Ben discusses the science of how roads and transportation infrastructure have shaped our natural world, the importance of habitat connectivity that can impair wildlife access to resources needed for survival, and the efforts to balance how humans and nature can co-exist in this ever-changing world. Ben also talks about the importance of re-introducing North America’s greatest architect, the beaver, who can help bring back much of the North American natural landscape.
PBS is committed to bringing together the very best in science, history, and news programming. PBS is proud to offer a broad slate of programs, building on more than 200 hours of climate and environmental content currently available on its various platforms. The programs explore climate change from a diversity of perspectives and include new productions such as “Human Footprint“; Season Two of  “America Outdoors with Baratunde Thurston” , “NOVA” and “Nature“;  ”Weathered“, a digital-first series from PBS Digital Studios; and more.
About the Author:
Ben Goldfarb, Award-Winning Conservation Journalist & Author
Ben Goldfarb is an environmental journalist whose work has appeared in publications including National Geographic, the Atlantic, and the New York Times. He is the author of “Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet” and “Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter”, winner of the PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. He lives in Colorado with his wife, Elise, and his dog, Kit — which is, of course, what you call a baby beaver.
About the Book:
“CROSSING: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet”
An eye-opening account of the global ecological transformations wrought by roads, from the award-winning author of Eager. Some 40 million miles of roadways encircle the earth, yet we tend to regard them only as infrastructure for human convenience.
While roads are so ubiquitous they're practically invisible to us, wild animals experience them as entirely alien forces of death and disruption. In "Crossings", environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb travels throughout the United States and around the world to investigate how roads have transformed our planet. A million animals are killed by cars each day in the U.S. alone, but as the new science of road ecology shows, the harms of highways extend far beyond roadkill. This book explores these impacts.

His Final Presentation with Chris Van Allsburg | The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series
2023-10-20 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Halifax)
This speaker event was recorded live on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 5:30 pm in the Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI.
Chris Van Allsburg is one of America’s most innovative picture book creators. Since 1979, his books have blurred the line between fantasy and reality. His illustrations are provocative and eerie, often hinting at an alternate reality lurking behind the next page. His book Jumanji and its sequel Zathura became a series of Hollywood films. His most recognized book, The Polar Express, was also adapted for the big screen and is one of the bestselling children’s books of all time.
Van Allsburg has written and/​or illustrated 21 books. He was awarded the Caldecott Medal for Jumanji and The Polar Express and received a Caldecott Honor for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. He has received the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children’s literature, a National Book Award, and has been inducted into The Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame, among many other honors. He lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts.
Learn More>>

The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series Fall 2023 Season
This winter, the Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series brings respected leaders and innovators from a broad spectrum of creative fields to Ann Arbor’s historic Michigan Theater for weekly in-person events.
Detroit Public Television and PBS Books, in partnership with the Stamps School, will stream each week’s event Fridays at 8pm.
See the full schedule of events livestreamed by PBS Books here.
Some programs may not be available online, depending on artist requests. Interested in receiving notifications before online videos go live? Sign up to receive a reminder before each event begins streaming.
Watch Past Penny Stamps Episodes

An Evening with Martin Baron and Stephen Henderson
2023-10-23 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
Talk streams live on Monday, Oct. 23 at 8pm ET | 5pm PT
Program Description:
For eight years, Martin Baron served as executive editor of The Washington Post, leading its newsroom from Jeff Bezos’s purchase of the paper to the election and presidency of Donald Trump. Join Baron in conversation with Stephen Henderson for a discussion on Baron’s new book, “Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and The Washington Post,” as he details his tenure at The Post and examines larger issues of the press and its role in democracy.
The author’s book will be available for sale onsite by Source Booksellers.
See more Wallace House events>>

Visions of America: Exploring the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle - Stories of the Asian Pacific American Experience
2023-10-25 20:00 - 22:30 (America/Detroit)
Visions of America HomeEpisodes
Program Description:
In this episode, Institute of Museum and Library Services Director Crosby Kemper explores Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) history and culture in Seattle beginning with a visit to the Wing Luke Museum. Established in 1967, the Wing Luke Museum is an art and history museum that focuses on art, history, and culture of Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians; it is the only pan-Asian community-based museum in the US.
After a museum exhibition tour with current director Joel Tan, Crosby meets with recently retired director Beth Takekawa and author Lawrence Matsuda for a discussion of the resilience of Japanese Americans during the internment of World War II. Then, former Washington governor Gary Locke shares about his own Seattle roots and the history of the city’s Chinatown-International District before a visit with Bettie Luke, the youngest sister of Wing Luke. Bettie discusses her brother’s legacy in the community and her own lifetime spent working for social justice concerns.
About Visions of America
Visions of America – All Stories, All People, All Places, hosted by Institute of Museum and Library Services Director Crosby Kemper, explores our great nation and uses its diverse collection of museums, libraries and historians both familiar and new to tell some of the lesser-known stories that have flown under the radar in our shared legacy of American Independents. Over the course of 3 half-hour episodes in its first season, the program journeys to different historical sites throughout the nation for conversations that will tell the engaging but sometimes hidden stories that resonate with where we are at as a nation today. and maybe give some insight and inspiration on how we got here. But history doesn’t just exist in a museum. Each episode will also venture out into the cities these institutions call home to delve further into what makes each of these communities so important to our national identity, all with the help of local historians who know the stories of their community better than anyone.

Guest Biographies:
Joël Barraquiel Tan, Executive Director of the Wing Luke Museum
Joël Barraquiel Tan is the executive director of the Wing Luke Museum, a community-focused Asian and Pacific Islander museum in Seattle dedicated to arts, culture, heritage and preservation. An executive with 30 years of leadership experience, Barraquiel Tan is responsible for leading the Wing Luke Museum through its growth and expansion. A passionate cultural entrepreneur and artist with a proven track record of success, he brings experience in community building, innovating new programming and promoting arts engagement to his role.
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Barraquiel Tan earned a BA from the University of California, Berkley, an MFA from Antioch University and an MFT from Northcentral University.
Affiliated with the Smithsonian Institute and the National Parks Service, the Wing Luke Museum is the only pan-Asian and Pacific Islander Museum in the country that promotes inspired action through authentic storytelling and community co-created exhibitions, tours, public programs, retail, advocacy, media, and a wide array of educational programs.

Beth Takekawa, Former Executive Director of the Wing Luke Museum
Beth Takekawa retired in August 2021 from her position as Executive Director of the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience (The Wing). She joined the Museum staff 24 years previously as its first Associate Director. She became Executive Director in January 2008.
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The Wing Luke Museum is a community-based cultural anchor in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District. It is the nation’s only museum representing Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. The Wing is the first Smithsonian Institution affiliate in the Northwest, and an Affiliated Area of the National Park Service.
At the start of her employment The Wing’s operating budget was under $1Million and it leased a historic auto garage as its home. During the next ten years the Museum’s board, staff and supporters strengthened its public impact and financial strength. They conducted an unprecedented capital campaign and expansion project, raising $25 Million. With these funds the museum purchased a historic 1910 rooming house in Seattle’s Chinatown, the first major structure in the neighborhood. Over the years it became largely vacant when the descendants of the early Chinese immigrants who built it were unable to maintain it.
In 2008 the Wing Luke Museum opened its doors in its rehabilitated home, the East Kong Yick Building. Simultaneously the 2008/9 Great Recession occurred. This was an intensely difficult climate to expand the business, especially in a low-income urban setting. Everybody pulled together and learned fast, resulting in a successful expansion. Today the Museum is recognized as the district’s economic driver, and it programs its business offerings to serve this role.
Beth served as a board member of the National Museum and Library Services Board (2017-2023), nominated by President Obama in 2016. Former WA state governor Christine Gregoire appointed her a Washington State Arts Commissioner (2009-2015). She was a National Planning Committee member for the Minidoka National Internment Site, which recognizes the U.S. government’s unjust incarceration of 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent during WWII, including her entire family.
Beth is a 2011 Salzburg Global Seminars Fellow, one of 56 leaders worldwide discussing museums and libraries in the era of participatory culture. She continues over 21 years of service as a board member for the International District Emergency Center, an emergency response nonprofit serving Seattle’s Chinatown-International District.
She is a former cellist, with music degree from University of Minnesota/Hunter College.

Gary Locke, 21st Governor of Washington State, U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and American Ambassador to China
As Governor of Washington State (the first Chinese American to be elected governor in United States history and the first Asian American governor on the mainland), U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and America's Ambassador to China, Gary Locke has been a leader in the areas of education, employment, trade, health care, human rights, and the environment.
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As Washington’s 21st Governor from 1997-2005, the nation’s most trade dependent state, Mr. Locke increased exports of Washington State products and services by leading trade missions to Mexico, Europe, and Asia, more than doubling the state’s exports to China.
During his tenure, he achieved bipartisan welfare reform and oversaw the gain of 280,000 private sector jobs, despite two national recessions. Mr. Locke also had the most diverse cabinet in state history. More than half his judicial appointments were women and 25% were people of color.
His innovations in government efficiency, customer focus, and priority-based budgeting, as well as successful and under-budget management of high-risk initiatives, have won him acclaim from nationally recognized authors and organizations, including Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. In his two-terms as Governor, Washington was ranked one of America’s four best managed states.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce from 2009-2011, he led President Obama’s National Export Initiative to double American exports in five years; assumed a troubled 2010 Census process but which under his active supervision achieved the most accurate Census in U.S. history, on time and $2 billion under budget; and achieved the most significant reduction in patent application processing in the agency’s history: from 40 months down to one year. With U.S. Secretary of Defense Bob Gates, Mr. Locke also oversaw a significant first step in the president’s export control reform effort that strengthened national security, while making U.S. companies more competitive by easing their licensing burden for high-tech exports.
As U.S. Ambassador to China from 2011-2014, he opened markets for made-in-USA goods and services; reduced wait times for visa interviews of Chinese applicants from 100 days to 3 days; and through the Embassy’s air quality monitoring program, exposed the severity of the air pollution in China, causing the Chinese people to demand action by the government and the government in turn beginning to address the issue.
He is currently Interim President of Bellevue College, the third largest higher education institution in Washington State.
Mr. Locke is Chairman of Locke Global Strategies, providing strategic advice and consulting services to businesses in the U.S. and China across a spectrum of issues including international trade.
He currently serves on the boards of AMC Entertainment Holdings (NYSE: AMC), and nLight (Nasdaq: LASR).
Mr. Locke began his career in public service in the Washington State House of Representatives, serving from 1983-1994. He was then elected King County Executive, serving from 1994-1997.
He is an Eagle Scout and is a recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America. He attended Yale University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science and received his law degree from Boston University.
Full Length Conversation with Gary Locke
Crosby Kemper full conversation with former Washington governor Gary Locke who shares about his own Seattle roots and the history of the city's Chinatown-International District.
Lawrence Matsuda, Writer and Poet
Lawrence Matsuda was born in the Minidoka, Idaho Concentration Camp during World War II. He and his family were among the approximately 120,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese held without due process for three years or more years.
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Matsuda has a Ph.D. in education from the University of Washington and was: a secondary teacher, university counselor, state level administrator, school principal, assistant superintendent, educational consultant, visiting professor at Seattle University (SU), and school design consultant. He retired in 2000 from the School District and from Seattle University in 2006. Currently he is a poet and writer.
In July of 2010, his book of poetry entitled A Cold Wind from Idaho was published by Black Lawrence Press in New York. In 2014, Glimpses of a Forever Foreigner was released, a collaboration between Matsuda and artist Roger Shimomura, who contributed 17 original sketches.
In 2015, Matsuda collaborated with artist Matt Sasaki, and produced two graphic novels:
An American Hero – Shiro Kashino and Fighting for America: Nisei Soldiers funded by the National Park Service and available through the Nisei Veterans Committee Foundation or the Wing Luke Museum. The Shiro Kashino animated version won a 2016 regional Emmy and is available online.
Also in 2016, he and Tess Gallagher collaborated on Boogie-Woogie Crisscross, a book of poetry developed from e-mails they exchanged over a period of three years when she was in Ireland and he was in Seattle. It was reprinted by Cave Moon Press in 2023.
In 2019, his novel based on his mother's life, My Name is Not Viola , was published by Endicott and Hugh Books. His latest book of poetry, Shape Shifter, A Minidoka Concentration Camp Legacy, was released in 2022 by Endicott and Hugh Books and won an honorable mention for the 2022 Idaho Book of the Year award.

Bettie Luke
Bettie Luke is the sister of Wing Luke, after whom Seattle's Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience is named. Her career spans over four decades, during which she has been a champion for diversity and cultural competency. She has conducted diversity training in 36 different states, serving K-12 and higher education institutions, government bodies, and businesses.
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In 1986 and 2011, she organized significant events to commemorate the 1886 Expulsion of Chinese from Seattle and also played a key role in the dedication ceremony of the new Wing Luke Elementary School in August 2021. In September of 2023, she was awarded the prestigious Spirit of America Award by the Chinese American Citizens Alliance.
Luke is also an artist and co-author of two Chinese activity books for children.
Full Length Conversation with Bettie Luke
Crosby Kemper full conversation with Bettie Luke, the youngest sister of Wing Luke, where she discusses her brother's legacy in the community and her own lifetime spent working for social justice concerns.
Full Length Roundtable Conversation at Wing Luke
Crosby Kemper full conversation with recently retired director Beth Takekawa and author Lawrence Matsuda for a discussion of the resilience of Japanese Americans during the internment of World War II.

"Little Amal" Artist Talk with Amir Nizar Zuabi
2023-10-26 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
Streams on Thursday, Oct. 26 at 8pm ET | 5pm PT
Program Description:
This PBS Books presentation of “Little Amal” shares the power of artist Amir Nizar Zuabi extraordinary message of “One Little Girl. One Big Hope.” as his embodiment of a 10-year-old girl is brought to life in the form of a 12-foot puppet who journeys, as many young refugees have, over many miles and many countries.
Little Amal has become a global symbol of human rights and has received invitations from towns and cities all over the world, from people who are eager to help her spread her urgent message: “Don’t forget about us”.
As “Little Amal Walks Across America”, our PBS partner station Detroit Public Television captures the experience in the series One Detroit. Amir reflects on his humbling experience in the creation along with the impact the project has had within himself, the people who have come to share in the experience and Little Amal herself.

Find out more about Little Amal and where her journeys will take her next at WalkWithAmal.org

AI with a Thinking Brush with Refik Anadol | The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series
2023-10-27 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Halifax)
This speaker event is recorded live on Thursday, October 19, 2023, at 5:30 pm in the Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI.
If machines can ​“learn” or ​“process” individual and collective memories, can they also dream or hallucinate about them? Since 2016, world-renowned new media artist Refik Anadol has been exploring the relation between the human mind, aesthetics, machine learning technologies, and architecture to speculate responses to this question. Coining the terms ​“AI Data Painting,” ​“AI Data Sculpture,” and ​“latent cinema,” Anadol has been reflecting on new multi-sensory forms of narrating collective memory in physical and virtual spaces and inviting his audience to imagine alternative and dynamic realities.
Anadol, a Turkish native who is based in LA, is a pioneer in the aesthetics of data and machine intelligence. His work locates creativity at the intersection of humans and machines. Taking the data that surrounds us as primary material, and the neural network of a computerized mind as a collaborator, Anadol offers us radical visualizations of our digitized memories and expands the possibilities of interdisciplinary arts. Anadol’s site-specific data paintings and sculptures, live audio/​visual performances, and immersive installations take many forms, while encouraging us to rethink our engagement with the physical world, collective experiences, public art, decentralized networks, and the creative potential of AI.
Learn More>>

The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series Fall 2023 Season
This winter, the Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series brings respected leaders and innovators from a broad spectrum of creative fields to Ann Arbor’s historic Michigan Theater for weekly in-person events.
Detroit Public Television and PBS Books, in partnership with the Stamps School, will stream each week’s event Fridays at 8pm.
See the full schedule of events livestreamed by PBS Books here.
Some programs may not be available online, depending on artist requests. Interested in receiving notifications before online videos go live? Sign up to receive a reminder before each event begins streaming.
Watch Past Penny Stamps Episodes

Filmmaker Talk with Dayton Duncan
2023-11-01 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
“THE AMERICAN BUFFALO”
Streams on Wed., Nov. 1, 2023 at 8pm ET | 5pm PT
Program Description:
PBS Books hosts a conversation with award-winning filmmaker and writer Dayton Duncan to discuss his latest projects: “THE AMERICAN BUFFALO” a film by Ken Burns and “Blood Memory: The Tragic Decline and Improbably Resurrection of the American Buffalo”. The conversation is especially important as we celebrate Native American Heritage Month in November.
Join us to hear from Ken Burns’ long-time collaborator Dayton Duncan and learn about his work and process in exploring the American Buffalo, their relationship with Native Americans, the impact of calculated Westward expansion, and the unlikely advocates for saving them from extinction.
About the Film:
“THE AMERICAN BUFFALO” a film by Ken Burns, is the biography of America’s national mammal that has found itself at the center of many of the country’s most mythic and heartbreaking tales; this docuseries is a new two-part, four-hour series that premiered Oct. 16 and 17 at 8pm ET and can now be viewed on pbs.org and on the Passport App.
Guest Biography:
Dayton Duncan is an award-winning writer and filmmaker. He is the author of fourteen books and for more than thirty years has collaborated with Ken Burns as a writer and producer of historical documentaries, including “The West, Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery”, “The Dust Bowl”, “Benjamin Franklin”, “Country Music”, and “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” (for which he won two Emmy awards).
Read More About Dayton Duncan
During those thirty years, he has also served as a consultant or consulting producer on virtually all of Burns’s other documentaries, including “The Civil War”, “Baseball”, “Jazz”, “The War”, “Hemingway” and many others.
His most recent collaboration with Burns is as the writer of a four-hour documentary, “THE AMERICAN BUFFALO”, to be broadcast by PBS in October. His book, “Blood Memory: The Tragic Decline and Improbable Resurrection of the American Buffalo”, will be released at the same time.
Duncan has also been involved in many conservation organizations. President Bill Clinton appointed him chair of the American Heritage Rivers Advisory Committee and Secretary of Interior Bruce Babbitt appointed him to the board of the National Park Foundation. In the spring of 2009, the director of the National Park Service named Duncan as an Honorary Park Ranger, an honor bestowed on fewer than 50 people. He has served on the boards of the Student Conservation Association and the National Conservation Lands Foundation, and as a member of the advisory committee for the 2016 centennial of the National Park Service.
He and his wife Dianne split their time between homes in Rindge, New Hampshire, and Savannah.

The Legend of Golem - Author Talk with Adam Mansbach and Dr. Justin Sledge
2023-11-02 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
This program may not be appropriate for children.
Program Description:
PBS Books presents a conversation with New York Times #1 best-selling author, Adam Mansbach, discussing his latest book, “The Golem of Brooklyn”, just released this fall. It’s been described as a “dazzlingly imaginative, ferociously funny story of an art teacher, a bodega clerk and a five-thousand-year-old clay crisis monster (aka the Golem).” Mansbach is joined by Dr. Justin Sledge, a professor of Ethics, Religion and Social-Political Philosophy, to discuss the fabled history of the Golem in Jewish thought, and its history and lessons for contemporary life, including the concept of “tikkun olan (repairing the world).” The moderator is Angelique Power, president and CEO of the Skillman Foundation. The event was hosted by Reboot – a national arts and culture nonprofit that reimagines and reinforces Jewish thought and traditions, in partnership with Detroit Public Television and Detroit Public Theatre.

About Reboot:
Reboot is an arts and culture non-profit that reimagines and reinforces Jewish thought and traditions. As a premier research and development platform for the Jewish world, Reboot catalyzes a network of preeminent creators, artists, entrepreneurs and activists to produce experiences and products that evolve the Jewish conversation and transform society.
To learn more about their work and this program, please visit www.rebooting.com.
Reboot Social Links:

How Do We Remember? with Cannupa Hanska Luger | The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series
2023-11-03 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Halifax)
This speaker event is recorded live on Thursday, October 26, 2023, at 5:30 pm in the Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI.
Multidisciplinary artist Cannupa Hanska Luger creates monumental installations, sculptures, and performances, to communicate urgent stories about 21st-century Indigeneity, incorporating ceramics, steel, fiber, video, and repurposed materials to reclaim and reframe a more accurate version of Native American culture and its global relevance. Luger combines critical cultural analysis with dedication and respect for the diverse materials, environments, and communities he engages while provoking diverse audiences to engage with Indigenous peoples and values apart from the lens of colonial social structuring.
Co-commissioned by UMMA and Monument Lab, the centerpiece of Luger’s newest project You’re Welcome resides on the exterior of UMMA’s building and responds to the question: ​“How do we remember on this campus?” Luger’s work asks the campus and community to reconsider the memories molded into the Museum’s stone — the perspectives that shaped those traditions and the stories that remain unseen in our façade. This artistic interrogation dissects colonialist norms of monument-making, explores the roles of buildings in upholding dominant cultural narratives, and offers an approach to memorials that centers Indigenous perspectives and collaboration to tell fuller stories and histories.
Learn More>>

The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series Fall 2023 Season
This winter, the Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series brings respected leaders and innovators from a broad spectrum of creative fields to Ann Arbor’s historic Michigan Theater for weekly in-person events.
Detroit Public Television and PBS Books, in partnership with the Stamps School, will stream each week’s event Fridays at 8pm.
See the full schedule of events livestreamed by PBS Books here.
Some programs may not be available online, depending on artist requests. Interested in receiving notifications before online videos go live? Sign up to receive a reminder before each event begins streaming.
Watch Past Penny Stamps Episodes

Policy Talks @ the Ford School: Are smart cities smart enough?
2023-11-06 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
Policy Talks @ The Ford School
Talk streams on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at 8:00 PM EST
Join the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy and the Science, Technology, and Public Policy (STPP) Program for a Policy Talks @ the Ford School conversation with former New York City mayor, Bill de Blasio. In conversation with STPP Director Professor Shobita Parthasarathy, the discussion will explore how urban tech is shaping social policy in “smart cities” like New York and beyond. How can we ensure that emerging technology serves the public interest, and what role can local, state, national, and even international policy play?

Guest Biographies
Bill de Blasio, 109th New York City Mayor
Bill de Blasio is an American political leader who served as the 109th mayor of New York City from 2014 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he held the office of New York City Public Advocate from 2010 to 2013. De Blasio started his career as an elected official on the New York City Council, representing the 39th district in Brooklyn from 2002 to 2009.
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As mayor, de Blasio led NYC through the Covid-19 pandemic, turning what was once a global epicenter into the safest city in the country. In 2014, de Blasio created a groundbreaking initiative which ensured that early childhood education became a universal right in the five boroughs. The universal Pre-K and 3-K programs in NYC have become a national model. During his tenure, NYC financed the preservation and construction of over 200,000 affordable homes, the most created by any administration in the City’s history. In 2019, de Blasio launched a first-in-the nation, 6-point action plan to end long-term homelessness. “The Journey Home” initiative was designed to increase access to housing and health care in combination with rapid-response outreach efforts for homeless individuals living in the streets. In fulfilling his campaign promise to end a “tale of two cities,” de Blasio implemented policies which successfully reduced income inequality among New Yorkers and fought alongside them to secure a $15 minimum wage for all workers. In response to the growing climate crisis, de Blasio and the NYC Council passed the Climate Mobilization Act (or the NYC Green New Deal) to make NYC net-carbon-neutral by 2050, as well as groundbreaking legislation to reduce building emissions and to end fossil fuel use in new buildings. Prior to being an elected official, de Blasio served as the campaign manager for Hillary Rodham Clinton’s successful senatorial campaign of 2000 and got his start in NYC government working for Mayor David Dinkins. De Blasio graduated from New York University with a B.A. in Metropolitan Studies and from Columbia University with an M.A. in International Affairs.
Shobita Parthasarathy, Professor of Public Policy; Director, Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program
Parthasarathy studies the governance of emerging science and technology and the politics of evidence and expertise in policy in comparative and international perspective. Her current research focuses on equity in innovation and innovation policy. She co-hosts The Received Wisdom podcast.

Filmmaker Talk with Julianna Brannum
2023-11-08 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
“THE AMERICAN BUFFALO”
Program Description:
As we celebrate Native American Heritage Month, PBS Books hosts a conversation with award-winning filmmaker Julianna Brannum. Brannum is a consulting producer for “THE AMERICAN BUFFALO: A Film by Ken Burns”, as well as director and producer of “HOMECOMING“. Julianna takes us through the creation of these two films and the importance of the Intertribal Buffalo Council and the Bison Conservation and Transfer Program, which is supporting buffalo restoration to Indigenous people.
For thousands of years, Native Americans lives have been spiritually and physically linked to the bison. Julianna shares about this interconnectedness, as well as stories from her family and the Quahada band of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma. Throughout the conversation, she discusses how experiences shaped her perspective of the past and the future for Indigenous people here in the United States.
About the Films:
THE AMERICAN BUFFALO, a new two-part, four-hour series, takes viewers on a journey through more than 10,000 years of North American history and across some of the continent’s most iconic landscapes, tracing the animal’s evolution, its significance to the Indigenous people and landscape of the Great Plains, its near extinction, and the efforts to bring the magnificent mammals back from the brink. THE AMERICAN BUFFALO series premiered in mid-October and is available on Demand at PBS.org and on the PBS Passport app.
Homecoming takes viewers into the 21st century and examines how the InterTribal Buffalo Council’s Bison Conservation and Transfer Program is supporting buffalo restoration to the Indigenous people whose lives, spiritually and physically, were inextricably linked to the bison for thousands of years.
Each winter, approximately 200 bison are transferred to tribal nations around the country. The film follows Jason Baldes, an Eastern Shoshone and a member of the InterTribal Buffalo Council, who was also an advisor to the Burns Film, as he leads historic transfers of bison from the city of Denver, Colorado to his own Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, and from a Nature Conservancy Preserve in Illinois to the Menominee in Wisconsin, communities which will maintain their bison herds to supply a healthy food source and cultural touchstone to their tribal citizens for eternity. The film discusses what living among the bison once again means for Native people––today and for future generations.
Guest Biography:
Julianna Brannum, Filmmaker
Julianna Brannum is a documentary filmmaker based in Oklahoma. She served as Consulting Producer on The American Buffalo, directed by Ken Burns, and as Director and Producer of the short film Homecoming, a companion to Burns’s two part series, both coming to PBS in Fall 2023.
She was Director/Producer of the PBS documentary LaDonna Harris: Indian 101 for which she won fellowships from the Sundance Institute/Ford Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation/Tribeca Film Institute. She was Producer of the Independent Lens documentary, Conscience Point, Series Producer on the 2018 Emmy-nominated PBS series, Native America, and Producer of Through the Repellent Fence, which screened at MoMA and SxSW. She also served as Co-producer for Stanley Nelson’s We Shall Remain: Wounded Knee. Brannum made her directorial debut with The Creek Runs Red which aired on Independent Lens in 2007 and is a citizen of the Quahada band of the Comanche Nation of Oklahoma.

Native America - Filmmaker Talk with Jennifer Johns and Arigon Star
2023-11-15 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
Program Description:
National Director of PBS Books, Heather-Marie Montilla sits down with Indigenous filmmaker Jennifer Johns, series producer of “Native America“, and Arigon Starr, featured musician, writer and artist from the film. This PBS Books Filmmaker Talk highlights the conversations behind the stories in the film and walks through the thoughtful way the filmmakers collaborated with voices of the Native American communities to share these undertold stories and experiences. Jennifer and Arigon reflect on the importance of preserving these stories for future generations and the need to inspire and re-imagine the national dialogue surrounding Native American history and culture.
Season 2 of PBS’s “Native America” premiered on OCT 24. The series can be found on pbs.org/native-america, PBS Passport and on PBS Stations across the country.
Guest Biographies:
Jennifer Johns (Diné), “Native America” Series Producer
Jennifer Johns (Diné) (Series Producer) is a digital storyteller, designer and mentor who was raised and rooted on the Navajo Nation in northwest New Mexico.
Deeply committed to centering cultural memory on the Native American experience, Jen draws upon her experience to lead national research initiatives, manage grant programs, and co-design transformative leadership development experiences for Indigenous participants, including co-directing the Native American Fellowship Program at the Peabody Essex Museum. She has also served on advisory committees for national and global institutions that want to create genuinely reciprocal relationships with Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, makers and talent. She looks forward to continuing to work with BIPOC communities to uplift their voices and share their stories.
Arigon Starr (Kickapoo), “Native America” featured Musician, Writer, and Artist
Arigon Starr is an enrolled member of the Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma and an acclaimed artist, musician, writer, comic book creator, illustrator, and actor.
Starr has garnered accolades such as Best Independent Recording Artist, Single of the Year, and Songwriter of the Year at the Native American Music Awards for her many albums and popular single “Junior Frybread.” She transformed her comedic radio series “Super Indian” into multiple print volumes, while her comic and illustrator work includes “Tales of the Mighty Code Talkers” and “Contenders: Two Native Americans, One World Series.” Her art has been shown in exhibitions across the world, including New York’s Museum of the American Indian, the Weltmuseum in Vienna, Austria, the Heard in Arizona, Santa Fe Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Gilcrease and Philbrook Museums.

Author Talk with Cynthia Leitich Smith
2023-11-22 20:00 (America/Detroit)
Streams on Wednesday, November 22, 2023 at 8pm ET | 5pm PT! (Originally aired in January of 2022).
Program Description:
PBS Books, in partnership with the American Indian Library Association, is pleased to interview trailblazer Cynthia Leitich Smith, author of “Sisters of the Neversea” and editor of “Ancestors Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids”.
A prolific and award-winning author, Cynthia will share insights into her writing process, her latest works, and her creative inspiration. Not only an author, Cynthia is also the first curator of the recently launched Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint of Harper Collins. She’ll discuss her role as well.
About the Author:
Cynthia Leitich Smith is the bestselling, acclaimed author of books for all ages, including Rain Is Not My Indian Name, Indian Shoes, Jingle Dancer, and Hearts Unbroken, which won the American Indian Library Association’s Youth Literature Award. She is also the anthologist of Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids.
She was named a NSK Neustadt Laureate, which honors outstanding achievement in the world of children’s and young adult literature. Cynthia is the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint at HarperCollins Children’s Books, and serves as the Katherine Paterson Inaugural Endowed Chair on the faculty of the MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and lives in Austin, Texas. You can visit Cynthia online at www.cynthialeitichsmith.com.

Policy Talks @ The Ford School: CNN anchor Jake Tapper
2023-12-04 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
Policy Talks @ The Ford School
Talk streams on Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 at 8:00 PM EST
Join for a special event featuring CNN anchor and Chief Washington correspondent, Jake Tapper, as part of the continuing series: “Democracy in Crisis: Views from the Press.”

Jake Tapper, CNN anchor and Chief Washington correspondent
CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper joined the network in January 2013. Tapper currently anchors a two-hour weekday program, The Lead with Jake Tapper, which debuted in March 2013. He has hosted CNN’s Sunday morning show, State of the Union, since June 2015. In April 2021, he became the lead anchor for CNN for Washington, D.C. events.
About the series: Democracy in Crisis
In Spring 2022, the University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, Wallace House Center for Journalists, and Democracy & Debate launched the series “Democracy in Crisis: Views from the Press,” launched a series featuring award-winning journalists to share their insights into the forces threatening and protecting American democratic structures and systems. The series – which will continue into the 2023-24 academic year – also explores the current state of journalism and the role of the press in upholding democratic institutions.

Author Talk with Tiya Miles
2023-12-06 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
Program Description:
National Director of PBS Books, Heather-Marie Montilla sits down with award-winning writer and scholar Tiya Miles to discuss her latest book “Wild Girls: How the outdoor shaped the women who challenged a nation.” This exciting new book introduces us to lesser-known trailblazing women whose strength and tenacity allowed them to break social norms and amplify the voices of American Heroes for the next generation. This book aligns with PBS’s new environmental programming initiative, launched earlier this year that explores impacts on the country and the planet.
This effort marks a bold commitment to bring together the very best in science, history and news programming. PBS has created more than 200 hours of climate and environmental content available now across various PBS platforms, PBS and its member stations will focus on the challenges of a changing climate while highlighting examples of positive impact. This broad slate of programs explores climate change from a diversity of perspectives and include new productions such as HUMAN FOOTPRINT; Season Two of AMERICA OUTDOORS WITH BARATUNDE THURSTON, NOVA and NATURE; a digital-first series from PBS Digital Studios which includes WEATHERED, and more.
About the Book:
An award-winning historian shows how girls who found self-understanding in the natural world became women who changed America.
Harriet Tubman, forced to labor outdoors on a Maryland plantation, learned from the land a terrain for escape. Louisa May Alcott ran wild, eluding gendered expectations in New England. The Indigenous women’s basketball team from Fort Shaw, Montana, recaptured a sense of pride in physical prowess as they trounced the white teams of the 1904 World’s Fair. Celebrating women like these who acted on their confidence outdoors, Wild Girls brings new context to misunderstood icons like Sacagawea and Pocahontas, and to underappreciated figures like Native American activist writer Gertrude Bonnin, farmworkers’ champion Dolores Huerta, and labor and Civil Rights organizer Grace Lee Boggs.
This beautiful, meditative work of history puts girls of all races—and the landscapes they loved—at center stage and reveals the impact of the outdoors on women’s independence, resourcefulness, and vision. For these trailblazing women of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, navigating the woods, following the stars, playing sports, and taking to the streets in peaceful protest were not only joyful pursuits, but also techniques to resist assimilation, racism, and sexism. Lyrically written and full of archival discoveries, Wild Girls evokes landscapes as richly as the girls who roamed in them—and argues for equal access to outdoor spaces for young women of every race and class today.
About the Author:
TIYA MILES is the Michael Garvey Professor of History at Harvard University, the author of five prize-winning works on the history of slavery and early American race relations, and a 2011 MacArthur Fellowship recipient. She was the founder and director of the Michigan-based ECO Girls program, and she is the author of the National Book Award–winning, New York Times best-selling All That She Carried. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Bozeman, Montana.

The Inner Voice with Lynn Goldsmith | The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series
2023-12-08 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Halifax)
This speaker event was recorded live on Thursday, November 16, 2023, at 5:30 pm in the Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI.
Over the past 50 years, Lynn Goldsmith has been an inventor, a filmmaker, a director for network television, a co-manager of a rock band, a songwriter and recording artist, a business owner, a crusader for copyright protection, and consistently, through it all, a photographer.
Lynn Goldsmith’s photographic images are in numerous museum collections, including The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, The Museum of Modern Art, The Chicago Museum of Contemporary Photography, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Museum Folkwang, The Polaroid Collection, and The Kodak Collection. Her work over the past 50 years in the editorial world has appeared on and between the covers of publications including Life, Newsweek, Time, Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, National Geographic Traveler, Sports Illustrated, People, Elle, Interview, The New Yorker. The subjects have varied from entertainment personalities to sports stars, from film directors to authors, from the extraordinary to the ordinary man on the street. Winning numerous prestigious awards from the Lucien Clergue to the World Press in Portraiture, to the Lucie for Portraiture in 2020. She was included in Chronicle Book’s publication 200 Women Who Will Change the Way You See the World.
Learn More>>

The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series Fall 2023 Season
This winter, the Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series brings respected leaders and innovators from a broad spectrum of creative fields to Ann Arbor’s historic Michigan Theater for weekly in-person events.
Detroit Public Television and PBS Books, in partnership with the Stamps School, will stream each week’s event Fridays at 8pm.
See the full schedule of events livestreamed by PBS Books here.
Some programs may not be available online, depending on artist requests. Interested in receiving notifications before online videos go live? Sign up to receive a reminder before each event begins streaming.
Watch Past Penny Stamps Episodes

The Magic of Masterpiece - "Grantchester" Filmmaker Talk with Daisy Coulam
2023-12-13 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
The Magic of Masterpiece
Program Description:
PBS Books, in collaboration with MASTERPIECE, hosts a conversation with creator, writer, and executive producer of Grantchester, Daisy Coulam, to discuss Season 8 of Grantchester.
Originally based on a series of books by James Runcie, Grantchester has become a summer viewing staple. Set in Cambridgeshire, vicar Will Davenport and detective Geordie Keating continue to solve mysteries and fight crime. Gain insights into Daisy’s writing process and the riveting 8th season of Grantchester.
About the Show:
There’s no shortage of murder, mystery, and mayhem in the Cambridgeshire village of Grantchester — but Detective Geordie Keating (Robson Green) and motorcycle riding vicar Will Davenport (Tom Brittney) are always on the case.
In Grantchester Season 8, Will is happy, and Geordie and Cathy are content in their relationship. But an accident and shocking announcements threaten the stability and happiness found by Grantchester’s vicar and police detective duo. Exploring faith, forgiveness, and redemption, this explosive season of Grantchester tests Will and Geordie to the limit.
Catch up on past seasons of Grantchester by becoming a member of your local station and receiving the benefit of PBS Passport for extended access to Masterpiece series like Grantchester. Check out the full library of Masterpiece Filmmaker Talks at The Magic of Masterpiece, right here on PBS Books.
Guest Biography:
Daisy  Coulam is creator, writer and executive producer of “Grantchester”– now in its eigth season. Daisy also wrote and created ”Deadwater Fell”, a 4–part psychological thriller starring David Tennant – and has written for numerous other shows including ”Humans” and ”Death in Paradise”.

The Magic of Masterpiece – “Sanditon” Filmmaker Talk with Justin Young
2023-12-20 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
The Magic of Masterpiece
Program Description:
PBS Books, in partnership with MASTERPIECE, sits down with Justin Young, who is the Head Writer and Executive Producer for Season 2 and 3 of Sanditon. The conversation is co-hosted by Colleen O’Donnell, who is Detroit Public Television’s Social Media Manager. Justin discusses his work and process in writing and producing Sanditon’s Season 2.
About the Show:
Nineteenth century English writer Jane Austen was a trailblazer and a social changer. In early 1817, she fell ill with a mysterious disease when she started work on a novel set in a seaside town called Sanditon. She never finished it. MASTERPIECE introduced its Sanditon mini-series in 2020, picking up Austen’s setting, characters, and plot.
While taking us on an amazing adventure in the 19th century with Miss Heywood, the series also explores issues of race, sexual abuse, gender roles, money, and power. Catch up on past seasons of Sanditon by becoming a member of your local station and receive benefit of PBS Passport for extended access to Masterpiece series like Sanditon.
Guest Biography:
Justin Young is Head Writer and Executive Producer on Sanditon, Seasons 2 and 3. His previous credits include Sanditon, Season 1, Dickensian, Death In Paradise, and Ripper Street. Justin was Head Writer and Series Producer of Holby City for 3 years, during which the show was BAFTA-nominated twice. Other TV writing includes Casualty and Eastenders.
In 2015, his play In My Father’s Words enjoyed a critically acclaimed run at the 59E59 Theatre in New York. His plays include The Houghamagandie Pack, Fierce – An Urban Myth – both for Grid Iron, Metagama (Soho Theatre), August (National Theatre Studio) and Moonwalking in Chinatown (Soho Theatre.)

The Magic of Masterpiece - "Endeavour" Filmmaker Talk with Charlotte Webber
2023-12-27 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
The Magic of Masterpiece
Program Description:
PBS Books was thrilled to host a conversation about MASTERPIECE’s final season of Endeavour with producer Charlotte Webber. Hear insights into the making of the ninth season and about what you can expect to see as the series comes to an end.
About the Show:
With characters from Colin Dexter’s books, Shaun Evans as Endeavour Morse and Roger Allam as Fred Thursday return for the ninth and final season of the critically acclaimed detective drama Endeavour. Set in the early 70s in Oxford, the final season finds Endeavour Morse and Fred Thursday entering a new era. Catch up on past seasons of Endeavour by becoming a member of your local station and receive benefit of PBS Passport for extended access to Masterpiece series like Endeavour.
Guest Biography:
Charlotte Webber joined the Mammoth family as Executive Producer in December 2022, having worked with the team in various guises since 2018. Charlotte’s first role with Mammoth Screen was script editing WORLD ON FIRE, and she has since script edited THE PALE HORSE and produced the last ever series of ENDEAVOUR.
Before working for Mammoth, Charlotte worked for BBC Drama London and script edited GOOD OMENS for Amazon Prime. As part of her remit as Executive Producer, Charlotte is keen to develop a diverse slate of bold, distinctive projects with a queer focus.

The Magic of Masterpiece - "All Creatures Great and Small" Filmmaker Talk with Ben Vanstone
2024-01-03 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
The Magic of Masterpiece
Program Description:
Join PBS Books for a conversation with Ben Vanstone, Writer and Executive Producer of MASTERPIECE’s All Creatures Great and Small.
As the writer and Executive Producer, Vanstone will discuss and examine the adaptation of All Creatures Great and Small, the timeless story written by James Herriot.
About the Show:
All Creatures Great and Small Season 3 is filled with compassion, trials, and triumph in the Yorkshire Dales. Tag along on adventures with Siegfried Farnon, Tristan Farnon, Mrs. Hall, and more as James and Helen prepare for a wedding! Will Tristan earn Siegfried’s approval? How will James fair with local farmers? Look back with us on this Season 3 preview filled with more adventures, more antics, and more animals! Catch up on past seasons of All Creatures Great & Small by becoming a member of your local station and receive benefit of PBS Passport for extended access to Masterpiece series like All Creatures Great & Small
Guest Biography:
Ben Vanstone has created and Executive Produced All Creatures Great & Small for MASTERPIECE on PBS. He is currently writing and show-running Season 4. Prior to that, Ben wrote and was Co-Executive Producer on The English Game for Netflix. Ben created and is show-running the series adaptation of Amor Towle’s novel A Gentleman in Moscow for eOne/Showtime starring Ewan McGregor, which is currently in production.

What to Read in 2024 with Booklist Reader
2024-01-10 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
Program Description:
If you are struggling to find that next great read, this episode of PBS Books sits down with Booklist Reader experts to explore some of the not to miss books of 2024! The American Library Association’s Booklist Reader is a library patron–facing magazine featuring diverse readers’ advisory recommendations for readers of all ages. During this program, the editors describe their top choices in various genres–adult, audio, graphic novels, young adult, and youth of all ages.
Learn more about this amazing publication and the most anticipated books for 2024. Booklist Reader aspires to extend and expand library services in America and around the world, raising awareness about diverse books. Since 1905, Booklist has been publishing pre-publication book reviews or reviews of books before they’re available for purchase, as well as reader advisory materials, author interviews, special collections for library workers and reviews on special content. In this program, you can learn from all of their extraordinary expertise.
What to Read in 2024Adult
The Backyard Bird Chronicles
The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
Tracking the natural beauty that surrounds us, The Backyard Bird Chronicles maps the passage of time through daily entries, thoughtful questions, and beautiful original sketches. With boundless charm and wit, author Amy Tan charts her foray into birding and the natural wonders of the world.
The Black Box: Writing the Race
The Black Box: Writing the Race by Henry Louis Gates Jr.
A magnificent, foundational reckoning with how Black Americans have used the written word to define and redefine themselves, in resistance to the lies of racism and often in heated disagreement with each other, over the course of the country’s history.
There’s Always This Year
There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib
A Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, in the 1990s, Hanif Abdurraqib witnessed a golden era of basketball, one in which legends like LeBron James were forged and countless others weren’t. His lifelong love of the game leads Abdurraqib into a lyrical, historical, and emotionally rich exploration of what it means to make it, who we think deserves success, the tension between excellence and expectation, and the very notion of role models, all of which he expertly weaves together with intimate, personal storytelling.
Burma Sahib
Burma Sahib by Paul Theroux
From the acclaimed author of THE MOSQUITO COAST and THE BAD ANGEL BROTHERS comes a riveting new novel exploring one of English literature’s most beloved and controversial figures—George Orwell—and the early years as an officer in colonial Burma that transformed him from Eric Blair, the British Raj policeman, into Orwell the anticolonial writer.
Fourteen Days
Fourteen Days Ed. by Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston
Set in a Lower East Side tenement in the early days of the COVID-19 lockdowns, Fourteen Days is an irresistibly propulsive collaborative novel from the Authors Guild, with an unusual twist: each character in this diverse, eccentric cast of New York neighbors has been secretly written by a different, major literary voice—from Margaret Atwood and Celeste Ng to Tommy Orange and John Grisham.
The Great Divide
The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez
An epic novel of the construction of the Panama Canal, casting light on the unsung people who lived, loved, and labored there, by Cristina Henríquez, acclaimed author of THE BOOK OF UNKNOWN AMERICANS.
This Could Be Us
This Could Be Us by Kennedy Ryan
Soledad Barnes has her life all planned out. Because, of course, she does. She plans everything. She designs everything. She fixes everything. She’s a domestic goddess who’s never met a party she couldn’t host or a charge she couldn’t lead. The one with all the answers and the perfect vinaigrette for that summer salad. But none of her varied talents can save her when catastrophe strikes, and the life she built with the man who was supposed to be her forever, goes poof in a cloud of betrayal and disillusion.
Sweetness in the Skin
Sweetness in the Skin by Ishi Robinson
A winning debut novel about a young teenage girl in Jamaica determined to bake her way out of her dysfunctional family and into the opportunity of a lifetime.
River Mumma
River Mumma by Zalika Reid-Benta
Issa Rae’s INSECURE with a magical realist spin: RIVER MUMMA is an exhilarating contemporary fantasy novel about a young Black woman who navigates her quarter-life-crisis while embarking on a mythical quest through the streets of Toronto.
The Kamogawa Food Detectives
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner serves up deliciously extravagant meals. But that’s not the main reason customers stop by . . .The father-daughter duo are ‘food detectives’. Through ingenious investigations, they are able to recreate dishes from a person’s treasured memories – dishes that may well hold the keys to their forgotten past and future happiness. The restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to vanished moments, creating a present full of possibility.
When Grumpy Met Sunshine
When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein
A steamy, opposites-attract romance with undeniable chemistry between a grumpy retired footballer and his fabulous and very sunshine-y ghostwriter.
Graphic Novels
My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Book 2
My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, Book 2 by Emil Ferris
Set against the tumultuous political backdrop of late ’60s Chicago, MY FAVORITE THING IS MONSTERS BOOK TWO is the eagerly awaited conclusion to the most acclaimed graphic novels of the past decade. Presented as the fictional graphic diary of 10-year-old Karen Reyes as she tries to solve the murder of her beloved and enigmatic upstairs neighbor, Anka Silverberg, a holocaust survivor, while the interconnected stories of those around her unfold.
Zodiac: A Graphic Memoir
Zodiac a Graphic Memoir by Ai Weiwei and Elettra Stamboulis, Art by Gianluca Constantini
In this beautifully illustrated and deeply philosophical graphic memoir, legendary artist Ai Weiwei explores the connection between artistic expression and intellectual freedom through the lens of the Chinese zodiac.
Lunar New Year Love Story
Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang, Art by LeUyen Pham
Graphic novel superstars Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham join forces in this heartwarming rom-com about fate, family, and falling in love.
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Youth
Meet Me on Mercer Street
Meet Me on Mercer Street by Booki Vivat
Aspiring artist Kacie spends most of her time on Mercer Street with her best friend, Nisha, people-watching and doodling whatever is happening in their neighborhood. But when she comes back from a summer away, the local corner store is boarded up, the adults in town are all on edge, and Nisha is nowhere to be found! Everything is changing, and Kacie’s not sure what to do about it. Especially without Nisha to help her.
Max in the House of Spies
Max in the House of Spies by Adam Gidwitz
The first book in a duology, Max in the House of Spies is a thought-provoking World War II story as only acclaimed storyteller Adam Gidwitz can tell it—fast-paced and hilarious, with a dash of magic and a lot of heart.
Cosmic Collisions: Asteroid vs. Comet
Cosmic Collisions: Asteroid vs. Comet by Dr. Marc J Kuchner and illustrated by Matt Schu
What happens when two massive hunks of hurtling space debris slam into each other? Welcome to round one in the Cosmic Collisions series—an exciting children’s debut from an expert astrophysicist.
The Book That Almost Rhymed
The Book That Almost Rhymed by Omar Abed, illustrated by Hatem Aly
Every great adventure needs a hero—or two! This playful take on storytelling and equity proves that two tellers can make a rhyming tale twice as nice.
Wild Places: The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough
Wild Places: The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough by Hayley Rocco, illustrated by John Rocco
An inspiring and accessible picture book biography of the beloved naturalist, broadcaster, and documentarian David Attenborough—stunningly illustrated by a Caldecott Honoree.
Young Adult
The Bad Ones
The Bad Ones by Melissa Albert
After her estranged best friend goes missing and she herself starts losing time, Nora digs into a creepy local legend.
Sky's End
Sky’s End by Marc J. Greyson
Plummet into a kill-or-be-killed competition where a scrappy underdog hell-bent on revenge must claw his way to the top in this thrilling YA fantasy debut. Exiled to live as a Low, sixteen-year-old Conrad refuses to become heir to his murderous uncle. But Meritocracy is a harsh and unforgiving rule on the floating island of Holmstead, and when his ailing mother is killed by monstrous gorgantauns, Conrad cuts a deal to save the only family he has left. To rescue his sister from his uncle’s clutches, Conrad must enter the Selection of the Twelve Trades.
So Let Them Burn
So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole
In the aftermath of a war, two magical sisters contend with divine magic and dragon-riding invaders in this Jamaican-inspired fantasy.
This Day Changes Everything
This Day Changes Everything by Edward Underhill
In 24 hours, two queer teenagers go from strangers to friends to maybe more as they embark on a scavenger hunt around NYC.
The Girl, the Ring, & the Baseball Bat
The Girl, the Ring, & the Baseball Bat by Camille Gomera-Tavarez
Three New Jersey teens obtain magical items that will purportedly solve all their problems in this entrancing magical-realism novel by Camille Gomera-Tavarez.
My Throat an Open Grave
My Throat an Open Grave by Tori Bovalino
Leah Jones has no hope for a future outside of Winston, Pennsylvania. She’s on the verge of dropping out of high school, barely balancing her job at the gas station with her duty to care for her baby brother, Owen. But when Owen is taken by the Lord of the Wood, Leah must face the dangers of the wood to write a song that will win Owen back—and the truth of how her life went so very wrong.
Shut Up, This is Serious
Shut Up, This Is Serious by Carolina Ixta
An unforgettable YA debut about two Latina teens growing up in East Oakland as they discover that the world is brimming with messy complexities, perfect for fans of Elizabeth Acevedo and Erika L. Sánchez.
Escaping Mr. Rochester
Escaping Mr. Rochester by L.L. McKinney
This captivating take on JANE EYRE gives Bertha more attention as she and Jane plot to flee Thornfield Hall and the oppressive Mr. Rochester.
Audiobook
#CrimeTime
#CrimeTime by Jeneva Rose and Drew Pyne; Read by Samantha Desz, Piper Goodeve, Kevin R. Free, Gary Tiedemann, Chris Andrew Ciulla, Phil Thron, Nancy Linari,, Abelardo Campuzano, Jennifer Damiano, Peter Berkrot and P.J. Ochlan
The first audio original from Jeneva Rose, the author of blockbuster bestseller THE PERFECT MARRIAGE, #CRIMETIME is a full-cast mystery written with her husband, Drew Pyne, perfect for fans of Only Murders in the Building and Finley Donovan Is Killing It.
The Lost Van Gogh
The Lost Van Gogh by Jonathan Santlofer; Read by Edoardo Ballerini
For years, there have been whispers that, before his death, Van Gogh completed a final self-portrait. Curators and art historians have savored this rumor, hoping it could illuminate some of the troubled artist’s many secrets, but even they have to concede that the missing painting is likely lost forever. But when Luke Perrone, artist and great-grandson of the man who stole the Mona Lisa, and Alexis Verde, daughter of a notorious art thief, discover what may be the missing portrait, they are drawn into a most epic art puzzles.
West Heart Kill
West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman; Read by Robert Petkoff
A unique and irresistible murder mystery set at a remote hunting lodge where everyone is a suspect, including the erratic detective on the scene—a remarkable debut that gleefully upends the rules of the genre.
The Wonderful World of James Herriot
The Wonderful World of James Herriot: A Charming Collection of Classis Stories by James Herriot; Read by Anna Madeley
The perfect listen for fans of All Creatures Great and Small, this is a charming collection of classic stories from James Herriot’s much-loved books, with insights into his life and work from his children Rosie and Jim.
The Distance Between Us
The Distance Between Us: Young Readers Edition by Reyna Grande; Read by Alejandra Reynoso
Award-winning author Reyna Grande shares her personal experience of crossing borders and cultures in this middle grade adaptation of her memoir.
Coretta: The Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King
Coretta: The Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King by Coretta Scott King; Read by January LaVoy
Adapted from her adult memoir, this is the autobiography of Coretta Scott King—wife of Martin Luther King, Jr., founder of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (the King Center), and twentieth-century American civil and human rights activist. This audiobook features sound design and special effects to enhance your enjoyment of Coretta: The Autobiography of Mrs. Coretta Scott King. Listen out for the sounds or protest, change, and a life well lived.
Featured Guests
Donna Seaman - Editor, Adult Books
Donna Seaman, Editor, Adult Books, keeps busy assigning books to our fantastic freelance reviewers, consulting with colleagues, editing, reading, writing, or planning coverage for future issues of Booklist. Donna heads to museums whenever possible, and was thrilled to be able to combine her ardor for literature and art in IDENTITY UNKNOWN: REDISCOVERING SEVEN AMERICAN WOMEN ARTISTS (2017). Donna is also a very grateful and proud recipient of RUSA/ALA’s Louis Shores Award for excellence in book reviewing.
George Kendall - Editor & Publisher
George Kendall began as Booklist Editor & Publisher in 2019 and since March 2023 is also serving as the American Library Association’s Interim Director of Publishing & Media. George received his MA in Literary Studies from the University of Cape Town in South Africa. He has worked in publishing for most of his career, but was once a professional musician and will sometimes, though very rarely, dust off his French horn and play a few notes.
Susan Macguire - Senior Editor
Susan Maguire, Senior Editor, Collection Management and Library Outreach, worked for a decade in public libraries before joining Booklist. She loves reading and talking about reading and talking to librarians about talking about reading.
Sarah Hunter - Editor, Youth/Graphic Novel
Sarah Hunter, Editor of the Books for Youth and Graphic Novel sections, came to Booklist following her work with Open Books, a literacy nonprofit in Chicago, after receiving an MA in English from the University of Chicago, and she’s traded critical theory and post-modern literature for picture book illustration and comics (surprisingly not as unrelated as you might think). In addition to the many hours she spends reading, writing, and editing for every issue, she is proud to manage Booklist’s annual Guide to Graphic Novels in Libraries supplement.
Heather Booth - Audio Editor
Heather Booth, Audio Editor, has been at Booklist since 2018, a librarian since 2002, and has been listening to audiobooks since they came on records that were tucked into paper pockets in her picture books. She is always up for listening to a quirky family story, a twisty mystery, or that book so well crafted it takes your breath away. Heather in on a quest to bake a perfect macaron and enjoys spending time with family, her dogs, and nature.
Maggie Reagan - Senior Editor, Youth
Maggie Reagan, Senior Editor, Books for Youth, Booklist and Book Links, holds a BA in English and Creative Writing from Denison University and attended the NYU Summer Publishing Institute. During lockdown, she accidentally acquired several cats who are very enthusiastic about Zoom meetings. Ask her about her favorite ABBA song if you are starved for conversation.

Author Talk with Yolanda Renee King - We Dream A World
2024-01-15 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
Program Description:
As we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr Day, PBS Books invites you to hear from the next generation that is building on the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Coretta Scott King. Heather-Marie Montilla sits down with Author Yolanda Renee King and Illustrator Nicole Tadgell to discuss Miss King’s debut book Carrying the Light from My Grandparents Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King: We Dream a World. In We Dream A World, Yolanda Renee King discusses her family legacy and her vision for the future of young change-makers, while Nicole Tadgell reflects upon the creation of her remarkable imagery that brings the author’s words to life.
Book Description:
A stirring picture book tribute to Coretta Scott King and Martin Luther King, Jr., authored by their only grandchild, Yolanda Renee King, with illustrations by award-winning artist Nicole Tadgell, WE DREAM A WORLD: Carrying the Light from My Grandparents, Martin Luther King Jr., and Coretta Scott King (On sale January 2, 2024; Ages 4-8; Orchard Books/Scholastic) serves as a grandchild’s gift to her grandparents – and the world.
Inspired by her family’s legacy of national civil rights advocacy, Yolanda Renee King is leading a new generation of modern activists. Though the 15-year-old never met her grandfather, she has galvanized countless young people to stand up and speak out on a range of issues affecting the world today – racial equality, gun violence, climate change, poverty, education, and more. Her new book, a call for unity and equality, is inspired by Langston Hughes’s seminal poem I Dream A World. The book’s narrative expresses Yolanda’s deep love for her grandparents, while also speaking to children everywhere about her hopes for a new future, as expressed through her call-and-response affirmation that brings thunderous participation at her public speeches and addresses: “Spread the word! Have you heard? All across the nation, we are going to be a great generation!”
In WE DREAM A WORLD, Yolanda Renee King shows the world that young people are strong enough to carry on their elders’ legacy while creating a new path for themselves. Her words are meaningful and universal, and will embolden and inspire the next generation of change-makers In a statement, Yolanda Renee King said about WE DREAM A WORLD, “I’m very pleased to join Scholastic for my book publishing debut. On my grandfather’s 95th birthday, I’m excited to share this love letter in his honor. This book lets every child rediscover my grandparents’ dream.”
Guest Biographies:
Yolanda Renee King never met her grandfather, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But the young leader is one of the countless activists inspired by his actions. Yolanda was born and raised in the state of Georgia to parents, Martin Luther King III and Arndrea Waters King. She grew up in the city of Atlanta. She was named after her aunt, Yolanda King. She is the first and only grandchild of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King.
Dr. King and his wife Coretta helped change the course of history by spreading a message of equality for all people, regardless of their race or color. Inspired by the path set by her grandparents, Yolanda is trailblazing her own way forward.
Nicole Tadgell is an award-winning watercolor artist whose work spans more than 30 luminous picture books for children. Known for creating realistic yet whimsical characters and scenes, Nicole’s work has been honored by the Kansas Notable Book Award, the Christopher Award, the Children’s Africana Book Award, the Américas Award, the Arkansas Diamond Primary Book Award, and the Growing Good Kids Award.
Her books have been featured by the Bank Street Best College of Education, the Smithsonian Notable Books for Children, the Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices Annual List, New York Public Library’s Best 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, Eastern Washington University Excellent Choice, Maine’s A Capital Read, and the Rutgers University Top 5.
Born in Detroit, Michigan, art has always been both an escape and a labor of love for Nicole. Frequent moves challenged her natural shyness, especially in new schools where she was the only black kid in class. “I always had pencils and paper nearby. It helped me make sense of the world around me or create imaginary worlds to live in for a while,” she says. Today, Nicole continues to bring stories to life while advocating for diversity in children’s literature.
In addition to her artwork, she finds beauty, strength and solace in the practice of tai chi, which has led her through trauma and recovery, and into spiritual awakening. A former resident of Massachusetts, Nicole recently moved to Chesapeake, Virginia. She speaks and leads workshops at elementary schools, libraries, bookstores, and art classes for people of all ages. She is also an advertising agency art director with more than two decades’ experience in graphic design.

PBS Books Readers Club - Horse and All Creatures Great & Small
2024-01-31 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
Readers Club HomeEpisodes
Join the PBS Books Readers Club hosts Fred, Lauren, Heather, and Princess as they sit down with Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Geraldine Books to discuss her bestselling novel HORSE. We’ll talk with Geraldine about the captivating relationship between horse and human, her process when writing this novel, and get to know more about her life off the pages. With the not to miss season 4 of All Creatures Great & Small finally here, we sit down with the new Executive Producer, Jamie Crichton, to get an inside look on what’s in store for our beloved charters, learn about adapting these treasured tails from Darrowby, and learn about life on set of the MASTERPIECE favorite.
Get the BookGrab a copy using our Bookshop link.
Guest Biographies:
Geraldine Brooks, Author of Horse
Geraldine Brooks is the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel March and the international bestsellers The Secret Chord, Caleb’s Crossing, People of the Book, and Year of Wonders (recently optioned by Olivia Colman). She has also written the acclaimed nonfiction works Nine Parts of Desire and Foreign Correspondence. Brooks started out as a reporter in her hometown, Sydney, and went on to cover conflicts as a Wall Street Journal correspondent in Bosnia, Somalia, and the Middle East. Brooks lives in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts with her sons; her horses, Valentine and Screaming Hot Wings; and a dog named Bear.
James Crichton, Executive Producer and Lead Writer of Season 4 of All Creatures Great and Small
Jamie is currently Lead Writer and Executive Producer on Series 4 of All Creatures Great & Small (Playground / Channel 5 / PBS Masterpiece). His previous work includes Three Pines (Left Bank / Amazon), The Last Kingdom (Carnival / Netflix), Grantchester (Kudos / ITV / PBS Masterpiece), The Tunnel (Kudos / Sky Atlantic), Law & Order: UK (Kudos / ITV) and Ripper Street (Tiger Aspect / BBC).
His crime thriller Bogland won the Grand Prize in the American Screenwriters Association International Screenwriting Competition. Prior to becoming a writer Jamie was Head of Development at Really Useful Films, where he sourced and developed new ideas and writers, as well as managing and script editing the development slate.
His original feature screenplay The Dahls (Raw Film & TV), is in development with Pathé, and he has adapted Belinda Bauer’s Rubbernecker (Film Cymru Wales) and Michael Morpurgo’s The Butterfly Lion.
Readers Club Hosts:
Heather Marie Montilla
Heather-Marie Montilla, a dynamic integrative leader, is an educator and nonprofit manager. She has worked in the nonprofit sector and libraries for over two decades, making a positive impact in arts, cultural, educational, and community-building arenas.
Having joined the PBS Books team as their Library Bureau Chief in Fall 2018, Montilla is now the National Director of PBS Books and has interviewed more than 150 writers. In addition, she is a faculty member at Michigan State University and Eastern Michigan University for their Arts and Cultural/Entertainment Management Programs. Having been an Executive Director for 8 years, Heather has a wide range of experience in management, finance, strategic planning, marketing, and fundraising. Heather holds a MPA From Columbia University, a MLIS from Wayne State University, and a bachelor’s from Duke University. She lives in Chicagoland, and is married with four children, a dog, and a bird.
Princess Weekes
Princess Weekes is an award winning writer and video essayist who works at breaking down the intersections between race, gender, and pop culture. Formally an Assistant Editor at The Mary Sue, co-host of Netflix’s The Geeked Podcast, and co-host and co-writer on the PBS Digital Series It’s Lit. On weekends she works as a bookseller at a local bookstore. When not reading or writing she can be found playing TTRPGs of cuddling with her cat, Lola.
Lauren Smith
Executive Producer and host of national PBS programming at Detroit Public TV, Lauren develops content for PBS and other distributors of public media for broadcast, streaming, and other digital channels and has executive-produced and/or produced over 60 national broadcast and programs. Her passion is to develop inspiring, entertaining, and educational content alongside the best national and international talent, and to engage important content with communities across the country. Lauren loves to read and has worked to develop and produce PBS Books content for nearly ten years!
Fred Nahhat
Fred Nahhat is an Emmy Award-winning producer, host, and presenter for Detroit’s PBS station, where he serves as Sr. VP of Production. A 30-year broadcast veteran, Fred has hosted and produced numerous programs for Public TV – including music specials from Il Volo, Celtic Gold and the New Divas – as well as other series and specials “New Year’s Eve with the DSO”, “The Detroit Dream Cruise,” “The PBS Books Readers Club” and “Get Up, Get Out,” among others.
He is a graduate of Wayne State University and a member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Michigan Chapter, USA Hockey, and Leadership Detroit.

Soheap Pich | The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series
2024-02-09 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
This speaker event was recorded live on Thursday, February 1, 2024 at 5:30 pm in the Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI.
Sopheap Pich is widely considered to be Cambodia’s most internationally prominent contemporary artist. In 1979, when the Vietnamese invasion of Cambodia led to the ousting of the Khmer Rouge régime, he fled with his family to Thailand, spending four years in refugee camps before immigrating to the United States. Memories of traveling vast distances on foot and witnessing the devastation of war — broken bodies, ravaged landscapes, abandoned artillery, ruined buildings, and the breakdown of social and cultural institutions — underpin his early sculptural practice. While Pich studied painting, earning a BFA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst (1995), and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (1999), he turned his attention to sculpture after returning to Cambodia in 2002 where he laboriously began working with local materials – bamboo, old rafters, rattan, burlap, beeswax, broken utensils, and earth pigments gathered from his local surroundings. Pich’s works have been collected and shown in many museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Guggenheim, the Centre George Pompidou, the Mori Art Museum, M+, and the National Gallery of Singapore, as well as many international exhibitions including the 57th Venice Biennale (2017), Documenta 13 (2012), the 6th Asia Pacific Triennale (2009), the Setouchi Triennale (2022), and the Guangju Biennale (2023), among others. He lives and works in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Learn More>>

The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series Spring 2024 Season
This spring, the Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series brings respected leaders and innovators from a broad spectrum of creative fields to Ann Arbor’s historic Michigan Theater for weekly in-person events.
Detroit Public Television and PBS Books, in partnership with the Stamps School, will stream each week’s event Fridays at 8pm.
See the full schedule of events livestreamed by PBS Books here.
Some programs may not be available online, depending on artist requests. Interested in receiving notifications before online videos go live? Sign up to receive a reminder before each event begins streaming.
Watch Past Penny Stamps Episodes

Author Talk with Cheryl Wills
2024-02-14 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
Program Description:
PBS Books host Heather-Marie Montilla sits down with author and journalist Cheryl Wills to discuss her book Isn’t Her Grace Amazing! The Women Who Changed Gospel Music. Join us as Cheryl reflects on her inspiration and motivation behind this stunning portrayal of these legendary women, with powerful accounts of their resilience and strength in their words. We’ll explore the books’ gorgeous photographs of these dynamic women, which capture their importance and prominence, and hear more about the stories behind these icons of the gospel and why their timeless messages have held strong for generations.
Book Description:
Nothing in the world soothes the soul better than Gospel music. From the foot-stomping, hand-clapping melodies of yesterday to the head-bobbing, bass-thumping hits of today, Gospel music ignites the spirit and delivers the inspiration that takes us from the rough side of the mountain to the peak of God’s love and grace. That feeling of joy, peace, love, and contentment is amplified when it’s ringing through the voice of a sister who can SANG, Cheryl Wills reminds us. The remedy for a tough day at work can be alleviated with Mary Mary’s uplifting jam Shackles, the answer to your heart’s desires can be found in the harmonies of The Clark Sisters Name It, Claim It, and if you need a reminder of God’s love, there is nothing more timeless that Aretha Franklin’s stirring rendition of Amazing Grace.
Some talented performers, like Sister Rosetta Tharpe have faded from history, while singers like Yolanda Adams are at the top of her game. During the twentieth century, Willie Mae Ford spent most of her life encouraging and uplifting Christians both in church and on stage and composed more than 100 Gospel songs, yet it was men like her co-writer, Thomas A. Dorsey, who received the accolades and fame. Many women in the Gospel music industry go unnoticed, unpaid, and under-appreciated for their contributions, yet it is these women who are often the bedrock for songwriting, arranging, directing, and developing singers.
Cheryl Wills, the granddaughter of a Gospel singer, at last shines a spotlight on these spectacular women of song. The only book of its kind, Isn’t Her Grace Amazing! showcase the talents, gifts, and skills of women in the Gospel music industry. It celebrates these heroines, chronicles their journeys from the choir loft to the world’s largest stages, and reveals how they revolutionized this sacred music that is beloved worldwide. From the matriarchs of this movement to today’s chart-topping divas, Wills offers in-depth portraits of twenty-five amazing women of Gospel music–based on interviews and extensive research–behind-the-scenes stories of favorite gospel hits, and illuminates what makes each of them shine.
Guest Biography:
Cheryl Wills is a veteran journalist with Spectrum News NY1. The Emmy Award winning reporter and author has written a series of books about her enslaved great-grandfather who was a Union Soldier during The Civil War. Cheryl has interviewed some of the most influential figures in the world, including the first woman president of Africa: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia and United Nations Secretary General Ban ki-Moon and the late great writer and activist Maya Angelou.
She lives in New York City. For more than a decade she was the host of the Essence Festival’s All-Star Gospel Tribute, a standing room only event that has honored Cissy Houston, Kim Burrell, Yolanda Adams, Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Dorinda Clark-Cole among many others.

Nkeiru Okoye | The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series
2024-02-16 20:00 - 21:00 (America/Detroit)
This speaker event was recorded live on Thursday, February 8, 2024 at 5:30 pm in the Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI.
Nkeiru Okoye is an American-born composer of African American and Nigerian ancestry. After studying composition, music theory, piano, conducting, and Africana Studies at Oberlin Conservatory, she pursued graduate studies at Rutgers University and became one of the leading African American women composers. An activist through the arts, Okoye creates a body of work that welcomes and affirms both traditional and new audiences.
Nkeiru Okoye’s new commission When the Caged Bird Sings premieres on Saturday, February 10, 2024 at 7:30 PM at UM’s Hill Auditorium, as a collaboration between UMS and the U‑M School of Music, Theatre & Dance. When the Caged Bird Sings fuses elements of oratorio, theater, and opera in a multi-movement musical ceremony, which Okoye describes as ​“a gathering” that invokes the ritual of the concert experience as a ritual of community. Drawing inspiration from the Black church, it celebrates the spirit of rising above expectations and transforming adversity into triumph. Partly in tribute to the activist and poet laureate Maya Angelou, the work celebrates the transformative ability of Black women, commemorating those who have paved a path for future generations in many fields of human endeavor.
Learn More>>

The Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series Spring 2024 Season
This spring, the Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series brings respected leaders and innovators from a broad spectrum of creative fields to Ann Arbor’s historic Michigan Theater for weekly in-person events.
Detroit Public Television and PBS Books, in partnership with the Stamps School, will stream each week’s event Fridays at 8pm.
See the full schedule of events livestreamed by PBS Books here.
Some programs may not be available online, depending on artist requests. Interested in receiving notifications before online videos go live? Sign up to receive a reminder before each event begins streaming.
Watch Past Penny Stamps Episodes
