Nathaniel Hawthorne: Young Goodman Brown
Was there evil lurking in the gloomy New England woods the night that young Goodman Brown went on his secret errand? Or did he bring the evil with him, locked within his own heart? This program features an outstanding adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthor...
James Baldwin
This program covers Baldwin's life, from his youth in Harlem to later years as an expatriate in Paris to his death in 1987. Interviews with the author, his contemporaries, and critics create an intriguing portrait of Baldwin the man, the writer, and...
Karl Marx
In the fullness of time, his failings have become obvious. Yet, even after the collapse of global Communism, Karl Marx stands undiminished as one of history's most influential thinkers. This program chronicles Marx's life and intellectual developmen...
Langston Hughes: his life and times
In this program, Pulitzer Prize-winner Alice Walker and renowned Langston Hughes biographer Arnold Rampersad talk about "The Poet Laureate of Harlem" with award-winning filmmaker Bruce Schwartz. Together they discuss experiences that shaped young La...
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
His playing too advanced for small-town churches, his cantatas far more complex than those of his contemporaries (and thus under-appreciated), Bach initially found his genius thwarted. This program surveys the amazing achievements of the man of whom...
Henry David Thoreau: in his own words
Filmed on location in and around Concord, Cambridge, and Cape Cod, this delightful program brings Henry David Thoreau's Walden and "Civil Disobedience" to life through the captivating delivery of Thoreau impersonator Jeffrey Hyatt. Long passages, as...
Pablo Neruda: Chile's master poet
The life and work of Pablo Neruda - Nobel Laureate, statesman, renowned poet - both reflect and embody the events that shaped the 20th century. Born in Chile, he fled as a political refugee in 1948, not to return until 1952. Through archival materia...
Flannery O'Connor:
Flannery O'Connor is often likened to Faulkner for her portrayal of the character and lifestyle of the South, Kafka for her fascination with the bizarre, and Beckett for her dark humor - comparisons that underscore the fact that her voice has a uniq...
Fanfare for America: the composer Aaron Copland
Impressed with how European music could have a "German sound," a "French sound," and so on, Aaron Copland returned from his years in Paris to New York City, intent on capturing the essence of the "American sound." This documentary presents an artful...
How a geek changed the world
It took two years of negotiation for the BBC's Fiona Bruce to get some face time with Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates. In this rare interview, Bruce gains insights into both the man and the icon-genius, business magnate, philanthropist, and one of th...