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...
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...
Kurt Vonnegut: so it goes
In this interview, Kurt Vonnegut - iconoclastic writer of science fiction and satire - discusses his family history, how he got his start as an author, his experiences in World War II, his obsession with the betrayal of humankind by science, and his...
Great American authors since 1650: 1926-1939
This was the most turbulent period in American history. It encompassed the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression. It gave rise to America's greatest writers, known collectively as the lost generation. Presented by Jane Kaczmarek, this eight part...
Great American authors since 1650: 1907-1925
During this time frame America lost its innocence. Its writers now began to struggle with the problems that accompanied modernization and industrialization. It was also the beginning of the lost generation of American authors. Presented by Jane Kacz...
Great American authors since 1650: 1940-1949
America entered the technological age through the darkness of WWII and its aftermath. American authors were now becoming legends in their own time through mass media and popular culture. Their response was as diverse as the nation's response to livi...
Great American authors since 1650: 1856-1906
After the Civil War the modern American novel took shape ... It was led by Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain and Henry James. It was also the time that the American literary voice came from everyone and from everywhere. Presented by Jane Kaczmarek, this...
William Faulkner
The writer who best represents 20th-century Southern narrative led an existence every bit as colorful and dramatic as his fictional sagas. This program beautifully recounts William Faulkner's life and the great literary works it produced, exploring ...
Great American authors since 1650: 1950-1957
If the lost generation authors were searching for identity and meaning, the group of authors in this program rejected everything about mainstream America. Ultimately they would speak to the baby boomer generation. Presented by Jane Kaczmarek, this e...
Great American authors since 1650: 1958-present
This generation of writer witnessed and participated in WWII ... Korea ... The Cold War ... The Civil Rights movement ... And Vietnam. These experiences shaped them intellectually, spiritually and emotionally in ways that were translated into their ...