Library Talks
Join The New York Public Library and your favorite writers, artists, and thinkers for smart talks and provocative conversations from the nation's cultural capital.
Episodes
Fintan O'Toole: The Idiocy of Greatness
In this episode of Library Talks, the acclaimed Irish writer, Fintan O'Toole, delivers the annual Robert B. Silvers lecture. The idea of greatness has infused politics across much of the globe in the last decade, from Brexit to Donald Trump's MAGA movement. In this lecture, Fintan O'Toole suggests why greatness is, after all, not so great: it is in thrall to an imagined past, it generates
Maile Chapman with Larissa MacFarquhar: The Spoil
In this episode of Library Talks, acclaimed author Maile Chapman joins the podcast to discuss her first novel in fifteen years from acclaimed, The Spoil. As a young girl growing up on the outskirts of Tacoma in the 1970s, Mandy is preoccupied by the paranormal phenomena she reads about in magazines: alien visitations, ESP, the Bermuda Triangle. What follows is a gripping and often terrify
Bob Crawford with Alexis Coe: America's Founding Son
In this episode of Library Talks, The historian and bass player for The Avett Brothers, Bob Crawford revisits the life of John Quincy Adams in his book America's Founding Son. Adams was born nine years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and he died as the United States was sliding irrevocably toward Civil War. In between he was a foreign ambassador, secretary of state, sit
Daisy Hernández with Jia Lynn Yang: Citizenship
In this episode of Library Talks, Author Daisy Hernández explores one of the most contested questions in contemporary American life: who belongs. Hernández is joined in discussion with journalist Jia Lynn Yang. Citizenship: Notes on an American Myth braids memoir, history, and cultural criticism to reveal how citizenship functions less as a guarantee than as a narrative we tell about our
Library Talks: Ellen Carol DuBois with Julie Suk, 'Elizabeth Cady Stanton'
In this episode of Library Talks, historian Ellen Carol DuBois discusses her new book Elizabeth Cady Stanton: A Revolutionary Life with legal scholar Julie Suk. Elizabeth Cady Stanton presents a definitive portrait of one of the most influential figures in the American struggles for women's suffrage and rights. From the 1840s until her death in 1902, Stanton fought for women's emancipa
Jeanne Theoharis with Robyn C. Spencer-Antoine: The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks
In this episode of Library Talks, historian Jeanne Theoharis joins the podcast to discuss her groundbreaking work, The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks. She is joined in discussion by fellow historian Robyn C. Spencer-Antoine. The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks is the definitive political biography of Rosa Parks and examines her six decades of activism, challenging perceptions of
Clint Bentley with Aidan Flax-Clark: Train Dreams
In this episode of Library Talks, award winning director Clint Bentley joins the podcast to discuss his new film Train Dreams and the process of adapting Denis Johnson's beloved novella. Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly-changing America of the early 20th Century. Clint Bent
Nina Sankovitch with Jennifer Finney Boylan: Not Your Founding Father
In this episode of Library Talks, historian Nina Sankovitch discusses her new book Not Your Founding Father: How a Nonbinary Minister Became America's Most Radical Revolutionary. In 1776 a 23-year-old woman named Jemima Wilkinson suffered a severe illness, declared her past self dead, and then rebranded as the Public Universal Friend, a genderless messenger of God. In a few short years th
Emily Yellin and John C. Lawson II with Michelle Miller: Nonviolent
In this episode of Library Talks, we explore the life of one of the most influential architects of the civil rights era Rev. James Lawson Jr. and discuss his new posthumous memoir Nonviolent: A Memoir of Resistance, Agitation, and Love Rev. James Lawson Jr. spent his life fighting racial and economic injustice. A peer of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., he taught and organized nonviolent direc
Emerald Fennell with Aidan Flax-Clark: "Wuthering Heights"
In this episode of Library Talks, Academy and BAFTA Award–winning filmmaker, Emerald Fennell, discusses her seductive interpretation of Wuthering Heights. Wuthering Heights has been the subject of controversy since it was first published in 1847. One of its first critics derided the novel's "vulgar depravity and unnatural horrors," and another wrote, "How a human being could have attempt
Edward McPherson with Robert Sullivan: Look Out
In this episode of Library Talks, author Edward McPherson sits down with fellow author Robert Sullivan to discuss his latest book, Look Out: The Delight and Danger of Taking the Long View. Look Out is an exploration of long-distance mapping, aerial photography, and top-down and far-ranging perspectives—from pre–Civil War America to our vexed modern times of drone warfare, hyper-surveilla
Akhil Reed Amar: Born Equal
In this episode of Library Talks, prizewinning constitutional historian Akhil Reed Amar talks about his new book Born Equal: Remaking America's Constitution, 1840–1920. Born Equal recounts the dramatic constitutional debates that unfolded across eight decades, across those eight decades four amendments abolished slavery, secured Black and female citizenship, and extended suffrage regardl
Siddhartha Mukherjee with Dhruv Khullar: Revisiting The Emperor of All Maladies
In this episode of Library Talks, Pulitzer Prize–winning author and physician Siddhartha Mukherjee joins Library Talks to discuss the updated edition of his groundbreaking book, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer Originally published in 2010, The Emperor of All Maladies is a humane "biography" of cancer, tracing the disease from its first documented appearance thousand
Tim Wu with Lina Khan: The Age of Extraction
In this episode of Library Talks, The legal scholar and former White House official, Tim Wu, examines how today's tech giants extract wealth from ordinary citizens and deepen America's class divide. The Internet was once celebrated as a democratizing force promising widespread prosperity. In his new book, The Age of Extraction, Tim Wu explores how it has instead fueled the rise of new eco
Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper with Joshua David Stein: Russ & Daughters: 100 Years of Appetizing
In this episode of Library Talks, 4th generation Russ & Daughters co-owners Niki Russ Federman & Josh Russ join the podcast to talk about their book Russ & Daughters: 100 Years of Appetizing with fellow writer Joshua David Stein. From the legendary New York destination for Jewish appetizing, a beautiful and inspiring cookbook that encompasses history, tradition, and absolutely delicious foo
Amanda Vaill with Bill Goldstein: Pride and Pleasure
In this episode of Library Talks, writer Amanda Vaill joins the podcast to discuss her new book Pride and Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution. Discover America's Founding Era anew through the lives of the Schuyler sisters, two women as formidable as the famous men they loved, married, and mothered. Amanda Vaill worked on Pride and Pleasure: The Schuyler Sisters in an A
Mindy Weisberger with Paula Croxson: Rise of The Zombie Bugs
In this episode of Library Talks, science writer Mindy Weisberger discusses her new book Rise of the Zombie Bugs: The Surprising Science of Parasitic Mind-Control with Neuroscientist Paula Croxson. Zombies aren't just the stuff of nightmares. Explore the fascinating world of real-life insect zombification. In Rise of the Zombie Bugs, Mindy Weisberger explores the eerie yet fascinating
Margalit Fox: The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum
In this episode of Library Talks, award-winning journalist Margalit Fox joins Library Talks to discuss her latest book, The Talented Mrs. Mandelbaum: The Rise and Fall of an American Organized-Crime Boss, the true story of a once-infamous criminal mastermind and visionary businesswoman in Gilded Age New York. Drawing on deep historical research, Fox tells the true story of a once-famous
Lance Richardson with Sam Anderson: True Nature
In this episode of Library Talks, author Lance Richardson joins Library Talks to discuss his new book True Nature: The Pilgrimage of Peter Matthiessen. He's joined by award-winning writer Sam Anderson. A towering figure of twentieth-century American letters, Peter Matthiessen (1927–2014) defies categorization. He co-founded the Paris Review while working undercover for the CIA in postwa
Jonathan Mahler with Amor Towles: The Gods of New York
In this episode of Library Talks, award-winning author and New York Times Magazine staff writer Jonathan Mahler joins the podcast to discuss the transformative, tumultuous era in New York City he evokes vividly in The Gods of New York: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City: 1986-1990, with bestselling novelist Amor Towles. The Gods of New York is an immersi
Dr. Tom Frieden with Chelsea Clinton: The Formula for Better Health
In this episode of Library Talks, the former director of the CDC Dr. Tom Frieden, joins Library Talks to discuss his new book The Formula for Better Health: How to Save Millions of Lives – Including Your Own. He's joined in conversation by Chelsea Clinton, vice chair of the Clinton Foundation. Dr. Tom Frieden led New York's health department after 9/11, directed the CDC during the Ebola
Irin Carmon with Melissa Murray: Unbearable
In this episode of Library Talks, Irin Carmon speaks with Melissa Murray about her new book Unbearable. In Unbearable, Irin Carmon draws on the history and politics of reproduction, showing how the American story of pregnancy has long been incomplete, hidden, or taken for granted. Pregnant herself while reporting on the lived experiences of five women navigating pregnancy during the Supreme C
Francesca Wade with Brenda Wineapple: Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife
In this episode of Library Talks, Author Francesca Wade, joins Library Talks to discuss her new book Gertrude Stein: An Afterlife she is joined by fellow author Brenda Wineapple who's most recent book is national bestseller, Keeping the Faith: God, Democracy, and the Trial That Riveted a Nation. Gertrude Stein's Paris salon is the stuff of literary legend. Many have tried to capture the
Ray D. Madoff with Gary Gulman: The Second Estate
In this episode of Library Talks, Ray D. Madoff, a professor at Boston College Law School, talks about her new book The Second Estate which lifts the veil on the 7,000-page tax code that has created two Americas. In one America, "millions of working Americans pay substantial portions of their resources to support the expenses of the country." In another, the wealthiest one percent have been "
Cheryl McKissack Daniel with Charlamagne Tha God: The Black Family Who Built America
In this episode of Library Talks, Cheryl McKissack Daniel—fifth-generation leader of the nation's oldest Black-owned design and construction services firm, sits down with multimedia mogul Charlamagne Tha God to discuss her family's extraordinary 200-year history, as captured in her new book The Black Family Who Built America. From the National Civil Rights Museum in Tennessee, to the Atla
Gish Jen with Weike Wang: Bad Bad Girl
In this episode of Library Talks, acclaimed novelist Gish Jen joins Library Talks to discuss her latest book Bad Bad Girl. She is joined by fellow novelist Weike Wang. Bad Bad Girl began as a memoir of her late mother, Loo Shu-hsin, before evolving into a fictionalized portrait of their turbulent mother-daughter relationship. As a child Shu-hsin learns how little her life is valued as a
David Szalay with Dua Lipa: Flesh
In this episode of Library Talks, join Dua Lipa for a live discussion of Flesh by David Szalay, a book club pick for Service95—the global lifestyle platform and weekly newsletter she founded. Longlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize, Flesh tells the rags-to-riches story of Istvan, a lonely young man raised on a Hungarian housing estate, whose rise from obscurity to success is ultimately de
Brian Jones with Bettina L. Love and Jesse Hagopian: Black History Is for Everyone
In this episode of Library Talks, Educator NYPL staff member and author Brian Jones joins Library Talks to discuss his new book Black History Is for Everyone. He is joined by Dr. Bettina L. Love and Jesse Hagopian. In Black History Is for Everyone, Brian Jones offers a meditation on the power of Black history, using his own experiences as a lifelong learner and classroom teacher to que
The New Yorker Editorial Roundtable
In this episode of Library Talks , in honor of The New Yorker's 100th anniversary, editor David Remnick is joined by Henry Finder, Tyler Foggatt, Susan Morrison, and Daniel Zalewski for a rare editorial roundtable. They offer an insider's view into how articles are assigned, crafted, and brought to life—from first pitch to final publication—and how the magazine reflects and builds on its sto
Jill Lepore with Jamal Greene: We the People
In this episode of Library Talks, American historian Jill Lepore joins Library Talks to discuss her latest book We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution. She is joined by constitutional law expert Jamal Greene. On the eve of the 250th anniversary of the nation's founding, Jill Lepore's We the People reexamines this foundational text not as a static artifact but as a living do
Tricia Hersey with Glory Edim: We Will Rest!: The Art of Escape
In this episode of Library Talks, multidisciplinary artist and theologian, Tricia Hersey joins Library Talks to discuss her latest book We Will Rest!: The Art of Escape. She is joined by Glory Edim, author of Well Read Black Girl. Tricia Hersey is the founder of The Nap Ministry. She is the global pioneer and originator of the "rest as resistance" and "rest as reparations" frameworks, a
Lauren O'Neill-Butler with E.C. Feiss and Ciarán Finlayson: The War of Art
In this episode of Library Talks, Author and editor Lauren O'Neill-Butler joins Library Talks to discuss her latest book, The War of Art: A History of Artists' Protest in America. The War of Art tells the history of artist-led activism and the global political and aesthetic debates of the 1960s to the present. In contrast to the financialized art market and celebrity artists, the book e
Miriam Toews with Aidan Flax-Clark: A Truce That Is Not Peace
In this episode of Library Talks, Miriam Toews, the internationally bestselling author of Women Talking and Fight Night discusses writing about her own life in nonfiction for the first time. Miriam Toews had written nine books, but when the organizer of a literary festival prompted her to answer the question "Why do you write?" Toews found that every attempted response only proved that
Joshua Miele with Andrew Leland: Connecting Dots: A Blind Life
In this episode of Library Talks, Research scientist Joshua Miele joins Library Talks to discuss his memoir Connecting Dots: A Blind Life. He is joined by Andrew Leland, author of the memoir The Country of the Blind. Throughout his life, Miele has found increasingly inventive ways to succeed in a world built for the sighted, and to help others to do the same. At first reluctant to even
Eloghosa Osunde with Jake Morrissey: Necessary Fiction
In this episode of Library Talks, award-winning writer and multidisciplinary artist Eloghosa Osunde joins the podcast for a conversation about their new novel Necessary Fiction with the editor of Necessary Fiction Jake Morrissey. Necessary Fiction takes place across Lagos, one of Africa's largest urban areas and one of the world's most dynamic cities, Osunde's characters seek out love
Raquel Willis with Mecca Jamilah Sullivan: The Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation
In this episode of Library Talks, writer, activist, and speaker Raquel Willis joins Library Talks to discuss her memoir The Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation. She's joined by fellow writer Mecca Jamilah Sullivan. In The Risk It Takes to Bloom, Raquel Willis recounts with passion and candor her experiences straddling the Obama and Trump eras, the possibility of transformatio
Malcolm D. Lee and Jayne Allen with Bevy Smith: The Best Man: Unfinished Business
In this episode of Library Talks, Writer and director Malcolm D. Lee Joins Library Talks to discuss his debut novel The Best Man: Unfinished Business. He's joined by his coauthor Jayne Allen in a discussion moderated by radio and television host Bevy Smith. The beloved characters from Malcom D Lee's The Best Man movies and hit television series reunite in the first in the trilogy, The Be
Kevin Nguyen with Chris Gayomali: Mỹ Documents
In this episode of Library Talks, Novelist and features editor at The Verge Kevin Nguyen joins Library Talks to discuss his second novel Mỹ Documents Mỹ Documents follows four Vietnamese cousins whose lives are upended after a terrorist attack incites a government crackdown that targets their community through mass internment of Vietnamese-American citizens. Nguyen relies on the history
Jeremy Tiang with Reuben Gelley Newman: State of Emergency
In this episode of Library Talks, Acclaimed translator and playwright Jeremy Tiang joins Library Talks to discuss his debut novel and winner of the Singapore Literature Prize State of Emergency. Jeremy Tiang is a novelist and playwright, and the translator of over thirty books from Chinese. His debut novel State of Emergency follows an extended family from the 1940s to the present day as
Jonas Hassen Khemiri with Tess Gunty: The Sisters
In this episode of Library Talks, National book award finalist Jonas Hassen Khemiri talks to Tess Gunty about his latest book, The Sisters. Narrated in six parts, each spanning a period ranging from a year to a day to a single minute, Jonas Hassen Khemiri's The Sisters is a big, vivid family saga of the highest order Jonas Hassen Khemiri worked on The Sisters during his 2021-2022 Fello
Bobby Hankinson: Kweendom: A Night of Queer Stand-Up
In this episode of Library Talks, New York's funniest LGBTQ performers take the stage for a one-night-only celebration of queer comedy, community, and joy. Hosted by Bobby Hankinson, Kweendom is an all-LGBTQ comedy show featuring some of the city's sharpest queer comedians and storytellers. Born from Hankinson's frustration with lineups lacking authentic queer representation, Kweendom centers a wi
John B. King, Jr. with Lisette Nieves: Teacher by Teacher
Former U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr talks to Lisette Nieves about his latest book, Teacher by Teacher.
Kate Marvel and Friends, 'Human Nature'
In this episode of Library Talks, author and climate scientist Kate Marvel explores her latest book, Human Nature, with David Wallace-Wells, Monica Youn, and Lauren Kurtz through talks, performances, and more Each chapter of Kate Marvel's new book, Human Nature, employs a different emotion to explore the science and stories behind climate change. Kate Marvel shares some of the hope, heartb
Stephanie Burt with Special Guests: Super Gay Poems: LGBTQIA+ Poetry after Stonewall
In this episode of Library Talks, poets and critics read from and discuss the new anthology, Super Gay Poems: LGBTQIA+ Poetry after Stonewall. In Super Gay Poems, Stephanie Burt curates a boundary-pushing anthology of 51 poems by LGBTQIA+ writers, tracing the evolution of queer poetry since the Stonewall Riots. From sonnets to shaped poems, elegies to joyful provocations, the collection features
Barbara Demick with Jessica Bruder: Daughters of the Bamboo Grove
In this episode of Library Talks, acclaimed journalist and National Book Award finalist Barbara Demick talks to Jessica Bruder about her latest book, Daughters of the Bamboo Grove: From China to America, a True Story of Abduction, Adoption, and Separated Twins Barbara Demick investigates the origins, shocking cruelty, and legacy of China's one-child rule; the rise of international adoption an
Madeleine Thien with Jiayang Fan: The Book of Records
In this episode of Library Talks, author Madeleine Thien talks to Jiayang Fan about her latest book, The Book of Records. The Book of Records is a novel that leaps across generations, ideas, and centuries, as if different eras were separated by only a door. Madeleine Thien worked on The Book of Records during her 2021-2022 Fellowship at the Library's Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center fo
Claire Hoffman with Jelani Cobb: Sister, Sinner
In this episode of Library Talks, Author and Journalist Claire Hoffman sits down with fellow journalist Jelani Cobb to talk about her latest book, Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson Sister, Sinner chronicles the dramatic rise, disappearance, and near-fall of Aimee Semple McPherson. A pioneer of Pentecostalism and founder of the Foursqua
Russell Shorto with Aidan Flax-Clark: Taking Manhattan
Bestselling author and historian Russell Shorto talks to Aidan Flax-Clark about his latest book, Taking Manhattan.
Haleh Liza Gafori with Maya C. Popa: Water
Haleh Liza Gafori with Maya C. Popa: Water Translating Rumi
Acclaimed poet Haleh Liza Gafori discusses her latest translations of Rumi's lyric poetry in Water with prize-winning poet Maya C. Popa
Chris Hughes with Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway: Marketcrafters
Economist and writer Chris Hughes talks to Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Allowa about his latest book, Marketcrafters.
Mike Hixenbaugh on his Award-Winning Book 'They Came for the Schools'
On this special episode of Library Talks, we speak with Mike Hixenbaugh, winner of the 38th annual Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism, for his book They Came for the Schools: One Town's Fight Over Race and Identity, and the New War for America's Classrooms.
Vicky Nguyen with Tracey Nguyen Mang: Boat Baby
News anchor Vicky Nguyen talks to Tracey Nguyen Mang about her new memoir, Boat Baby.
José Andrés with Gail Simmons: Change the Recipe
Michelin-starred chef José Andrés talks to Gail Simmons about his latest book, Change the Recipe.
Timothy Snyder: The New Paganism—A Framework for Understanding Our Politics
American historian Timothy Snyder presents his lecture The New Paganism—A Framework for Understanding Our Politics
Alissa Wilkinson with Aidan Flax-Clark: We Tell Ourselves Stories: Joan Didion and the American Dream Machine
Film critic Alissa Wilkinson talks to Aidan Flax-Clark about her latest book, We Tell Ourselves Stories.
Edna Bonhomme with Linda Villarosa: A History of the World in Six Plagues
Historian Edna Bonhomme talks to Linda Villarosa about her latest book, A History of the World in Six Plagues.
Hamid Rahmanian with Ahmad Sadri and Melissa Hibbard: Shahnameh: The Epic of the Persian Kings
Artist Hamid Rahmanian speaks with translator Ahmad Sadri and producer Melissa Hibbard about the Persian epic poem Shahnameh.
Lisa Kyung Gross with Yael Raviv and Abi Balingit: The League of Kitchens Cookbook
Cookbook Author Lisa Kyung Gross is joined by Yael Raviv and Abi Balingit to talk about her latest book, The League of Kitchens Cookbook
Kenneth Roth with M. Gessen: Righting Wrongs
Kenneth Roth, the long-time head of Human Rights Watch, talks to M. Gessen about his first book, Righting Wrongs.
Eliza Clark with Allison Nellis: She's Always Hungry
Eliza Clark talks to Allison Nellis about her debut short story collection, She's Always Hungry.
Sarah Lewis with Nell Irvin Painter: The Unseen Truth: When Race Changed Sight in America
Historian Sarah Lewis talks to Nell Irvin Painter about her latest book, The Unseen Truth: When Race Changed Sight in America.
Victoria Christopher Murray with Melissa Noel: Harlem Rhapsody
Bestselling author Victoria Christopher Murray sits down with journalist Melissa Noel to discuss her latest book, Harlem Rhapsody: The Extraordinary Story of the Woman Who Ignited the Harlem Renaissance.
Jennifer Finney Boylan with Roxane Gay: Cleavage
In 2003, author Jennifer Finney Boylan published She's Not There, which became the first bestselling work by a transgender American and established Boylan as a go-to source for public conversation about the impact of gender on our lives. More than two decades later, her new memoir, Cleavage, returns with older and wiser eyes to examine the joys and the struggles of being transgender. In this episo
David Wright Faladé with Julie Orringer: The New Internationals
Writer and scholar David Wright Faladé sits down with Julie Orringer to discuss his latest book, The New Internationals, a stunning historical novel that sets a coming-of-age narrative and cross-cultural romance amidst a vibrant political moment in postwar Paris.
Martha Hodes with Stacy Schiff: My Hijacking
When author and historian Martha Hodes was 12-years-old she was flying unaccompanied on a plane that was hijacked. Nearly half a century later she explores her memories of that event in her book My Hijacking, which draws on deep archival research and extensive interviews both to re-create what happened to her as a child and to understand the larger context of the world-historical event in which sh
New York State Poet Patricia Spears Jones in Conversation with Brent Hayes Edwards
New York State Poet Laureate Patricia Spears Jones is a poet, playwright, educator, and cultural activist. Her most recent book The Beloved Community was released in 2023. Here she is in conversation with Brent Hayes Edwards, professor in the Department of English and Comparative Literature and the Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University.
Deondra Rose and Angelo Pinto: The Power of Black Excellence
Join author and professor Deondra Rose as she discusses her new book The Power of Black Excellence: HBCUs and the Fight for American Democracy with activist Angelo Pinto.
Caoilinn Hughes with Brandon Taylor: The Alternatives
Caoilinn Hughes joins fellow author Brandon Taylor to discuss her latest book, The Alternatives, a story of four brilliant Irish sisters, orphaned in childhood, who scramble to reconnect when the oldest disappears into the Irish countryside.
Josephine Quinn with Ken Chen: How the World Made the West
Josephine Quinn sits down with award-winning poet Ken Chen to discuss her book How the World Made the West. Quinn's book poses a bold challenge to "civilizational thinking" on the origins of Western culture—that is, the idea that civilizations arose separately and distinctly from one another. Rather, she locates the roots of the modern West in everything from the law codes of Babylon, Assyrian irr
Jean Strouse with Hernan Diaz: Family Romance
Jean Strouse sits down with Pulitzer Prize–winner Hernan Diaz to discuss her latest book Family Romance: John Singer Sargent and the Wertheimers. Strouse's account illuminates a period of tumultuous social change that saw the declining fortunes of the British aristocracy, the dramatic rise of new wealth on both sides of the Atlantic, and the birth of the modern art market.
Dava Sobel with Angela Saini: The Elements of Marie Curie
In her new biography, The Elements of Marie Curie, Dava Sobel explores not just on Curie's legendary genius, but the 45 women who worked in her lab—from Marguerite Perey, who discovered the element francium, to Curie's elder daughter, Irène, winner of the 1935 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Sobel chronicles Curie's remarkable life of discovery alongside the lives of the women who followed down the trai
Daniel Saldaña París with Chloé Cooper Jones: Planes Flying over a Monster
Daniel Saldaña París speaks with Chloé Cooper Jones about his latest book Planes Flying over a Monster, which explores the cities where París has lived, each one home to a new iteration of himself. These now diverging, now coalescing selves raise questions: Where can we find authenticity? How do we construct the stories that define us? What if our formative memories are closer to fiction than trut
New York Crime Stories: Reading from the Archives
Dive into the Library's collections for true tales of crime and chicanery from some of the city's most outstanding lawbreakers. Beloved actors and performers read stories mined from the Library's collections about the words and deeds of New Yorkers who lived on either side of the letter of the law.
Maira Kalman with Rumaan Alam: Still Life with Remorse
Beloved artist and author Maira Kalman sits down with author Rumaan Alam to discuss her new collection of illustrations, Still Life with Remorse, her most autobiographical and intimate work to date.
Celebrating Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer's 'The Joy of Connections'
Celebrating The Joy of Connections, the last book of beloved icon (and long-time New Yorker) Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Co-authors Allison Gilbert and Pierre Lehu are joined by Dr. Ruth's children, Dr. Miriam Westheimer and Dr. Joel Westheimer, in a conversation moderated by WABC-TV's Bill Ritter.
Glory Edim with Aminatou Sow: Gather Me
Glory Edim, the founder of Well-Read Black Girl, discusses her new memoir, Gather Me, an ode to the power reading has had on her life and to books' ability to help us understand ourselves.
Clara Bingham with Farai Chideya: Revolutionary Foremothers
Clara Bingham discusses her new book, The Movement, the first oral history of the decade that built the modern feminist movement.
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson with Steve Connell: What If We Get It Right?
Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, the beloved marine biologist and policy expert imagines an inspiring landscape of possible climate futures.
Ada Limón and Peter Sís: In Praise of Mystery
The U.S. Poet Laureate and Caldecott honoree Illustrator discuss their transcendent picture book featuring a poem that will travel into space aboard NASA's Europa Clipper.
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