Library Talks
Episodes
Nasty Women
18 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The co-editors of the essay collection Nasty Women along with select contributors to it explore the complications of being an American woman in 2017. ...
Mike Wallace, Greater Gotham
10 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Twenty years in the making, Greater Gotham is Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Mike Wallace's follow-up to his 1999 Gotham. He spoke about the New Y...
Salman Rushdie, The Golden House
03 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Booker Prize–winning novelist discusses his twelfth, and most recent, novel, The Golden House.
Jesmyn Ward on 'Sing, Unburied, Sing'
26 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The National Book Award–winning author spoke at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture about her most recent novel, Sing, Unburied, Sing...
Atul Gawande & Elizabeth Alexander
19 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Two writers, two beautiful books, both on the subject of death. Atul Gawande's Being Mortal examines the lengths modern medicine must go to better hum...
Kurt Andersen, Fantasyland
12 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The host and co-creator of Studio 360 discusses his new book, Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire, a 500-Year History. He spoke with NYU professor K...
Raoul Peck, "I Am Not Your Negro"
05 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The filmmaker speaks about his groundbreaking documentary I Am Not Your Negro at the Schomburg Center with the Schomburg's Director, Kevin Young and L...
Ayobami Adebayo on her debut novel "Stay With Me"
29 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Nigerian writer discusses her debut novel, Stay With Me, the haunting tale of a young couple whose childless marriage threatens to tear them apart...
Ibram X. Kendi, Stamped from the Beginning
22 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Kendi discussed his National Book Award–winning work on the history of racist ideas in America with Khalil Gibran Muhammad, the Director Emeritus of...
Noam Chomsky and Wallace Shawn: Rigorous Rationality
15 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
MIT linguist, philosopher, and political theorist Noam Chomsky, in conversation with actor Wallace Shawn.
How Judy Collins Conquered Her Cravings
08 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and best-selling author Judy Collins came to the Library back in February, to celebrate the publication of her mo...
Lynn Nottage & Sweat
01 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright was joined in May by members of the Broadway cast of Sweat to talk about the play and the issues behind it at ...
Immigrant Stories—Min Jin Lee with Simon Winchester
25 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Best-selling novelist Min Jin Lee on her latest book, the ups and downs of her career, the history of Koreans in Japan, and the treatment of Asians in...
Phillip Glass, Words Without Music
18 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Philip Glass is a giant of twentieth-century American music, arguably of the most influential composers of his time. He spoke with LIVE from the NYPL'...
Janet Mock, Surpassing Certainty
11 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Writer, activist, and podcast host Janet Mock joins for a discussion of her second memoir, Surpassing Certainty. She's interviewed by Lisa Lucas, the ...
Inside the Work and Mind of Nick Cave
04 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
One of contemporary art's most towering figures guides us through his astonishing new exhibition at MASS MoCA.
David Grann
27 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1920s, the Osage Indian nation in Oklahoma become oil millionaires after black gold was discovered under their land. Discover the stories of th...
Tracy K. Smith, New U.S. Poet Laureate
20 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy K. Smith was named 22nd U.S. Poet Laureate last week. In 2016 she came by the Library to discuss her memoir, Ordinary Light.
Jelani Cobb, The Half-Life of Freedom (Part 2: Demagogues of American History)
15 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the second part of Jelani Cobb's lecture on politics, journalism, and history entitled "The Half-Life of Freedom: The Demagogues of America...
Jelani Cobb, The Half-Life of Freedom (Part 1: The Media and Alternative Facts)
13 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
New Yorker staff writer and Columbia Journalism School professor Jelani Cobb delivers a lecture on politics, journalism, and history entitled "The Hal...
Alec Baldwin
06 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Alec Baldwin spoke with NY Times critic-at-large Wesley Morris about his recent memoir, "Nevertheless," at LIVE from the NYPL.
Journalism in the Age of Trump, part 2
30 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Katherine Boo, Anand Giridharadas, and Philip Gourevitch are all past winners of the Library's Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism...
Jane Mayer, Winner of the Bernstein Award
23 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Is the Trump Administration a dream or a nightmare for the Koch brothers? This week's episode asks and answers many questions about the intricate rel...
George Packer and Reihan Salam with Tony Marx
15 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Explore both the seeds and the fruits of our present American political condition with New Yorker writer George Packer, National Review editor Reihan ...
Syria's Human Side, with Janine di Giovanni
09 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Bernstein Award finalist Janine di Giovanni talks about her book, "The Morning They Came For Us: Dispatches from Syria," the story of Syria's civil wa...
Charlotte McDonald-Gibson, Bernstein Award Finalist
02 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Bernstein Award finalist Charlotte McDonald-Gibson talks about her book, 'Cast Away: True Stories of Survival from Europe's Refugee Crisis,' which fol...
The Librarian Is In: American Passions
27 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
BONUS: We're giving you a taste of the Library's other podcast, The Librarian Is In. Each week hosts Gwen and Frank discuss books, culture, what you ...
Lawrence Krauss w/ Alan Alda. Reality, the Real Story
25 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A hilarious, confounding, perplexing, and thoroughly engrossing conversation between theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss and actor Alan Alda. They c...
Gary Younge, Bernstein Award Finalist
18 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
An interview with Bernstein finalist and Guardian editor-at-large Gary Younge. His book is called Another Day in the Death of America: a Chronicle of ...
Like Passover, But Funnier
11 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
If you've ever made it through a full Seder, you know that celebrating Passover can last as long as the Exodus itself. Today, on day two of the annual...
Sonia Shah & Pandemic, Bernstein Award Finalist
04 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Sonia Shah's new book 'Pandemic' uses the history of cholera as a template toward understanding the life cycles of disease outbreaks and how our how o...
Women's and Girls' Lives Matter
28 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
An extraordinary group of women who are on the front lines of the fight for bettering the lives for young black women and girls across the country gat...
What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear with Dr. Ofri and Mary Harris
21 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Modern medicine is infatuated with high-tech gadgetry, yet the single most powerful diagnostic tool remains the doctor-patient conversation, which can...
Etgar Keret, the Rock and the Hard Place
16 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Whether evoking the tragicomic and surreal for which his short stories first gained acclaim, or awakening the keen love of family in 2015's The Seven ...
Journalism in the Age of Trump
08 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This year, the New York Public Library will, for the thirtieth year, dispense the Helen Bernstein Award for Excellence in Journalism. In the first in ...
Civil Rights Journeys Across Generations
28 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
For this week's episode of the New York Public Library Podcast, we present discussions presented by the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture...
Casanova: Seduction and Genius in Venice
21 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Today the name Giacomo Casanova has become synonymous with the skilled lover. The Venetian claimed to have seduced countless women over his lifetime. ...
Hugh Ryan on the Queer Histories of Brooklyn's Waterfront
14 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Hugh Ryan is a curator and journalist based in Brooklyn, whose work primarily explores queer culture and history. He is the Founder of the Pop-Up Muse...
Emmett Till: True Stories of An American Tragedy
07 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The year was 1955, and the place was America. The murderers were white men, and the fourteen-year-old boy who was kidnapped, beaten, murdered, and dum...
George Washington and the Hyper-Partisan Now
31 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
New York Times political correspondent Maggie Haberman joins Daily Beast editor-in-chief John Avlon to discuss his new book, Washington's Farewell: th...
New York Never Built
24 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
It's hard to imagine a New York different from the one we know, but what would the city have been like if the ideas of some of the greatest architectu...
Art Spiegelman on How He Sees Himself, Becoming a Devotee to Another Artist, and the Artist After Art
17 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Art Spiegelman moved readers with Maus, the renowned graphic novel recounting his father's experience of the Holocaust. Now, Spiegelman has brought to...
Our Compelling Interests: A Panel on Diversity and Democracy
10 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're proud to present a compelling panel discussion on diversity and democracy. The discussion features participants from education, govern...
Rebecca Solnit, Joshua Jelly-Schapiro, Garnette Cadogan, Suketu Mehta, and Luc Sante on Phone Maps, Libraries, and Walking
03 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're bringing you a conversation with the minds behind Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas. Writer and activist Rebecca Solnit, geogr...
Michael Chabon and Richard Price on Plot, Secular Judaism, and Remembering to Make Stuff Up
27 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Lying on your deathbed, how does the story of your life unfold? Michael Chabon's new novel, Moonglow, unfolds surrounded by this question, in a story ...
Neil Gaiman Reads "A Christmas Carol" (Rebroadcast)
20 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're rebroadcasting one of our favorite episodes: acclaimed author Neil Gaiman delivering a memorable reading of A Christmas Carol. You'll ...
Paul Krugman on Fake News, Lying Candidates, and What Public Intellectuals Need to Do
13 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're thrilled to present a thought-provoking lecture from New York Times columnist Paul Krugman. He recently came to the library to deliver...
James McBride on James Brown and NYC
06 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're joined by musician and author James McBride, who returns to the Library to mark the paperback publication of his book,Kill 'Em and Lea...
Sarah Sze on Scale, Gravity, and Value
29 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Sarah Sze is an internationally acclaimed artist, whose signature visual language challenges the static nature of sculpture and questions the value so...
Robbie Robertson on Six Nations Inspiration, Bob Dylan, and Goals of the Soul
22 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're bringing you a conversation with songwriter and guitarist Robbie Robertson. As an original member of the seminal music group the Band,...
Wole Soyinka on Hollywood, Reparations, and Morgan Freeman
15 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
For this week's episode we're bringing you a conversation between two Nigerian authors whose works include plays, novels, poetry, essays and more. Chr...
Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Margo Jefferson on Understanding Uncle Tom's Cabin
08 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
For this week's episode, we're bringing you a conversation between two public intellectuals who have contributed immensely to our understanding of his...
Marina Abramović and Debbie Harry on Doubt and Diaries
01 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week we're joined by two legendary women from very different artistic backgrounds, performance artist Marina Abramović and rock singer Debbie Ha...
Tim Wu on How the Internet Is Not Really Free
25 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're bringing you a conversation with author and policy advisor Tim Wu. In his new book The Attention Merchants, Wu makes the case truly p...
Margaret Atwood on Shakespeare in the 21st Century and on YouTube
18 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Four hundred years after William Shakespeare's death, Margaret Atwood retells one of his most beloved plays, The Tempest, with a dark and fantastical ...
Mona Eltahawy and Yasmine El Rashidi on White Feminism and the Privilege to Protest
11 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The original Antigone may be from antiquity, but our current era abounds with women fighting unabashedly for what they believe. This week on the podca...
Sally Mann on Cy Twombly and the Babushkas Who Saved Russian Art
04 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Perhaps the most permanent - and essential - character in Sally Mann's work is that of place: the American South. Her home of Lexington, VA is not jus...
Yanis Varoufakis and Noam Chomsky on Money and The Sickest Joke in the History of Humankind
27 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Yanis Varoufakis considers himself a politician by necessity, not by choice. An economist and academic by training, he became Greece's finance ministe...
Alan Cumming on Memory, Gore Vidal, and Monica Lewinsky
20 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
He enthralls audiences with his colorful roles, but Alan Cumming's real-life adventures pack just as much punch. This week we're bringing you the firs...
Edwidge Danticat on Silence, Bridging Audiences, and Participating in Stories
13 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're going back into the archives to bring you a conversation with Hatian-American novelist and short story writer Edwidge Danticat. When ...
Werner Herzog on Death, Executioners, and Advice for Filmmakers
06 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we celebrate legendary film director Werner Herzog's birthday with a thrilling conversation from the archives. In 2012, Herzog came to the ...
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Walter Mosley on Empire, English, and Beethoven
30 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's podcast, we welcome basketball legend, activist, and bestselling author Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who came to the Library this summer for a ...
Maggie Nelson & Wayne Koestenbaum on Clarity & Cruelty
23 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Bestselling author Maggie Nelson's latest book, "The Argonauts," received the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism. In this conversati...
Colson Whitehead on "The Underground Railroad" & Poker
16 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Macarthur Award-winning author Colson Whitehead's latest book, "The Underground Railroad," was released August 2nd to widespread critical acclaim and ...
Kevin Young & Gabrielle Hamilton on Food & Poetry
09 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Award-winning poet Kevin Young will be joining the NYPL family this fall as the new director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. He...
Siddhartha Mukherjee on Genetics & Storytelling
02 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Renowned cancer physician and researcher Siddhartha Mukherjee came to the Library this spring to discuss his new book "The Gene: An Intimate History,"...
Laurie Anderson on Melville, Opera, and Mystery
26 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Writer, artist and vocalist Laurie Anderson, one of America's most renowned and daring creative pioneers, came to the Library this spring to discuss h...
Derek Walcott on Hemingway, the Caribbean, & First Love
19 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We're celebrating Ernest Hemingway's birthday with an event from the archives. Nobel Prize winning poet Derek Walcott gives us a new appreciation of H...
John Lithgow & James Shapiro on Guy Fawkes & Falling for Shakespeare
12 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're thrilled to welcome acclaimed author and Shakespeare scholar James Shapiro in a talk with Tony, Emmy, and Golden Globe Award-winning ...
The World in Words Presents: From Ainu to Zaza
05 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're bringing you a very special episode produced in partnership with Public Radio International. Along with a panel of speakers including...
Geoff Dyer on Class in America
28 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Award-winning English author Geoff Dyer came to the Library this spring to discuss his latest book, "White Sands: Experiences from the Outside World."...
Bruce Davidson & Matt Dillon on Lasting Impressions
21 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Award-winning photographer Bruce Davidson's prolific body of work includes documentations of the 1960s Civil Rights movement and the gritty underbelly...
Padma Lakshmi on NYC & the Greatest Gift
14 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Padma Lakshmi, author and Emmy-nominated host of "Top Chef," came to the Library to mark the release of her debut memoir, "Love, Loss, and What We Ate...
Jill Leovy on Murder in America
07 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we bring you a conversation with the 2016 winner of The Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism. Each year the award is giv...
Maya Lin on Memorializing What Is Missing
31 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Award-winning artist and designer Maya Lin first achieved fame at the age of 21 as the designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., ...
Åsne Seierstad on the Deadliest Attack on Norway Since WWII
24 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Award-winning Norwegian journalist Åsne Seierstad's book "One of Us: The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway" examines the incidents o...
The Bad Rap of Do-Gooders: Larissa MacFarquhar
17 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
"New Yorker" writer Larissa MacFarquhar's book "Strangers Drowning" examines the psychological roots and existential dilemmas motivating those rare in...
Helen Mirren on Women's Roles & Taking on Shakespeare
10 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we're excited to welcome Oscar, Emmy, and Tony Award-winning actress Helen Mirren. Going back to her start with the Royal Shakespeare Compa...
Dan Ephron: When The Man Who Almost Changed Israel Met Bill Clinton
03 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we bring you the 2nd of five conversations with the2016 finalists for NYPL's Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellencein Journalism. Each y...
Rosanne Cash on Shakespeare, Performing, & Poetry
26 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Grammy Award-winning musician Rosanne Cash's many accomplishments include penning the bestselling 2010 book "Composed: A Memoir." In this conversation...
Dale Russakoff: When Facebook Tried to Save Newark
19 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Journalist Dale Russakoff's new book, “The Prize: Who’s In Charge of America’s Schools,” investigates the state of public education in America...
Robert A. Caro & Frank Rich on Power & Corruption
12 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We’re bringing you a special talk with Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author Robert Caro, whose book “The Power Broker: Robert Mos...
Elizabeth Alexander & Hilton Als on Dreams & Obsession
05 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We’re kicking off National Poetry Month with award-winning poet Elizabeth Alexander, who came to the Library to celebrate the release of her new mem...
Nathaniel Kahn & Matt Mountain on Outer Space & Weird Science
29 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn and renowned astrophysicist Matt Mountain give us a look at the state-of-the-art Webb Telescope, whic...
Dana Spiotta on Good People, Heroes, & Writing
22 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Dana Spiotta is the National Book Award-nominated author of “Stone Arabia.” In this conversation with NYPL’s Jessica Strand, Spiotta talks about...
Darryl Pinckney & Zadie Smith on Achievement & Beyoncé
15 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we welcome two award-winning authors: American writer Darryl Pinckney and popular English novelist Zadie Smith. In this wide-ranging conver...
Jhumpa Lahiri on Language & Disorder
08 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri comes to the Library to celebrate the release of her new novel, “In Other Words.” In this conversation...
Debbie Harry with Chris Stein on Beatniks, the Stillettoes, & Style
01 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie came to NYPL’s Library for the Performing Arts in 2013 for a talk with Rolling Stone senior critic Will Herm...
The Future of Black History
23 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Ta-Nehisi Coates, Toni Morrison, Jay-Z, and Zadie Smith are just a few among the black authors and creators we'll hear from this week. In our 100th ep...
Russell Simmons & Rick Rubin on Music & Meditation
16 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We’re going back in the archives to bring you a conversation with the founders of record label Def Jam Recordings: music producers Russell Simmons a...
Yusef Komunyakaa on Politics, Imagery, & Memorizing Poetry
09 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet Yusef Komunyakaa came to the Library last October to celebrate the release of his latest book, “The Emperor of ...
Toni Morrison and Angela Davis on Connecting for Progress
02 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We’re kicking off Black History Month with Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, who came to NYPL in 2010 for a conversation with a...
Francine Prose on YouTube, Sentences, & War
26 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Award-winning author Francine Prose came to the Library to talk about her latest novel, “Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932.” In this conver...
Junot Díaz on Intimacy & the Game of Fiction
19 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Bestselling author Junot Díaz came to the Library in 2013 to mark the release of his book “This Is How You Lose Her.” In this conversation with N...
Sharon Olds & Cynthia Nixon on Dickinson, First Drafts, & Selfhood
12 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we welcome two great artists: Pulitzer and T.S. Eliot Prize-winning poet Sharon Olds; and Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Award-winning actress Cynt...
David Hare on Theater, Anticipation, & Hitchcock
05 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
English playwright and screenwriter David Hare's work includes the Academy Award-nominated screenplays for “The Hours” and “The Reader,” as we...
Nico Muhly & Ira Glass on Composers & the Internet
29 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Ira Glass, creator and host of “This American Life,” talks to composer Nico Muhly, who has composed a wide scope of work for ensembles, soloists, ...
Neil Gaiman Reads "A Christmas Carol" (Rebroadcast)
22 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we bring you a rebroadcast of a podcast favorite. Acclaimed author Neil Gaiman comes to the Library to present a memorable reading of A Chr...
Timbaland on Mantronix, Reinvention, & Kids
15 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Renowned music producer Timbaland joins us to talk about his new memoir, “Emperor of Sound,” which provides a long-anticipated inside look at his ...
Edmund de Waal on Porcelain, Time Travel, & Sound
08 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Celebrated artist Edmund de Waal's porcelain works can be found in major museum collections around the world. His new book, “The White Road,” chro...