Library Talks
Episodes
Gloria Steinem on Sex, Justice, & Magazines
01 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
World-renowned activist and writer Gloria Steinem's new book “My Life on the Road” was released in October to critical acclaim. She came to the Li...
Mary-Louise Parker on Relationships, Motherhood, & Religion
24 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Emmy and Tony-award winning actress Mary-Louise Parker comes to the Library this fall to celebrate the release of her first book, “Dear Mr. You,” ...
Elvis Costello on the Internet, Records, & Imitation
17 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Grammy Award-winning musician Elvis Costello's prolific career as a singer-songwriter spans nearly four decades. This fall, he comes to NYPL to celebr...
Sloane Crosley on College, Jewelry, & Publicity
10 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Writer Sloane Crosley is a frequent New York Times contributor and author of the bestselling books “How Did You Get This Number” and “I Was Told...
The 2015 Library Lions on Truth & Inspiration
03 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
World-renowned activist and author Gloria Steinem, award-winning author and playwright Alan Bennett, heralded dancer and choreographer Judith A. Jamis...
Shaquille O'Neal on Germany, Rap, & Slam Dunks
27 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Sports legend and businessman Shaquille O’Neal's nineteen-year basketball career made him a three-time Finals MVP, a four-time NBA champion, and a f...
Ta-Nehisi Coates on Theft, Atheism, & History
20 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Recent Macarthur Genius Grant winner Ta-Nehisi Coates is a national correspondent for “The Atlantic” whose latest book, “Between the World and M...
Patti Smith on Authors She Loves
13 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Musician, writer and artist Patti Smith returns to the podcast this fall to discuss her new memoir “M Train,” a follow-up to her 2010 National Boo...
Erica Jong on Becoming a Poet & Favorite Authors
06 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Award-winning author Erica Jong's prolific career has produced such bestsellers as “Fear of Flying,” “Seducing the Demon,” and her latest work...
Ron Rash on Writer Survival & Place
29 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A two-time winner of the O. Henry Prize, Ron Rash is the author of numerous novels, short stories and poetry collections, including New York Times bes...
Alice Waters on the Pleasures of the Palate
22 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Two stars of the culinary world join us for this week's podcast: Chez Panisse restaurateur Alice Waters and James Beard Award-winner and wine importer...
John Lithgow on Shakespeare & Bedtime Stories
15 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
On this week’s podcast, we’re reaching back in the archives to 2011, when NYPL welcomed John Lithgow, winner of numerous Emmys and Golden Globes a...
Jack White on Music & Freedom
08 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re excited to welcome a panel of guests including musician Jack White and cofounder of Revenant Records, Dean Blackwood. Along with au...
In Memoriam: Oliver Sacks on Hallucinations
31 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re honoring the memory of Oliver Sacks, esteemed neurologist and author of numerous bestselling books, including “Awakenings”, “...
Chimamanda Adichie & Zadie Smith on Race, Writing, & Relationships
25 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
On the heels of the blockbuster success of her latest novel, "Americanah," Adichie sat down with Smith at NYPL's Schomburg Center for Research in Blac...
Colson Whitehead on Poker
18 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The Macarthur Award-winning author joins us to celebrate the release of his latest book, “The Noble Hustle: Poker, Beef Jerky & Death,” which chro...
The Moth on the Power of Storytelling
11 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Eighteen years ago, storytelling collective The Moth launched what has become a world-wide storytelling movement. In this captivating show, we join no...
Lou Reed on Playing Outside the Box
04 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Lou Reed, Mo Tucker, and Doug Yule of the Velvet Underground reunited at the Library in 2009 for a discussion with Rolling Stone journalist David Fric...
Vivian Gornick on Voice in Memoir
28 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The bestselling author's latest book, “The Odd Woman and the City,” was released this May to critical acclaim. In this conversation with NYPL’s ...
Alan Rusbridger on Whistleblowers & Wikileaks
21 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Former editor-in-chief of The Guardian and a keen amateur pianist, Alan Rusbridger's book “Play It Again” recounts how he learned Chopin’s Balla...
Patti Smith on Youth & Friendship
14 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re taking you back in the archives to a captivating conversation with Patti Smith, the beloved and critically acclaimed artist and per...
Sally Mann on Ethical Photography & Stories
07 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the podcast, we welcome renowned photographer Sally Mann, whose works are included in the permanent collections at the Whitney Museum and...
Werner Herzog on Greece & Wrestlemania
30 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re excited to welcome legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog, whose numerous, award-winning films have made him one of the most influential...
Dan Savage on Monogamy
23 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re celebrating Pride Month with popular writer and gay activist Dan Savage, author of the advice column "Savage Love" and creator of t...
Suzanne Farrell on George Balanchine
16 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re thrilled to welcome Suzanne Farrell, one of George Balanchine’s most celebrated muses and a legendary figure in the ballet world....
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Bitcoin
09 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’ll be hearing from a panel of writers and innovators on the often talked about, but rarely understood, Bitcoin. New York Times reporte...
Damien Echols on Hope & Death Row
02 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we’re excited to welcome Damien Echols, whose bestselling memoir “Life After Death” describes how he was falsely convicted of three m...
Matthew Weiner on the End of "Mad Men"
26 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In his first public discussion of the show from beginning to end, "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner sits down with writer A.M. Homes to talk about the ...
Alan Cumming on NYC & Acting
19 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
He's written a memoir Not My Father's Son. He's Eli Gold on The Good Wife. He's been Nightcrawler in X-2: Men United and Hamlet and Mr. Elton in the f...
Diane von Furstenberg on Confident Women
12 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Internationally renowned fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg comes to NYPL for a conversation with Rhonda Garelick, award-winning scholar and autho...
Sonia Sotomayor on Education & Color Blindness
05 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this inspiring conversation with NYPL President Tony Marx, Sotomayor talks about her early life in the Bronx, the importance of education, and her ...
Frank Bruni on College Admissions Mania
28 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The author and popular op-ed columnist for the New York Times joins us to discuss his latest book, “Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be: An Antidote...
T.C. Boyle on Finding Stories and Themes
22 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Bestselling and prolific author T.C. Boyle comes to NYPL to discuss his twenty-fifth book, “The Harder They Come.” In this witty conversation with...
Tavis Smiley on Maya Angelou
14 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Joined by NYPL’s Jessica Strand, Tavis Smiley talks about his latest book, “My Journey with Maya,” which details his friendship with the late Ma...
Azar Nafisi on the Freedom to Read
07 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The bestselling author of “Reading Lolita in Tehran,” a portrayal of the Islamic Revolution in Iran and its effects on one university professor an...
Jeffrey Deitch on Art & Spectacle
31 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Jeffrey Deitch, a celebrated art critic and curator, talks about his popular new book “Live the Art,” which details his decades of boundary-pushin...
RuPaul on Fantasy & Identity
24 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The musician, performer, and host of "RuPaul's Drag Race" sashays onto our stage to celebrate the recent release of his seventh studio album, "Realnes...
Stay Tuned
19 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Get ready for our upcoming spring season of exciting talks from very special guests at the Library, now released every Tuesday on iTunes, Stitcher, an...
Sarah Lewis & Anna Deavere Smith on Inspiring Failures
12 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Art historian and curator Sarah Lewis talks to award-winning actress Anna Deavere Smith about Lewis’s nonfiction debut, “The Rise: Creativity, the...
Ann Patchett & Elizabeth Gilbert on Writing
05 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Ann Patchett, the award-winning author of numerous books including “Bel Canto” and “State of Wonder,” joins her good friend Elizabeth Gilbert,...
Jay-Z on Hustling & Forgiveness
26 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Grammy Award winning artist Jay-Z came to NYPL in 2010, when his long-awaited memoir, "Decoded," had just hit shelves. He’s joined by NYPL’s Paul ...
Charles Blow on His Unexpected Childhood Hero
20 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow joins Khalil Muhammad, Director of NYPL’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, for a conversatio...
Tom Wolfe on Handwriting & Humility
12 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
On the heels of the success of his bestselling 2012 novel “Back to Blood,” Wolfe came to NYPL to discuss identity, beliefs, and the weaving togeth...
Ntozake Shange on Inspiration & Harlem
06 Feb 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The great American playwright and poet Ntozake Shange, creator of the Obie Award-winning play “for colored girls who have considered suicide/when th...
Joan Didion on Writing & Revising
29 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The beloved writer talks to fellow bestselling author Sloane Crosley about the challenges of putting personal tragedy and illusory pleasure into words...
Cheryl Strayed on Wild Success
23 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Before her memoir Wild become an oscar nominated film, Strayed joined NYPL to discuss the blockbuster memoir, measuring success, and good advice.
Joyce Carol Oates on Inspiration and Obsession
16 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The prolific and beloved writer talks about creativity, productivity, and the importance of living an inspired life.
Marlon James & Salman Rushdie on Storytelling
09 Jan 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The two great authors discuss experimental narrative, political turmoil, and blending believable fiction with the absurd truth.
Thomas Struth on Collective Memory and Family Photos
30 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the New York Public Library Podcast welcomes Thomas Struth, the world-famous and influential photographer best known for his family portrai...
Neil Gaiman Reads "A Christmas Carol"
19 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Acclaimed author Neil Gaiman performs a memorable dramatic reading from the Library’s own rare copy of "A Christmas Carol," which includes edits and...
Maira Kalman on Her Favorite Things
11 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The illustrator and author of more than twenty books for both kids and adults sits down with us to talk about strong female characters, nonlinear stor...
Mark Strand on Artistic Imagination
02 Dec 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we honor Pulitzer Prize winner and former US poet laureate Mark Strand, who passed away over the weekend at the age of 80. The beloved poet...
Marcus Samuelsson on Food, Love, & Gratitude
24 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This Thanksgiving week, we’re reaching back into the NYPL archives to bring you a story about food, family, and multicultural identity. Internationa...
Richard Ford on Becoming a Reader and Finding a Voice
20 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we welcome novelist Richard Ford, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "The Sportswriter," "Independence Day," and "The Lay of the Land." F...
George Clinton on the Future of Funk
13 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the NYPL Podcast welcomes George Clinton, the singular musical phenomenon who twisted soul music into funk. Clinton joins us to talk about ...
Neil Gaiman on Fairy Tales Revisited
06 Nov 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the podcast, Neil Gaiman, the beloved bestselling author of "Coraline," "American Gods," and "The Graveyard Book," joins us on Halloween ...
Sam Roberts on New York City
31 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the podcast, Sam Roberts joins us to discuss seeing history through objects, productive procrastination, and what he thinks the motto of ...
Marjane Satrapi - Narratives of Social Protest.
24 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the NYPL Podcast welcomes Marjane Satrapi, the graphic novelist, illustrator, film director, and children's book author who brought us Pers...
Jane Smiley - The Last Hundred Years
17 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week, acclaimed author Jane Smiley joins us to discuss the origins of her new trilogy "The Last Hundred Years," the hard part about spending a ce...
Philip K. Howard - The Rule of Nobody
10 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the podcast, noted legal reformer Philip K. Howard discusses his latest work, "The Rule of Nobody: Saving America from Dead Laws and Brok...
Tom Perotta - Nine Inches
03 Oct 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the New York Public Library Podcast welcomes Tom Perrotta, whose novels Little Children, Election, and The Leftovers have been adapted into...
Ben Lerner - 10:04
26 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The award-winning poet and author of the novel Leaving the Atocha Station brings his masterful command of words from the page to the stage, celebratin...
Ayana Mathis - The Twelve Tribes of Hattie
22 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the podcast, acclaimed author Ayana Mathis comes to NYPL to talk about her latest work, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie.
Losing Parents to AIDS: The Personal and the Political
05 Sep 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week, The New York Public Library Podcast features personal stories from adult children who have lost their parents to AIDS, including Alysia Abb...
Robert Morris: "Object Sculpture, 1960-1965"
22 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The New York Public Library Podcast, internationally renowned artist Robert Morris discusses various aspects of his practice and some of ...
CUT – The Songs That Didn't Make It
07 Aug 2014
Contributed by Lukas
The Library for the Performing Arts presents an evening of songs—songs that were cut from this season’s new Broadway musicals, including The Bridg...
The Letters of Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.
24 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week, The New York Public Library Podcast welcomes Stephen Schlesinger, as he discusses his new book, The Letters of Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., a c...
George Prochnik - "The Impossible Exile"
10 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The New York Public Library Podcast, acclaimed author George Prochnik discusses The Impossible Exile, his new book about the life and wor...
Amazon: Business As Usual?
03 Jul 2014
Contributed by Lukas
In April 2014, Amazon and Hachette locked horns in what has become a very public, and still ongoing, battle over contract negotiations. After the onli...
A. E. Hotchner - Stories and Biographies
26 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
When you've written biographies on Sophia Loren, Ernest Hemingway and Doris Day you're bound to have some pretty incredible stories. This week on the ...
Karl Ove Knausgaard and Jeffrey Eugenides – "My Struggle"
23 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of The New York Public Library Podcast, Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgaard dissects the latest volume of his critically acclaimed au...
John Waters - "Car Sick"
05 Jun 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The New York Public Library Podcast, filmmaker John Waters comes to us with tales from his latest book, Carsick, which chronicles his adv...
Colm Tóibín - The Testament of Mary
30 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week, The New York Public Library Podcast welcomes the Irish novelist, playwright, and critic Colm Tóibín to Books at Noon, the Library’s new...
Kara Walker and Jad Abumrad - "A Subtlety"
23 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The New York Public Library Podcast, renowned visual artist Kara Walker joins Radiolab host Jad Abumrad to discuss her new show at Domino...
Chuck Palahniuk and Douglas Coupland: "Balls in the Air"
16 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Chuck Palahniuk is best known as the author of the novels Fight Club and Choke. Douglas Coupland is the author of the international bestsellers Genera...
Eve Ensler: "In the Body of the World"
09 May 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week, The New York Public Library Podcast welcomes Tony Award-winning playwright, performer, and activist Eve Ensler to Books at Noon, the Librar...
The Craft Beer Revolution
29 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week on The New York Public Library podcast, LIVE from the NYPL welcomes three leaders of the craft beer movement. Brooklyn Brewery cofounder Ste...
Joyce Carol Oates: "The Landscape of My Spiritual Self"
18 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week, The New York Public Library podcast welcomes acclaimed novelist Joyce Carol Oates to Books at Noon, the Library’s new series of free lunc...
"Books are Conversations": Katherine Boo & Adrian Nicole LeBlanc
11 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the podcast, hear the two award-winning authors discuss poverty around the world.
"Get to the point" | Malcolm Gladwell LIVE from the NYPL
03 Apr 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the New York Public Library Podcast, best-selling author and challenger of conventional wisdom Malcolm Gladwell brings his critical appro...
The Snow Queen: Michael Cunningham on "Books at Noon"
26 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the podcast, we welcome Michael Cunningham to Books at Noon, the Library's new series of free lunchtime author talks. Cunningham is the a...
Report from the Interior | Paul Auster on "Books at Noon"
20 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
This week on the podcast, award winning author Paul Auster stops by "Books at Noon" – NYPL's weekly lunchtime author talk series – to discuss som...
The Fun Parts | Sam Lipsyte on 'Books at Noon'
13 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Today's New York Public Library podcast welcomes Sam Lipsyte to Books at Noon, the Library's new series of free lunchtime author talks. Lipsyte was a ...
The Baby Boom | PJ O'Rourke on Books at Noon
06 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Today’s New York Public Library podcast features the new Books at Noon series; a free weekly program featuring popular and acclaimed authors in the ...
The Grand Budapest Hotel: Wes Anderson LIVE from the NYPL
03 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Wes Anderson's vivid cinematic aesthetic and idiosyncratic characters make his films both immediately recognizable and endearing. Anderson returns to ...
The Grand Budapest Hotel | Wes Anderson LIVE from the NYPL
03 Mar 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Wes Anderson's vivid cinematic aesthetic and idiosyncratic characters make his films both immediately recognizable and endearing. Anderson returns to ...
You Don't Know Nothing: Toni Morrison and Junot Díaz LIVE from the NYPL
06 Feb 2014
Contributed by Lukas
LIVE closes the Fall 2013 season with a conversation between 2013 Library Lion Junot Diaz and the writer who most influenced him, Nobel Prize-winner T...
My Life In Middlemarch: Rebecca Mead LIVE from the NYPL
30 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
A passionate attachment to a great work of literature can shape our lives and help us to read our own histories. For Rebecca Mead, that book was ...
The Good Lord Bird Band: James McBride LIVE from the NYPL
27 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
James McBride opens LIVE from the NYPL's Spring 2014 season with an exploration of his latest work The Good Lord Bird - winner of the 2013 National ...
40 Chances: The Buffetts with Tom Brokaw LIVE from the NYPL
24 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Three generations of philanthropists sit down to discuss business, charity, farming, and their 40 Chances in life, moderated by Tom Brokaw. If you ha...
Undisputed Truth: Mike Tyson LIVE From the NYPL
22 Jan 2014
Contributed by Lukas
Mike Tyson has defied expectations and conventional wisdom during his three decades in the public eye. Tyson, the one-time heavyweight champion of the...