'Sinners' is one of the most interesting and audacious movies this year
This latest Ryan Coogler/Michael B. Jordan collaboration is set in 1930s Mississippi — it's awash in gorgeous music, turbulent romance, pan-African spiritualism and, by the end, buckets of blood.
In 'Problemista' Julio Torres spins immigration stress into satire
The comic, actor and filmmaker came to the U.S. from El Salvador in his 20s. Torres tackled immigration in Problemista; his new HBO comedy series is Fantasmas. Originally broadcast March 24, 2024.
How Ronan Farrow's reporting on Weinstein led to the criminal case against Trump
While reporting on Harvey Weinstein, Farrow unearthed details of the National Enquirer’s plan to pay for damaging stories about Trump and then bury the stories — a practice known as "catch and kill."
Swamp Dogg's 'Blackgrass' is one of the best country albums of the year
Swamp Dogg, aka Jerry Williams Jr., began his career in the 1960s. Now 81, he demonstrates that, in his long career in R&B, soul and funk, country is another road he’s traveled.
Colson Whitehead channels the paranoia and fear of 1970s NYC in 'Crook Manifesto'
"My early '70s New York is dingy and grimy," the Pulitzer Prize-winning author says. Whitehead's sequel to Harlem Shuffle centers on crime at every level. Originally broadcast July 24, 2023.
A mild-mannered professor assumes the persona of a 'Hit Man' in this twisted tale
Loosely based on a true story, Richard Linklater's film about a professor working with the police features strong performances, shrewd writing and a light and funny tone.
MSNBC host Ali Velshi chronicles his ancestors’ migrations across three continents
In his memoir, Small Acts of Courage, Velshi traces his family’s journey, from India to South Africa — where his grandfather crossed paths with Mahatma Gandhi — to Kenya, Canada and the U.S.
In 1981, this Sondheim musical flopped. Now 'Merrily We Roll Along' is a hit
The Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim’s musical about three friends received seven Tony nominations. We talk with director Maria Friedman, who was a friend of Sondheim's, and actor Jonathan Groff.
For 'Such Kindness' novelist Andre Dubus III, chronic pain is a fact of life
Dubus talks about the injuries he faced as a carpenter and his relationship with his dad. His a new collection of personal essays is Ghost Dogs: On Killers and Kin. Originally broadcast in 2023.
'You didn’t See Nothin’' podcast revisits a 1997 Chicago hate crime and its aftermath
Yohance Lacour tells the story of Lenard Clark, a 13-year-old Black boy who was beaten into a coma after riding his bike into a predominantly white neighborhood — and the importance of the case today.