Nina Simone's powerful voice and turbulent life are the subjects of an Oscar-nominated documentary, a new biography and a forthcoming Hollywood biopic. But it's her politics that speaks most forcefully to a new generation of African American activists. Biographer Alan Light talks about the incandescent soul singer and Black Power icon.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
Audio
Anne Strainchamps sat down with the great Turkish writer Elif Shafak. Her latest novel, “The Architect’s Apprentice,” is an epic tale set in the height of the Ottoman Empire. It has bloodshed. It was palace intrigue. It has romance. And, yes, it has architecture.
Shafak’s tale centers around a 16th century mosque architect named Mimar Sinan. Though a character in her novel, Sinan was also a real person – considered to be the greatest architect in the Islamic World.
Jazz singer Kurt Elling inspires with his passion for music and the mysterious. Jim Fleming looks back at this illuminating interview with jazz singer Kurt Elling.
Kashmir, India was an earthly paradise until recently, combining great physical beauty with a tolerant lifestyle.
Jedediah Berry imagines a future where science can unlock buried thoughts.
When you talk about Japanese popular culture, there's one name that towers above all others. Literally. Godzilla. The giant green lizard recently became an official Japanese citizen. William Tsutsui knows all there is to know about this larger-than-life movie star; he's the author of "Godzilla on My Mind."
Wu Man is a professional Chinese musician living in the West. Her instrument is the pipa, a stringed instrument plucked like a guitar.
Writer Stephen Kuusisto is blind. He talks of what he remembers about visiting the seashore and a stable in Finland as a child.
Pages
