American Masters Podcast

Witch hunts, political hysteria, and paranoia! Listen to previously unreleased interviews with Tony- and Pulitzer-winning playwright Arthur Miller and actresses Madeleine Sherwood and Lee Grant, who explore the themes of Miller’s landmark play The Crucible (1953). Published amidst the milieu of government persecution when McCarthyism struck Hollywood, the play is a stark and powerful allegory of the era with lasting implications. [“American Masters – Arthur Miller, Elia Kazan and the Blacklist: None Without Sin” (2003)]. (Season 2, Episode 02 - Revolutionary Writers)

Season 2 of the American Masters Podcast looks at the artists that challenge and shape our thoughts through the power of the written word. We begin with a new interview with Pulitzer Prize-winner and MacArthur “Genius” Award recipient Suzan-Lori Parks (Topdog/Underdog, The Red Letter Plays, Venus), who discusses her writing, inspirations and teaching the arts, and performs original music. (Season 2, Episode 01 - Revolutionary Writers)

Host and series executive producer Michael Kantor sits down with Ruben Santiago-Hudson, director of August Wilson’s Jitney, which makes its Broadway debut this week at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Santiago-Hudson discusses the impact that Wilson has made as one of the most prolific African-American playwrights of the 20th century. Tune in to your local PBS station for American Masters – August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand, which airs tonight, January 20th at 10 PM EST (Check your local listings).

Listen as host and series executive producer Michael Kantor sits down with Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, co-directors of American Masters – Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You. The two veteran filmmakers share their experiences working in the film industry, and most recently with nonagenarian producer Norman Lear as their subject. The documentary is streaming now at http://pbs.org/americanmasters and is available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital HD from PBS Distribution. (Season 1, Episode 10 - Women on Women)

Comedian Hasan Minhaj, senior correspondent for The Daily Show, shares a personal story with legendary producer Norman Lear, recorded live at this summer’s New York premiere of American Masters – Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You. The documentary premieres nationwide Tuesday, October 25 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and is available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital HD from PBS Distribution.

We remember novelist Gloria Naylor, who died September 28, 2016, at the age of 66. Best known for The Women of Brewster Place, which received the National Book Award in 1983, and was adapted into a 1989 miniseries produced by Oprah Winfrey, Naylor speaks compassionately and critically about the notion of the American Dream. She explores this theme in three American classics: Nella Larsen’s novel Passing (1929), F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (1925) and John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath (1939). This never-before-heard interview is from director Michael Epstein’s American Masters – Novel Reflections on the American Dream (2007). (Season 1, Episode 09 - Women on Women)

Listen to singer-songwriters Joan Baez and Dar Williams perform as a duet in this impromptu rendition of “If I Wrote You”, written by Dar Williams. This exclusive performance is from the cutting room floor of award-winning filmmaker Mary Wharton’s American Masters – Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound (2009). (Season 1, Episode 08 Bonus Track - Women on Women)

American folk music icon Joan Baez began her singer-songwriting career during the 1960s counterculture movement and celebrated her 75th birthday this year. Listen in on this conversation between Baez and fellow singer-songwriter Dar Williams as they share anecdotes about life on the road together, their musical collaborations and how they’ve influenced each other’s lives and art. This never-before-heard interview is from the cutting room floor of award-winning filmmaker Mary Wharton’s American Masters – Joan Baez: How Sweet the Sound (2009). (Season 1, Episode 08 - Women on Women)

Before jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald became the First Lady of Song and earned 13 Grammy Awards, she spent much of her teenage years as an orphan, finding odd jobs to get by and, at times, living on the street. Filmmaker Charlotte Zwerin interviews journalist Nina Bernstein and Fitzgerald’s longtime friend June Norton, who discuss one of the singer’s most difficult periods. Enduring harsh conditions at an abusive reformatory program in Hudson, New York, Fitzgerald faced prejudiced policies common in the institutional racism of the 1930s child welfare system. She battled through this adversity to achieve a career driven by sheer determination and talent [American Masters – Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For (1999)]. (Season 1, Episode 07 - Women on Women)

Celebrate the 2016 U.S. Open with tennis superstars Chris Evert and Venus Williams, who discuss athlete and social icon Billie Jean King’s impact both on and off the tennis court with filmmaker James Erskine. King won 39 Grand Slam titles, including a record 20 titles at Wimbledon, and was the first female athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. A lifelong champion for social change and equality, she’s created new inroads for both genders in and out of sports. [American Masters: Billie Jean King (2013)]. (Season 1, Episode 06 - Women on Women)

Singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist Patti Smith discusses the early days of punk rock. In this never-before-heard interview from American Masters – Lou Reed: Rock-And-Roll Heart (1998) conducted by filmmaker Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, Smith paints a picture of the vibrant music scene of 1970s New York City, talks about her influences and shares her thoughts on art, poetry, censorship and punk. (Season 1, Episode 05 - Women on Women)

Late comedian, actress, producer and television legend Lucille Ball would have turned 105 years old this year on August 6. Celebrate her birthday with actresses Doris Singleton, Fran Drescher, and Carol Burnett, who discuss Lucy's successes and challenges as one of America's first women media moguls and television sensations. Lucy’s contributions helped flip the script on the role of women in comedy: an impact that is still felt to this day [American Masters – Finding Lucy (2000)]. (Season 1, Episode 04 - Women on Women)

American comedian, actor and nonagenarian Betty White sits down with director Kyra Thompson to discuss the life and career of comedian, actor, singer and writer Carol Burnett. White shares personal anecdotes from her time spent working with Burnett and talks about The Carol Burnett Show’s lasting influence, Lucille Ball and how comedy and audiences have changed [American Masters – Carol Burnett: A Woman of Character (2007)]. (Season 1, Episode 03 - Women on Women)

American singer, dancer, actress and civil rights activist Lena Horne discusses the difficulties of navigating the 1940s and 1950s Hollywood studio system and her involvement in the civil rights movement. As a trailblazing person of color within the entertainment industry, Horne recollects times spent with Count Basie, Medgar Evers, Billy Strayhorn and others [American Masters – Lena Horne: In Her Own Voice (1996)]. (Season 1, Episode 02 - Women on Women)

The first season of the American Masters Podcast presents interviews with influential women discussing women who have impacted our cultural landscape. Who better to kick off the season than American journalist and activist Gloria Steinem? Listen to her conversation with the late documentary filmmaker Gail Levin as they take a critical look at the life and career of Marilyn Monroe [American Masters – Marilyn: Still Life (2006)]. (Season 1, Episode 01 - Women on Women)

The poet Muriel Rukeyser once wrote that the Universe is made of stories, not of atoms. The American Masters Podcast brings you previously unreleased long-form interviews from the series' 30+ years of award-winning documentary films. Listen to host and series executive producer Michael Kantor preview just a few of the many enduring voices from our archive that have left an indelible impression on our cultural landscape. Come back soon to hear our first full episode and subscribe now!