Library Talks
Helen Mirren on Women's Roles & Taking on Shakespeare

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 Company, Mirren’s career has been heavily influenced by the works of legendary poet and playwright William Shakespeare. In this conversation with NYPL’s Paul Holdengraber, to help mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, Mirren reflects on the legacy of the prolific playwright and his impact on her life.

Direct download: 111_Mirren_mixdown.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Dan Ephron: When The Man Who Almost Changed Israel Met Bill Clinton

This week, we bring you the 2nd of five conversations with the2016 finalists for NYPL’s Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellencein Journalism. Each year the award is given to journalists whosebooks have brought clarity and public attention to importantissues, events, or policies. In this episode, we’re thrilled towelcome renowned journalist Dan Ephron, who is nominated for hisbook “Killing a King: The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and theRemaking of Israel.” In this conversation with NYPL’s JessicaStrand, Ephron talks about the event that fundamentally altered thetrajectory for both Israel and the Palestinians, and continues tohave a significant impact on the situation in the Middle Easttoday.

Direct download: 110_Ephron_mixdown.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Rosanne Cash on Shakespeare, Performing, & Poetry

Grammy Award-winning musician Rosanne Cash's many accomplishments include penning the bestselling 2010 book “Composed: A Memoir.” In this conversation with NYPL’s Paul Holdengraber, Cash talks about Shakespeare, songwriting, and her father, the great Johnny Cash.

Direct download: 109_Cash_mixdown.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Dale Russakoff: When Facebook Tried to Save Newark

Journalist Dale Russakoff's new book, “The Prize: Who’s In Charge of America’s Schools,” investigates the state of public education in America’s underserved communities. In this conversation with NYPL’s Jessica Strand, Russakoff tells the story of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s $100 million quest to transform the debilitated school system of Newark, New Jersey — and spark educational change across the country.

Direct download: 108_Russakoff_mixdown.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

We’re bringing you a special talk with Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author Robert Caro, whose book “The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York” was hailed by Time magazine as one of the hundred top nonfiction books of all time, and is considered one of the most revealing biographies of the 20th century. In this conversation with essayist and columnist Frank Rich, Caro talks about power, corruption, and the men who shaped the urban landscape of modern-day New York City.

Direct download: 107_Caro__Rich_mixdown.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Elizabeth Alexander & Hilton Als on Dreams & Obsession

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 memoir, “The Light of the World.” In this provocative conversation with “The New Yorker” writer Hilton Als, Alexander talks about dreams, obsession, and her dedication to social justice.

Direct download: 106_Alexander__Als_mixdown.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Nathaniel Kahn & Matt Mountain on Outer Space & Weird Science

Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn and renowned astrophysicist Matt Mountain give us a look at the state-of-the-art Webb Telescope, which will succeed the Hubble Telescope in 2018. Kahn and Mountain, both of whom have been deeply involved in the project, join NYPL’s Paul Holdengraber to discuss how this new telescope will enable us to look deeper into the universe than ever before.

Direct download: 105_Kahn__Mountain_mixdown_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Dana Spiotta on Good People, Heroes, & Writing

Dana Spiotta is the National Book Award-nominated author of “Stone Arabia.” In this conversation with NYPL’s Jessica Strand, Spiotta talks about art, friendships, and her new novel, “Innocents and Others.”

Direct download: 104_Spiotta.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Darryl Pinckney & Zadie Smith on Achievement & Beyoncé

This week, we welcome two award-winning authors: American writer Darryl Pinckney and popular English novelist Zadie Smith. In this wide-ranging conversation, Pinckney and Smith talk about race, class, and Pinckney’s new novel, “Black Deutschland.”

Direct download: 103_Pinckney__Smith.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT

Jhumpa Lahiri on Language & Disorder

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jhumpa Lahiri comes to the Library to celebrate the release of her new novel, “In Other Words.” In this conversation with NYPL’s Paul Holdengraber, Lahiri talks about nostalgia, expression, and her love of the Italian language.

Direct download: 102_Lahiri.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am EDT