Award-winning artist and designer Maya Lin first achieved fame at the age of 21 as the designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., and her work today encompasses large-scale environmental installations, intimate studio artworks, architectural works, and memorials. Her latest design project, “What is Missing?,” raises awareness about the crisis surrounding biodiversity and habitat loss. In this conversation with NYPL’s Paul Holdengraber, Lin talks about space, memory, and the incredible resilience of nature.

Award-winning Norwegian journalist Åsne Seierstad's book “One of Us: The Story of Anders Breivik and the Massacre in Norway” examines the incidents of July 22, 2011, when one man’s attacks left more than 70 people dead. In this conversation with NYPL’s Jessica Strand, Seierstad discusses violent extremism — and how a society copes with the reverberations of homegrown evil still felt today.

“New Yorker” writer Larissa MacFarquhar's book “Strangers Drowning” examines the psychological roots and existential dilemmas motivating those rare individuals who are practicing lives of extreme ethical commitment. In this conversation with NYPL’s Jessica Strand, MacFarquhar tells the stories of people who devote themselves fully to bettering the lives of strangers—even when it comes at great personal cost.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.