From the pandemic to porn, here's how norms around sex are shifting for Gen Z
Journalist Carter Sherman says that members of Gen Z are having less sex than previous generations — due in part to the political and social climate. Her new book is The Second Coming.
Reconstruction-era records reveal how formerly enslaved people were stripped of land
Journalist Alexia Fernández Campbell says some freed men and women were given titles to land following the Civil War -- but after President Lincoln's death, the land was taken back.
Questlove on hip-hop, history and the first time he heard 'Rapper's Delight'
The Roots bandleader says hearing The Sugarhill Gang's 1980 hit felt like a paradigm shift: "Suddenly they start talking in rhythmic poetry and we didn't know what to make of it."
An arresting memoir of 'Consent' asks: Does a marriage's end excuse its beginning?
Jill Ciment was 17 in 1970 when she got involved with the 47-year-old teacher who would become her husband. Now widowed, she reconsiders the relationship — and its "poisonous" beginnings.
Actor Griffin Dunne revisits his Hollywood childhood in 'The Friday Afternoon Club'
In a new memoir, Dunne writes about growing up in a family of storytellers, his complicated relationship with fame and the trauma the family experienced after the 1982 murder of his sister, Dominique.
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.