vanessa german is a leading citizen artist whose sculptural and ritual-based practice draws on African diasporic traditions, found materials, and spiritual intention to create healing “power figures” that unite activism, love, and expanded consciousness, earning widespread national recognition.
Join us in Arkansas to hear learn about layered histories that continue to foster bold imaginations today.
Between the mighty Mississippi and Missouri rivers lies Iowa, a state steeped in stories.
From the towering aspens of the Sierra Nevada to the open plains of the Great Basin, Nevada offers a wealth of literary destinations worth exploring.
Shaka Senghor is an inspirational speaker, entrepreneur, and author of the bestselling books How To Be Free, Writing My Wrongs, and Letters to the Sons of Society. A sought-after resilience expert and recognized “Soul Igniter” in Oprah’s inaugural SuperSoul 100, Senghor captivates and transforms audiences worldwide with his extraordinary journey from incarceration to influence.
PBS Books Readers Club takes on John Galsworthy's classic novel series The Forsyte Saga, a historical drama series and the inspiration for the highly anticipated PBS Masterpiece program, The Forsytes.
Sheida Soleimani is an Iranian-American artist, educator, and activist. The daughter of political refugees who escaped Iran in the early 1980s, Soleimani makes work that excavates the histories of violence linking Iran, the United States, and the Greater Middle East.
Shana Moulton is an artist who works in video and performance. Her work blends feminist sensibilities with surrealist imagery and sound to probe the complexities of the contemporary psyche.
PBS Books is thrilled to partner with the Marygrove Conservancy’s Contemporary American Authors Lecture Series (CAALS) to welcome Marlon James, winner of the 2015 Man Booker Prize as the featured speaker for the 2026 Bauder Lecture live streaming event.
Award-winning British-Somali writer and 2025 – 2026 Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow Ismail Einashe, presents a deeply personal exploration of how art can reclaim the humanity of migrants and their stories, too often lost in the headlines of global displacement.
Lisa Hanawalt is an artist and writer, best known for her work in animation. She’s the production designer and producer of BoJack Horseman, the acclaimed animated series on Netflix.
Host Heather-Marie Montilla and Daniel Montgomery, Executive Director of the American Library Association (ALA) explore the enduring importance of libraries and librarians in shaping American society, culture, and civic life.
