Common, ‘Kingdom’

King of conscious rappers Common is starting a new phase of his career at the storied Def Jam record label, and releasing a powerful new concept album about Chicago's epidemic of urban violence.

‘All the Way’ in Studying the Legacy of LBJ

The author of Broadway's Tony-nominated "All the Way" tells us what about the personality and presidency of Lyndon Johnson seems to have recaptured the national attention in 2014.

‘Proof’ Connects Distillation to the Heart of Civilization

Adam Rogers' new book "Proof: The Science of Booze" investigates how humans discovered the techniques of fermentation and distillation, the great lengths to which some go to perfect those techniques, and why alcohol makes us human beings.

Patricia Lockwood Shines Light

Patricia Lockwood is a rarity in modern America: a poet with mainstream popularity. She's done so partly by mastering social media... but mainly with her wry and modern writing, much of which takes as its subject the piercing of sexual conventions and patriarchy. This week we overhear her read a selection from her new book.

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Harry Dean Stanton’s Cinematic Singing

Hollywood legend Harry Dean Stanton has acted in over 100 movies (including classics like "Cool Hand Luke," "Alien" and "Repo Man"), and Roger Ebert once made the argument that no film in which he appeared could be entirely bad. But Stanton's also a passionate musician who's played with the likes of Bob Dylan. He tells Brendan about his new album of classic tunes.

Hamilton Leithauser’s Retro Soul

Hamilton Leithauser, frontman of The Walkmen (and father of a two-year-old daughter with particularly keen musical tastes), plays some soulful party songs and shares his solo debut.

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Restoring a Van Gogh… Ear

We are all ears (sorry) for a story about an artist/scientist who has re-grown Vincent Van Gogh's famously severed ear.