Philip Nobel
Refuge, Tradition, Hollywood
Kurt Andersen and Congolese novelist Emmanuel Dongala look at the lives and work of composers, writers, and musicians who left their native homelands and sought refuge in the United States.
Refuge, Tradition, Hollywood
Design critic Philip Nobel reveals his latest crush — on his vacuum cleaner. Kurt Andersen and novelist Emmanuel Dongala talk about artists who were forced to flee their homelands and continue to create here in the U.S., including composers who fled Europe during World War II and found refuge in Hollywood, a profile of the […]
Attica, Prison Literature, INS
Kurt Andersen and musician Steve Earle explore the powerful connections between art and prison. We look at the musical legacy of the Attica Prison uprising, hear about a California prison built underground to accommodate a landmark, and meet novelist Eddie Bunker, an ex-con who mines his material from two decades of incarceration. Also, we see […]
Ellison, Omaha, Skateboard
Kurt talks with brash and cantankerous writer Harlan Ellison, the author of over 1,700 stories of speculative fiction. Then it’s Omaha or bust: Kurt finds that his Great Plains hometown has a vibrant indie rock, film, and visual arts scene. Plus a tribute to Aimee Mann, whose new record is @#%&*! Smilers.