Henry Louis Gates Jr/Eric Foner| Penny Stamps Speaker Series
Pausing for a moment of post-inaugural reflection, following one of our nation’s most contentious presidential elections, this conversation brings together filmmaker, scholar, journalist, and cultural critic, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. with prominent historian Eric Foner to contemplate how a divided nation comes together
Episodes
-
'The Public' Film Interview at Miami Dade Public Library
S6 E1 - 11m 32s
PBS Books interviewed actor, writer and director Emilio Estevez at the Miami Dade Public Library, discussing his new film 'The Public,' which dramatizes a peaceful sit-in by the homeless inside a large public library that winds up escalating into a standoff with the police and attracts attention from the media. Estevez is joined by Ryan O'Dowd , author of The Librarians Guide to Homelessness.
Extras + Features
-
Film Development | Emilio Estevez
S6 E1 - 45s
Emilio Estevez initially wanted to get started on his new film, 'The Public,' back in 2008. In this interview, filmed at the Miami Dade Public Library, Estevez talks about how the 2008 Recession stalled production, and wound up allowing him to rework the story, improving it and augmenting its relevance.
-
The Inspiration | Emilio Estevez
S6 E1 - 1m 52s
Actor, writer and director Emilio Estevez talks about his inspiration for making 'The Public,' a film dramatizing as a peaceful sit-in by the homeless inside a public library that escalates into a standoff with the police and attracts attention from the media.
-
Humanizing and Empowering | Ryan O'Dowd
S6 E1 - 1m 5s
The film "The Public" premieres Friday, April 5th, and Estevez, who wrote and directed the film, said that librarians assured him that he effectively captured the experience of life inside of a library, while O'Dowd, who is executive director of a large homeless shelter, avowed the same response from those he surveyed.
-
Libraries offer a Respite | Ryan O'Dowd
S6 E1 - 36s
Ryan O'Dowd, speaking from his experience as the executive director of a large homeless shelter, describes libraries as a place offering more than shelter, but a respite for the homeless population of a community, which is at the crux of the events dramatized by writer, director, and actor Emilio Estevez in his new film, 'The Public.'
-
Birth of Collaboration | Ryan O'Dowd
S6 E1 - 40s
Ryan O'Dowd is Executive Director of Hesed House, the second largest homeless shelter in Illinois, and the author of the Librarian's Guide to Homelessness, and when PBS Books interviewed him at the Miami Dade Public Library, he talked about how he wound up having a sustained collaborative role in discussing the issues addressed by Emilio Estevez' new film, 'The Public.'
-
Libraries Role in Society | Emilio Estevez
S6 E1 - 41s
Emilio Estevez creative process for his new film 'The Public,' exposed him to several writers and researchers like Anne Lamott, who further illuminated, for him and for all of us, the vital role that libraries continue to play in serving and enriching their communities.
-
Favorite Character | Emilio Estevez
S6 E1 - 2m 10s
Emilio Estevez' new film, 'The Public,' has an ensemble cast, with actors like Alec Baldwin, Taylor Schilling, Gabrielle Union, Christian Slater, Jeffrey Wright, Jacob Vargas, Michael Kenneth Williams and Che “Rhymefest” Smith. Here, Estevez talks about who he would choose as his favorite character from the script he wrote.
WETA Passport
Stream tens of thousands of hours of your PBS and local favorites with WETA Passport whenever and wherever you want. Catch up on a single episode or binge-watch full seasons before they air on TV.
Similar Shows

Chasing Voices
Culture



Great Estates Scotland
Culture

Thomas Hart Benton
Culture

College Behind Bars
Culture

Samantha Brown's Places to Love
Culture

The Art Assignment
Culture

American Veteran: Keep It Close
Culture

London's New Year's Day Parade
Culture