When the Sun comes back
And the first quail calls
Follow the Drinkin’ Gourd.
For the old man is a-waiting for to carry you to freedom
If you follow the Drinkin’ Gourd.
-“Follow the Drinkin’ Gourd” author unknown (possibly Peg Leg Joe)
They left in the middle of the night, often carrying little more than the knowledge to follow the North Star. Between 1 ... Show More
Jun 5
Lewis Ryder, "Connoisseurs and conmen: The contest for cultural authority in early twentieth-century Britain" (Manchester UP, 2026)
Connoisseurs and conmen: The contest for cultural authority in early twentieth-century Britain (Manchester University Press, 2026) by Dr. Lewis Ryder examines John Hilditch (1872-1930), a notorious collector of Chinese art who lied, hoaxed and manipulated in his struggle against ... Show More
44m 24s
May 31
Jonatan Leer and Stinne Gunder Strøm Krogager, "Food Porn: Food Aesthetics in a Digital Age" (Bristol UP, 2026)
Is food porn a vibrant and democratic new expression of modern food culture or a superficial addition to an image-saturated world? Tracing its origins from the 1970s to today, this timely book examines the evolution of food porn as a desire-inducing aesthetic practice and a visua ... Show More
40m 31s
May 30
Janani Balasubramanian and Natalie Gosnell, "Art-Science Undisciplined: A Playbook for Transformative Collaboration" (U California Press, 2026)
Art-Science Undisciplined invites us into a collaborative journey grounded in mutual exploration and transformation. Moving beyond transactional exchanges of expertise, artist Janani Balasubramanian and astrophysicist Natalie Gosnell draw on their own experiences, as well as stor ... Show More
53m 56s
May 2023
Michaelina Wautier, Flemish Baroque Master
<p>Flemish painter Michaelina Wautier’s style was realistic and detailed, with a dark, almost somber color palette. And for a long time, she remained an unknown, even among art historians.</p> <p><strong>Research:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Atkins, Christopher D.M. and Jeffrey Muller, ... Show More
36m 53s
Nov 2019
Noelle Giuffrida, "Separating Sheep from Goats: Sherman E. Lee and Chinese Art Collecting in Postwar America" (U California Press, 2018)
Noelle Giuffrida’s book, Separating Sheep from Goats: Sherman E. Lee and Chinese Art Collecting in Postwar America (University of California Press, 2018), tells the history of collecting and exhibiting Chinese art through the story of renowned curator and museum director Sherman ... Show More
1h 21m
Jun 2021
Alisse Waterston and Charlotte Corden, "Light in Dark Times: The Human Search for Meaning" (U Toronto Press, 2020)
Today I spoke to anthropologist Alisse Waterston and artist Charlotte Corden to ask them questions, such as: What will become of us in these trying times? How will we pass the time that we have on earth? These questions draw on their gorgeously rendered graphic form book, Light i ... Show More
1h 28m
Sep 2021
Toni Morrison: The legacy of a literary legend
The American writer Toni Morrison once said, “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” It was an urge which in her case yielded a rich array of novels, children’s books, plays and essays. Toni Morrison stands tall, as the f ... Show More
39m 38s