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
Mar 1
Reginald Jackson, “Textures of Mourning: Calligraphy, Mortality, and The Tale of Genji Scrolls” (U Michigan Press, 2018)
Reginald Jackson’s inspiring new book takes a transdisciplinary approach to rethinking how we read, how we pay attention, and why that matters deeply in shaping how we understand the past, live in the present, and imagine possible futures. Textures of Mourning: Calligraphy, Morta ... Show More
1h 21m
Feb 27
Margaret S. Graves, "Invisible Hands: Fabrication, Forgery, and the Art of Islamic Ceramics" (Princeton UP, 2026)
In the heyday of Islamic art collecting around the turn of the twentieth century, thousands of premodern ceramic objects circulated on the international antiquities market. Invisible Hands: Fabrication, Forgery, and the Art of Islamic Ceramics (Princeton University Press, 2026) t ... Show More
57m 40s
Feb 22
Lynda Nead, "British Blonde: Women, Desire and the Image in Post-War Britain" (Yale UP, 2025)
In the 1950s, American glamour swept into a war-torn Britain as part of a broader transatlantic exchange of culture and commodities. But in this process, the American ideal of the blonde became uniquely British—Marilyn Monroe transformed into Diana Dors. British Blonde: Women, De ... Show More
56m 5s
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