Monthly Archives: April 2019

54 posts

State of the Art

A journey of artistic discovery: 100,000 miles, 1,000 destinations in the search for 100 under-recognized American artists for one unforgettable exhibition. The curatorial team of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas crisscrossed the nation to find extraordinary contemporary art happening in unexpected places. This film captures the personal stories of seven diverse artists from Crystal Bridges’ groundbreaking exhibit who are redefining the American aesthetic.

Airs 4/26 at 9 p.m.

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Redeeming Uncle Tom: The Josiah Henson Story

The story of Josiah Henson (voiced by actor Danny Glover), the real-life inspiration for Uncle Tom in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s classic 1852 novel, which has been recognized as one of the sparks that ignited the Civil War. Josiah Henson was born into slavery near Port Tobacco, Maryland around 1789. As a child, he was sold to Isaac Riley, who later appointed him superintendent of the farm at an unusually young age because of Henson’s strength and intelligence. Riley entrusted Henson with exceptional responsibilities and permitted him to become a preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church. However, when Henson attempted to buy his freedom, Riley cheated him and made plans to sell him south. Fearing separation from his family, he fled north with his wife and children in the summer of 1830. After escaping through Ohio and New York, they eventually settled in Ontario, Canada.

Airs 4/26 at 3-4 a.m.

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NOVA

PBS’ premier science series helps viewers of all ages explore the science behind the headlines. Along the way, NOVA programs demystify science and technology and highlight the people involved in scientific pursuits.

  • #4607 “Saving the Dead Sea” – There’s no place on Earth like it. Cleopatra attributed her beauty to its secrets. King Herod built one of the world’s first health spas on its shores. And as the biblical story goes, “rocks and fire falling from the sky” buried Sodom and Gomorrah and the sea became “the sea of salt” — The Dead Sea. Now this wonder of the world is dying. Since 1976, its level has declined by more than sixty-five feet. Its coastline is pockmarked with thousands of sinkholes. Can the Dead Sea be saved? After more than a decade of research and debate, scientists, engineers and political leaders have come up with a daring plan, one that could not only save the sea but help bring stability to a region rife with conflict. NOVA follows this unprecedented endeavor -perhaps the world’s largest water chemistry experiment ever – as scientists and engineers race to save the Dead Sea and help bring water to one of the driest regions on Earth.

Airs 4/24 at 9 P.M.

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Boss: The Black Experience in Business

The history of business and entrepreneurship lies at the heart of the American story, but often absent from that narrative are the experiences of African Americans. From the country’s earliest days, African Americans have embodied the qualities of innovation, risk-taking and determination to forge a path toward a better life.  Boss: The Black Experience in Business, by Peabody and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Stanley Nelson, traces the lives of African American entrepreneurs over 150 years, from those bound by bondage to moguls at the top of million-dollar empires.

Airs 4/23 at 8 p.m. (repeats 4/28 at 11 p.m.)

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Streit’s: Matzo and the American Dream

In the heart of New York’s rapidly gentrifying Lower East Side stand four tenement buildings that housed the Streit’s Matzo factory since 1925.

An iconic New York institution and a fifth generation family business, the Streit’s factory and the Streit family itself have long held firmly to tradition, churning flour and water into matzos through ovens as old as the factory itself.  Though the factory seems a century removed from the world around it, even Streit’s was not immune from the forces that challenge manufacturing and family businesses everywhere. In a rapidly gentrifying Lower East Side, where kosher butchers and grocers gave way to high-end restaurants, bars and apartments, Streit’s finally closed it doors after 90 years. Chronicling the family legacy, Streit’s: Matzo and the American Dream premieres this Passover at Film Forum in New York City.  Streit’s Matzo and the American Dream is a story of tradition, of resistance and resilience, and a celebration of a family whose commitment to their heritage and to their employees is inspiring proof that the family that bakes together, stays together.

Airs 4/22 at 9 p.m. (repeats 4/28 at 7 p.m.)

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Jesus: Countdown to Calvary

Regardless of one’s religious beliefs, there is no denying the impact Jesus of Nazareth has had on world history, particularly the events surrounding his death. In JESUS: COUNTDOWN TO CALVARY Hugh Bonneville, well-known actor and a Cambridge theology graduate, travels to Jerusalem in search of answers. Meeting with academic experts and spiritual leaders, Bonneville deconstructs the week leading up to Jesus’s death and untangles the complex factors that resulted in his crucifixion. Exploring questions that have provided more than 2000 years of debate, the documentary offers fascinating insight from both religious and historical angles.

Airs 4/21 at 7 p.m.

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Robert Penn Warren: A Vision

Robert Penn Warren is the only person to have won Pulitzer Prizes for both fiction and poetry and was named U.S. Poet Laureate in 1986. His 1946 novel about political corruption, All the King’s Men, was translated into an Academy Award winning film. The documentary explores the life and career of one of our nation’s most acclaimed writers and features previously unreleased home movie footage of the author and his family.

Airs 4/19 at 3-4 a.m.

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April 18th is Poem in Your Pocket Day

As part of National Poetry Month, the Academy of American Poets is celebrating Poem in Your Pocket Day this year on April 18th. Started in 2002, this celebration asks people to select a poem, carry it around in your pocket, and share it with other people in person and online. If you share it on social media, use the hashtag #pocketpoem.

For more information go to the poets.org website.

Introducing: Monroe One Tutor Clips!

Our Multimedia department has been busy making short, easily accessible tutorials for educators using our Multimedia service. So far, Monroe One Tutor Clips include overviews of Safari MONTAGE and Soundzabound, as well as how to use Soundzabound on an iPad. More are already in the works.

Educators can access the Monroe One Tutor Clips by visiting the iMedia website (www.monroe.edu/imedia) and clicking the Tutor Clips link to the left, or at the Tutor Clips site directly.

Happy National Library Week!