If you want to understand the contours of post-war American political discourse, there are few starting places better than “Firing Line,” the longest-running political talk show of the 20th century. Before the media’s love-hate relationship with former President Donald Trump, it was William F. Buckley, the show’s creator and host, who made for captivating political television. William F. Buckley, Jr. Papers (MS 576). Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library. Buckley was a conservative hardliner, a sharp wit, and an intellectual pugilist whose distinctive mannerisms, multi-syllabic v ..read more

In 1969, Daniel Patrick Moynihan sent a one-page memo to a top Nixon advisor on “the carbon dioxide problem.” What he wrote was a prescient early warning about the consequences of burning fossil fuels. Daniel Patrick Moynihan at his upstate New York farm, 1981. Photograph by James Q. Wilson. Moynihan wrote this just seven months before the first Earth Day, a year before the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency, and almost 20 years before climate scientist James Hansen delivered his blockbuster congressional testimony declaring global heating was underway. The memo itself is an unu ..read more

American Masters is pleased to announce that we have received a total of five Webby nominations this year in the following categories: Video — Diversity, Equity & Inclusion In the Making    VOTE HERE This documentary shorts series from American Masters and Firelight Media follows emerging cultural icons on their journeys to becoming masters of their artistic disciplines. See how their work explores and influences American culture today. Video — Documentary: Longform In the Making — Senghor Reid: Make Way For Tomorrow   VOTE HERE Filmmakers Desmond Love and Eden Sabolboro il ..read more

Madonna—celebrating her 65th birthday with a victory lap of a tour this year—has been an enormous pop icon for so long that it’s sometimes difficult to remember that there was a time before. But that time before offers some illuminating insight into the Queen of Pop—particularly her time in New York City on the cusp of stardom as she sought to find her voice and footing as an artist. Madonna, 1983 by Kate Simon. Credit: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. A 19-year-old Madonna arrived in New York in 1978 having dropped out of college in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she’d left a ..read more

Daniel Patrick Moynihan had one of the broadest public careers in U.S. political history, serving four terms in the Senate (NY) under four presidents — two Republicans and two Democrats. This timeline explores Moynihan’s life and the major milestones in his career. 1927Daniel Patrick Moynihan's early life Born, March 16 in Tulsa, Okla., son of John Henry Moynihan and Margaret Phipps. 1927 1944-1947 Active Duty in the United States Navy, concluding with service as Gunnery Office of the U.S.S. Quirinius. 1944-1947 1946 B.N.S. (Bachelor of Naval Science), Tufts University, Medford, Mass 1946 ..read more

In this abridged excerpt from her essay, “Labor, Love, Legacy: Augusta Savage’s Art,” art historian and curator Jeffreen M. Hayes looks at the life and legacy of Augusta Savage, whose work in community building, activism and art education carries on today. This essay was originally included in “Augusta Savage: Renaissance Woman,” published by the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens and D. Giles Limited, London, to accompany the 2018-2020 touring exhibition of the same name. Hayes was the curator of the exhibition and is executive director of the non-profit Threewalls. Being Black, being a woman ..read more

William F. Buckley, Jr. is widely considered one of the architects of the modern conservative movement who influenced generations of politicians, including Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater. As founder of the National Review and host of the public affairs program “Firing Line” for over 30 years, Buckley created new spaces for civic discourse that were accessible to the public. This timeline explores William F. Buckley, Jr.’s life and the major milestones in his career.             1925 William F. Buckley, Jr. is born on November 24 in New York City to Aloise Stei ..read more

What would it be like to see your family life portrayed in a movie? For siblings Jamie, Alexander and Nina Bernstein, that question has been answered. As the children of composer-conductor Leonard Bernstein and actress Felicia Montealegre, their parents’ lives are the subject of Academy Award-nominated film “Maestro.” Directed by and starring Bradley Cooper, the movie is a portrait of the complicated relationship between the couple from the early days of their courtship through marital challenges and final moments – exploring intimate and controversial aspects of Bernstein’s private life. In a ..read more

Read an exclusive excerpt from “Not Your China Doll,” Katie Gee Salisbury’s debut book about the life of movie star, conversationalist and fashion icon, Anna May Wong. On North Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles, six miles from Hollywood but seemingly a world away, a little girl named Anna began to notice something happening. Something exciting. Normally, she spent her days at the Chinese Mission School or helping out in her dad’s laundry, but recently, on her way home from school and in between deliveries to customers, she’d been glimpsing people in strange clothing playacting for some k ..read more

American Masters launches new short film series American Masters Shorts with the acquisition of five new films. The series expands its commitment to showcasing cultural trailblazers through short-form storytelling. American Masters Shorts is a new digital-first documentary short series about artists who defy the odds to create remarkable work. The multi-award-winning PBS program has acquired five new documentary shorts to kick off the series including: Searching for Augusta Savage, Becoming Yamazushi, Weaving Nature, Dear Corky and Love, Jamie. American Masters Shorts launches with the world p ..read more