Annie Baker talks to us about her directorial debut, “Janet Planet.” Her film explores the intimate relationship between a single mother and her daughter told over a long and hot summer break in Western Massachusetts. Baker shares her “intuitive” approach to making the film and the ways in which her work defies easy categorization. She also talks about what she strives for when she’s writing, the “trippy” power of nature sounds, and the “whole point of making art.” We even have a brief lesson in etymology. Annie Baker is best known for influencing a generation of theater-goers with her work as a playwright. Her plays are often recognized for their rich, layered dialogue delivered with deliberate pacing and loads of subtext. In 2014, she won the Pulitzer Prize for her play, “The Flick,” and in the decade since, she has written “John” (2015), “The Antipodes” (2017), and “Infinite Life” (2023). You can get tickets or stream “Janet Planet” here: https://a24films.com/films/janet-planet

Singer-songwriter Jewel talks to us about her love of learning and the joy of making art across multiple disciplines. She recounts her journey navigating a traumatic childhood and channeling its challenges into better understanding herself. She reminds us that “trauma does change us, but we get to choose how it changes us.” Jewel talks about how the internet gives “power to the creator” and the importance of her having a direct relationship to her community and listeners. She describes a “sacred contract between the art and the participant” and shares memories of when her music has created powerful connections. Then, she breaks down her creative process behind her recent art exhibit at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. It’s called “The Portal: An Art Experience by Jewel.” Jewel tells us how she created the show as a way to merge her interests in music, visual arts and behavioral health. She describes curating a collection of fine art, including pieces by artists like Mickalene Thomas, Ruth Asawa, and Genesis Tramaine, among others. She also describes producing her own works for the show, including a hologram, a painting, a sculpture, and even a 200-piece drone show. You can learn more about “The Portal: An Art Experience” here: https://crystalbridges.org/news-room/jewel-presents-immersive-art-experience-at-crystal-bridges-museum-of-american-art/

“Top Gun: Maverick” is filled with booming jet engines and layered sonic storytelling. Since this publication, it won the award for Best Sound at the Oscars, largely due to the work of Al Nelson, sound designer and supervising sound editor at Skywalker Sound. Hear how he and his team spent time on aircraft carriers to capture the film’s iconic sounds. Al Nelson may be known affectionately by some as the “dinosaurs and jets” guy for his work on “Jurassic World” and “Top Gun: Maverick,” but his 27-year body of work has touched all genres, including films like “Knives Out,” “Toy Story 2,” “20 Feet From Stardom,” “How to Train Your Dragon” and more. We visit Al Nelson at George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch to hear how he makes his art. Nelson discusses the influence of past sound designers on his creative process and the journey he has taken climbing the ranks at Skywalker Sound. He gives insight into the meticulous choices that are made in the edit room, choices that play a critical role in the storytelling process.

K-pop is a genre full of catchy music and elaborate choreography. It’s a natural fit for the Broadway stage. As a lifelong fan of K-pop, writer Jason Kim (“Girls,” “Barry,” and “Divorce”) was interested in the personal lives of the global superstars from Korean pop bands like BTS and BLACKPINK. How do these artists deal with the pressure of making music that represents not just your industry but your entire country?  In this episode, Jason Kim breaks down the creative process behind “KPOP The Musical.” He explains how he went from wearing out his K-pop cassette tapes as a kid growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, to staging the very first Broadway musical that tells a Korean story made by Korean American creators.

What does it mean to create futuristic costumes from the past? Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter’s Afrofuturistic designs imagine the fictional African nation of Wakanda without the influence of colonialism. In “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” she takes this theory to another imagined world that draws on Mesoamerican history. In this episode, Carter breaks down the creative process behind her unique approach to costume design. Since this publication, Ruth E. Carter has won the award for Best Costume Design at the 95th Academy Awards for her work on “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Watch and listen to more from American Masters.

John Waters loves to break the rules and make you laugh along the way. The iconoclast has been doing just that over the past six decades with provocative and perverse films like “Pink Flamingos,” “Hairspray,” and “Female Trouble.” Now enshrined as the king of transgressive cinema, Waters is taking on new challenges with his talents. In this episode, he breaks down the creative process behind his first novel, “Liarmouth: A Feel-Bad Romance.”   Watch and listen to more from American Masters. This episode includes derogatory epithets used in an artistic context. Listener discretion advised.

Actor John David Washington loves to talk about his craft. The star of films like “BlacKkKlansman,” “Tenet” and “Amsterdam” has now set his sights on Broadway with August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson.” Performing for the stage requires a different skill set from acting for film, and in this episode, Washington describes the intensive process he undertook for this new challenge. To add more layers to his performance, Washington explores the time he spent as a youth in North Carolina with his family, talks to a modern-day farmer, and applies skills from his days as a professional football player to meet the demands of an intense Broadway run. Watch and listen to more from American Masters.

Buffy Sainte-Marie is one of the most prolific singer-songwriters of the past century. For 60 years her music has quietly reverberated throughout pop culture, and provided a touchstone for Indigenous resistance. Buffy is a five-part series from CBC Podcasts hosted by Mohawk and Tuscarora writer Falen Johnson and explores how Buffy’s life and legacy is essential to understanding Indigenous resilience. We are proud to share this excerpt from that five-part series, which gives a glimpse into Buffy’s young life with tape from her first boyfriend. Thanks! More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/5PxUL5ZM

How do the world’s finest artists – from actors to musicians and beyond – create work that moves audiences? What challenges do they overcome in their creative process? American Masters: Creative Spark explores what makes a master by interviewing diverse artists and cultural icons from the worlds of music, comedy, poetry, film, and more in a new season premiering January 12th, 2023. Each episode in the new season presents an interview that goes in-depth with a thought-provoking artist about the creation of a single work. Featured luminaries this season include actor John David Washington on his work preparing for his role in The Piano Lesson on Broadway; filmmaker John Waters on his debut novel, Liarmouth; filmmaker Kelly Reichardt on her next film, Showing Up; Pulitzer-winning writer Jennifer Egan on her crafting her most recent novel, The Candy House; and many more.  New episodes come out every other Thursday beginning January 12th, 2023.

Buffy Sainte-Marie, a Cree musician, artist and activist, has always been ahead of the pack. For six decades, she has fought for Indigenous rights and visibility through her work. She spoke out against the Vietnam War with her song “Universal Soldier,” foresaw the opioid crisis with the eerily prescient “Cod’ine,” and wrote iconic love songs like “Until It’s Time for You to Go.” Her music is always doing something new and bending the limits of the form. In this episode, we talk with Sainte-Marie to learn more about her story and the creative process and inspiration behind her song, “Carry It On.” Watch and listen to more from American Masters.

Comedian Jo Firestone was leading a weekly remote comedy workshop with a group of senior citizens from New York’s Greenwich House when something magical happened. Through in-person sessions, one-on-one interviews and a live public performance, a documentary special emerged called "Good Timing." Join Firestone and her crew of funny seniors as they find joy in the creative act and show how important it is to “make each other laugh in a really scary time.”

Two-time Oscar-nominated animator, writer and filmmaker Don Hertzfeldt is considered one of the most influential figures in animation. In his first-ever formal podcast interview, he breaks down the long journey that went into making his 2012 feature film, “It’s Such a Beautiful Day.” The existential story at the heart of the film often mirrors many of the challenges Hertzfeldt faces as a fiercely independent animator with a do-it-yourself approach. His process is arduous, to say the least. The legacy of “It’s Such a Beautiful Day” and Hertzfeldt’s iconoclastic filmmaking technique continue to influence a whole new generation of animators to this day.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt talks to us about the vast “spectrum of realism” in his line of work. He might be one of the most adaptable actors working today. Whether it’s the recently released Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Lincoln, 3rd Rock From the Sun, The Dark Knight Rises, Mysterious Skin, 500 Days of Summer, or one of the dozens of other projects he’s starred in, Gordon-Levitt really shows his range.  In this episode, Joseph Gordon-Levitt unpacks his creative approach to building characters and fitting the mold of the genre he’s working in. He goes deep on some of his most iconic performances and talks about working opposite a wide range of acting styles, from the talents of Eddie Murphy to Daniel Day-Lewis.

Comedian Atsuko Okatsuka does everything. The touring comic, actress, writer, dancehall dancer and podcast host is everywhere and works tirelessly. She even famously performed a stand-up set in the middle of an earthquake — and got lots of laughs. Okatsuka also just made her late night debut on “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” proving to a national audience that she is a rising star with her quick wit and off-kilter approach. Here she talks about what drives her to create and “nerds out” on how she writes jokes. Watch and Listen to more from American Masters.

Musician and artist Kim Gordon is known for being the coolest person in the room. She is one of the co-founders of Sonic Youth, the band that pioneered alternative rock for 30 years with albums like “Daydream Nation” (1988) and “Goo” (1990). Today, Gordon is focused on her solo work as well as new noisy and avant-garde collaborations. Here the music icon breaks down how she made the satirical song “Air BnB,” a single from her debut solo album “No Home Record,” in this rare glimpse into her creative process.  Watch and Listen to more from American Masters.

For decades, filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan has been telling original stories with movies like the Oscar-nominated hit, “The Sixth Sense” (1999), “Signs” (2002) and “Split” (2016). In today’s Hollywood system, this has turned Shyamalan into something of an iconoclast. Here he breaks down his independent approach to making his most recent thriller, “Old,” and how his deep love for moviegoing as a kid continues to drive the way he thinks about his craft. Watch and Listen to more from American Masters.

Poet Jericho Brown won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his collection “The Tradition.” The poems are vivid works of beauty and agony - each word delivered with a strong sense of urgency. Brown breaks down the process behind writing the collection’s titular poem, “The Tradition,” and the many layers of his ever-changing consciousness that inspired its creation. Watch and Listen to more from American Masters.

“A Strange Loop” has a lot to say in a one-act show. The metafictional musical is playwright, lyricist and composer Michael R. Jackson’s meditation on self-perception, race, sexuality, art, faith, identity and everything in between. The off-Broadway success of this ambitious work earned Jackson the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. He breaks down the emotional journey behind “Memory Song” - the first song he ever wrote music and lyrics to and the penultimate song in “A Strange Loop.” Watch and Listen to more from American Masters.

Oscar-winning filmmaker Errol Morris broke open the documentary form with his early embrace of re-enactments and stylized lighting and music. His film, "The Thin Blue Line" (1988), put this reputation front and center, and his Oscar-winning film, "The Fog of War" (2003), cemented his legacy. He also has an irresistible attraction to controversial interview subjects - and "American Dharma" is no different. He breaks down the process behind this 2018 film on political strategist Steve Bannon and the controversy that came with it.   Watch and Listen to more from American Masters.

How do today’s masters create their art? American Masters: Creative Spark presents narrative interviews that go in-depth with one iconic artist about the creation of a single work. Whether it is Oscar-winning filmmaker Errol Morris explaining the thinking behind a controversial film, comedian Atsuko Okatsuka sharing what makes a joke land, Pulitzer-winning poet Jericho Brown examining the rhythm of a poem, or filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan describing filming during the pandemic, each episode offers a unique window into the world of art and the creative process.  Hosted by Joe Skinner. New episodes come out on Thursdays starting October 7th.

Although he became famous for his work as an actor in films like “Clueless”, “The Princess Bride” and “Toy Story,” Wallace Shawn is also an Obie Award-winning playwright and author, known for his experimental and challenging writing on class politics and morality. Josh Hamilton talks with Shawn about this dichotomy, as the duo explore the ways in which we identify ourselves and find value in our work and life.

Miles Davis is widely regarded as one of the most innovative, influential and respected figures in music. To celebrate the new documentary on the jazz legend, American Masters - Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, filmmaker Stanley Nelson talks with Miles Davis’ nephew and drummer, Vince Wilburn, Jr.

The beginning of the universe might be the greatest origin story of all time, and theoretical physicist Dr. Michio Kaku has made a career exploring this subject and others like it. Dr. Kaku is the co-founder of string field theory, which some suggest will crack the final code toward understanding the universe. Dr. Kaku talks about building an atom smasher in his childhood garage, the influence of his hero, Albert Einstein, and why he thinks science is the greatest tool towards progress.

We're back! Our first new episode drops Thursday, July 25th, and every other Thursday after that. First up: Joseph Gordon-Levitt talks with us about his creative process as an actor who is able to mold himself to any and all film genres, including this month's new film, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. How do the world’s finest artists – from actors to musicians and beyond – create work that moves audiences? What challenges do they overcome in their creative process? American Masters: Creative Spark explores what makes a master by interviewing artists and cultural icons from the worlds of music, comedy, poetry, film, and more about their work. Featured guests this season include actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, singer-songwriter Jewel, playwright turned filmmaker Annie Baker, singer-songwriter Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes, writer Taffy Brodesser-Akner, and more.

Fresh off the heels of her brand new stand-up special “Weakness is the Brand,” comedian Maria Bamford sits down to discuss her disarming approach to comedy, including the hilarious ways you can turn life challenges into comedy gold. Recently, Bamford has brought her signature honesty and openness to the new interview series, "What’s Your Ailment?!," where she engages in candid conversations around mental health issues with fellow comedians and artists, all while stressing the importance of communication and the value of breaking down taboos.

Noah Baumbach (“The Squid and the Whale,” “Margot at the Wedding,” “The Meyerowitz Stories”) talks about how and why he makes movies. Through equal parts comedy and drama, Baumbach’s films frequently deal with the pains of family life with stunning clarity. His most recent film “Marriage Story,” now nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, explores the complicated fallout of a failing coast-to-coast marriage.

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage talks about the origin of her Broadway play, “Sweat,” and the time she spent developing the story through her conversations with working class residents in Reading, Pennsylvania. Her focus on the struggles of this de-industrialized Rust Belt town predicted a national conversation around identity, race and economy that remains a focal point of political discussions today.

Actor, writer and director Ethan Hawke (“Before Sunrise,” “Training Day,” “First Reformed,” “Boyhood”) talks with his close friend and fellow actor Josh Hamilton about formative projects from Hawke’s career, reflecting on his own origin story and musing on how one can prioritize life goals and discover meaning through artistic pursuits. Hawke and Hamilton also discuss Malaparte, the theater company they co-founded in the 1990s to stage their own independent productions.

Academy Award-winning actress Lee Grant (“Shampoo,” “In The Heat of the Night,” “Valley of the Dolls”) sits down with American Masters creator Susan Lacy for an in-depth conversation about her upbringing, surviving years on the Hollywood blacklist during the McCarthy era, and her career as an actress and documentary filmmaker. Grant describes how key moments of difficulty in her life emboldened her toward new heights.

Academy Award-winning writer and actor Tarell Alvin McCraney talks about his semi-autobiographical play “In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue,” and the Academy Award-winning film “Moonlight” that followed. He discusses the centrality of Florida to his work, and the importance of building a sense of community above all else. McCraney’s recent work includes the TV series “David Makes Man” on the OWN Network, the Broadway play “Choir Boy,” and a run of shows as part of the prestigious Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago.

In 2019, Joy Harjo became the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States. She joins us from her hometown Tulsa, Oklahoma to talk about the responsibilities that come with this honor and the importance of representing rich Native American storytelling traditions. She talks about the transcendent nature of language, our human origins as storytellers, our innate connection to the Earth, and lessons she learned from one of her inspirations, writer N. Scott Momaday.

Best-selling author R.O. Kwon writes with an empathy that can attract religious and non-religious readers alike. She talks about her debut novel, “The Incendiaries,” a fierce story that deals with faith, loss and fanaticism, and describes how her own loss of faith in high school, and the grief that followed, led to this bold new work.

One of the most influential artists of the 20th century, Mark Rothko’s signature style helped define Abstract Expressionism. After a screening of the new American Masters documentary, Rothko: Pictures Must Be Miraculous at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Rothko’s daughter and son, Kate Rothko Prizel and Christopher Rothko, sat down with series executive producer Michael Kantor and director Eric Slade to discuss their father’s legacy. This is a bonus episode of the American Masters Podcast.

A confessional-style comic, Chris Gethard is unafraid to mine his past. He talks about cramming the entire set of his TV show, “The Chris Gethard Show,” into the back of his car’s trunk, and how he pulls off hour-long phone calls with strangers every week on his podcast, “Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People.” Amidst a tumultuous cultural change, Gethard also discusses the current state of comedy and his HBO special, “Career Suicide,” which chronicles his history with depression and anxiety.

We’re sharing a bonus episode from our friends at The Plot Thickens, a podcast from TCM about movies and the people who make them. Their new season is all about John Ford, the most influential filmmaker in cinema history. In this episode, we’re exploring Ford’s early days, when he rose to fame by being one of the most reckless, independent directors in Hollywood.

Pop icons and twins Tegan and Sara look back at their early days during the height of grunge and rave culture in a new memoir, “High School,” and companion album, “Hey, I’m Just Like You.” The duo discuss the book’s honest account of the drugs, music and relationships they each explored in their formative years, and how they crafted a new album from recently discovered high school demo tapes.

Listen to a preview of what’s to come on Season 4 of the American Masters Podcast, featuring new interviews with artists and cultural figures including musicians Tegan and Sara, playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney, Dr. Michio Kaku, actress Lee Grant, comedian Chris Gethard, author R.O. Kwon and more!

What does it mean to stand on the shoulders of giants? Listen to stories from this season of the American Masters Podcast, and learn more about the people who are changing the way we think. Guests include filmmaker Bo Burnham, musician Boots Riley, artist Miranda July, activist DeRay Mckesson, chef David Chang, author Viet Thanh Nguyen and more. Also hear a preview of next season, featuring actress Lee Grant.

Viet Thanh Nguyen discusses growing up in the U.S. as a refugee from Vietnam, and how writing and reading helped him cope with this difficult experience. He explains how his Pulitzer Prize-winning debut novel “The Sympathizer” (2015) and short story collection “The Refugees” (2017) were partly inspired by problems with cultural representation in American pop culture and literature.

Jeff Daniels discusses his Tony-nominated role as Atticus Finch in the Aaron Sorkin adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird” on Broadway. He describes the intense preparation that goes into workshopping characters like Finch, and what makes a great performance. Some of Daniels’ film and TV roles include “The Newsroom,” “Dumb and Dumber,” “The Squid and the Whale,” “The Purple Rose of Cairo,” “The Looming Tower,” and “Godless.”

Musician-turned-filmmaker Boots Riley discusses his award-winning film “Sorry To Bother You,” and the importance of incorporating politics into his work. Riley is also a founding member and lead vocalist of The Coup, a hip-hop group with a penchant for political discourse. In this wide-ranging conversation, Riley describes growing up surrounded by labor organizers and theater.

Restaurateur and chef David Chang explores the power of food as a cultural communicator and the influence of immigration on American cuisine. He talks about studying religion in college, his TV series Ugly Delicious and the role models who inspire his work.

Josh Hamilton speaks with actress Lois Smith about how she got her start and the many inspiring figures she’s worked alongside during her decades in film, TV and theater. Forging an enduring legacy, Smith’s film and TV roles include “Lady Bird,” “Twister,” “Minority Report” “Marjorie Prime,” and True Blood. She’s earned Tony Award nominations for her roles in “Grapes of Wrath” (1990) and “Buried Child” (1996) and is a member of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater Company.

DeRay Mckesson discusses his debut book “On the Other Side of Freedom: The Case for Hope.” He talks about his early days protesting on the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, and the figures who have inspired him to take action. Mckesson presents an intimate portrait of the Black Lives Matter movement from the front lines through personal memoir, and offers a meditation on politics, justice and freedom.

Miranda July discusses how everyday connections, such as an unlikely friendship with her cab driver, can spark her creativity. She talks about some of her earliest works from childhood, explains her interdisciplinary approach to art and contemplates the double-edged nature of technology and social media.

Novelist Ling Ma doesn’t shy away from taking risks with her writing. Her 2018 debut novel, “Severance,” is an apocalyptic satire that won the Kirkus Prize for Fiction and squarely put her on the map as an exciting, off-beat new writer.  With her newest collection, “Bliss Montage,” Ma has turned her attention to the short story format. The collection is described as “eight wildly different tales of people making their way through the madness and reality of our collective delusions: love and loneliness, connection and possession, friendship, motherhood, the idea of home.” In this episode, Ling Ma breaks down her creative process and inspiration behind “Peking Duck,” a short story from the collection. She details how she attempted to complicate and “implode” the immigrant narrative through her unique approach to this mother-daughter story. After listening to the episode, you can read “Peking Duck” here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/07/11/peking-duck

Sammy Davis, Jr., boldly strove to achieve the American Dream in a time of racial prejudice and shifting political territory. “American Masters – Sammy Davis, Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me" director Sam Pollard, writer and co-producer Laurence Maslon and executive producer Michael Kantor revisit some of his biggest controversies through rare interviews with Davis conducted by his biographer Burt Boyar.

Bo Burnham is a comedian-turned-filmmaker who first found fame self-publishing bedroom performances to YouTube. He recently explored that personal experience by writing and directing his debut film, “Eighth Grade.” Josh Hamilton acted in the film, and speaks with Burnham about identity, coming of age in the era of social media and more in a wide-ranging conversation. You’ll also hear from one of Burnham’s comic inspirations, George Carlin, in an exclusive outtake from the PBS series Make ‘Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America (2009).

Listen to a preview of what’s to come on Season 3 of the American Masters Podcast, featuring new interviews with artists and cultural figures including chef and restaurateur David Chang, activist DeRay Mckesson, artist Miranda July, comedian-turned-filmmaker Bo Burnham and more! Led by co-producer and actor Josh Hamilton, hear from the people who are changing the way we think.

Young women entrepreneurs today can find inspiration in the story of Hollywood star Hedy Lamarr. In her time, she was known as the Most Beautiful Woman in the World, but it was her groundbreaking work as an inventor of a secure communications system that has turned her into a legend. Recorded live at the Whitby Hotel in New York, host Michael Kantor moderates a panel including Academy Award-winning actor Susan Sarandon, Rutgers professor and IEEE fellow Emina Soljanin, and filmmaker Alexandra Dean, as they discuss Lamarr’s legacy. Co-executive produced by Sarandon, and directed by Dean, with major support by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, “American Masters – Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story” is streaming now at pbs.org/americanmasters and PBS OTT apps.