author of “Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over”
Professor of History Emerita at Princeton University and author of The History of White People, Sojourner Truth: A Life, A Symbol, and Old In Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over.
PROFILE
Nell Painter
Guest
FROM Nell Painter
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Nell Painter on being 'old' in art school Nell Irvin Painter is a celebrated historian, and the author of books such as “The History of White People” and “Creating Black Americans.” When she retired as a professor of American history from Princeton University in 2005, art called to her. At age 64, she went to Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers for her BFA, then the Rhode Island School of Design for her MFA. Most of her classmates were quite young. They were skeptical of her -- including one teacher who said she’d never be an artist. Now Nell Painter is out with a new book about her second act. Artist Nell Painter. Credit: John Emerson.
Which Way, L.A.?
The Fourth of July and the Civil War The Fourth of July celebrates American independence, but it's also 150 years to the day since Abraham Lincoln asked for troops to restore the Union. The North and the South differed over what independence really meant, and they went to war over states' rights and civil rights, issues that still divide the nation today. Was the Civil War more about slavery or economics? Was it worth what it cost? Could slavery have been ended by peaceful means? Was the war a historic struggle or a tragic mistake? Those questions help demonstrate how the Civil War has defined American culture and politics. We hear from five eminent historians with different points of view.
To the Point
The Fourth of July and the Civil War The Fourth of July celebrates American independence, but it's also 150 years to the day since Abraham Lincoln asked for troops to restore the Union. The North and the South differed over what independence really meant, and they went to war over states' rights and civil rights, issues that still divide the nation today. Was the Civil War more about slavery or economics? Was it worth what it cost? Could slavery have been ended by peaceful means? Was the war a historic struggle or a tragic mistake? Those questions help demonstrate how the Civil War has defined American culture and politics. We hear from five eminent historians with different points of view.
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To the Point
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.
To the Point
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?