Ocean Vuong's debut novel, “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous,” spent six weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. Semi-autobiographical, it is written in the form of a letter from a young Vietnamese-American to his illiterate mother. Vuong speaks with Michel about the force behind his creative spirit.

Harriet Tubman is a true American hero, and now her remarkable story is coming back to life in the new movie "Harriet." Tubman escaped slavery and came to be known as the Moses of her people for leading others to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Cynthia Erivo stars as Harriet Tubman, and Leslie Odom, Jr. plays a prominent abolitionist who connected Tubman to the network.

Fires are raging in California, wreaking havoc from north of San Francisco down to Los Angeles. Hundreds of thousands of people are displaced and many more are simply in the dark, without power. Public policy expert and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich joins Christiane to assess the crisis.

It's a somber day in American presidential history, as the House of Representatives votes to formally bring an impeachment inquiry into President Trump. Norman Ornstein understands the inner workings of Congress better than most, and joins the program to assess these historic developments.

With a readership of more than one and a half million, The Economist is at the forefront of the global conversation. Zanny Minton Beddoes became the magazine’s first female editor in 2015, and is consistently included in Forbes’ top 100 most influential women. She sits down with Walter to discuss her work, Elizabeth Warren, China, and what the Brexit vote really represents.

Antonio Banderas returns to his roots in “Pain and Glory,” a new film directed by – and based on the life of – legendary Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar. His role is a study on health, ageing and feelings, and is made all the more poignant considering Banderas himself only recently recovered from a heart attack. He joins the program to discuss a role that critics have called his most important.

After weeks of fact-finding behind closed doors, the House is gearing up to vote on the best way to present its impeachment inquiry to the public. Former Secretary of Defense William Cohen has been closely watching these hearings – as a member of the judiciary committee during Watergate, he was one of a handful of Republicans who voted for Nixon’s impeachment. He gives Christiane his perspective.

Award-winning actor John Lithgow is a familiar face on TV, film and stage. He’ll soon be seen portraying former Fox News chairman Roger Ailes in the film “Bombshell.” Before that, he has turned his hand to writing, with a new satirical poetry collection poking fun at the president. He discusses poetical satire with Hari.

In Beirut today, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced his resignation after two weeks of protests triggered by a proposed tax on WhatsApp calls. Mona Fawaz is a professor at the American University of Beirut and has been intimately involved in organizing the protests; she joins the program from Beirut, where demonstrations can still be heard.

Street protests worldwide have now reached Latin America: in Chile, President Sebastián Piñera has replaced his cabinet after days of violent protest and a misguided military crackdown. Meanwhile, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Colombia have also seen huge crowds on the streets. Juan Manuel Santos, former president of Colombia and a Nobel Peace Laureate, speaks to Christiane about this unrest.

Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin is the first former Trump cabinet member to speak completely openly about his experiences. He joins the program to reflect on the greater implications of Alexander Vindman's testimony to House investigators and reveal the inside story of the Trump administration.

At age 16, Aarti Shahani was visiting her father in the infamous Rikers Island prison, where he was serving time for a crime she says he was unwittingly involved in. In her new memoir, Shahani comes to terms with the 14 year long legal battle her family faced, and the resentment she felt at being brought to America as a child. She speaks to Michel about how all this shaped her American Dream.

ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a U.S. raid. A joint U.S.-Kurdish raid reportedly also killed an ISIS spokesman, who might have succeeded the ISIS leader. Now that the leadership has been decapitated, what does it mean for ISIS and the fight against them? Rukmini Callimachi has spent years reporting on the group and Baghdadi’s leadership, and joins the program from Romania.

In the wake of the wake of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's death, impeachment proceedings in Washington nonetheless continue apace. Joining the program to assess this political battlefield are Republican pollster and strategist Frank Luntz and a congresswoman who sat on the House Judiciary Committee during President Nixon’s impeachment, Elizabeth Holtzman.

Basketball player Maya Moore surprised the sports world and her fans when she announced that she would be taking a sabbatical to fight for justice for her friend Jonathan Irons, who is serving a 50-year prison sentence. In 1998, a jury found him guilty of burglary and assault with a deadly weapon, but Moore is certain that Irons is innocent. She joins Michel Martin to share Jonathan's story.

Theatre Legend Brian Cox sits down with Christiane Amanpour to discuss Brexit and his work in HBO's "Succession."

Turkey, Russia and Assad’s Syrian forces have consolidated their influence in Syria while the United States' long time Kurdish allies have been left isolated. Some say that President Trump's actions are motivated by a desire to destroy the legacy of his predecessor, Barack Obama. Former Secretary of State John Kerry speaks to Christiane about policies he helped craft that are now being undone.

Harvard Law Professor Noah Feldman joins Walter to explain why the impeachment fight tests the very limits of the U.S. constitution.

Before #MeToo, there was Anita Hill. Nearly three decades ago, the law professor made the life-changing decision to testify against the confirmation of then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, and in doing so, gripped the nation. She sits down with Christiane to discuss harassment, abuse and the politics of today.

”Celestial Bodies” is a book of firsts: it’s the first novel by an Omani woman to be translated into English, and the first work in Arabic to be awarded the prestigious Man Booker International Prize. Author Jokha Alharthi and her co-winner and translator Marilyn Booth speak with Christiane about the book’s breakout success.