From the Director: The Making of Flannery
Hear from director Elizabeth Coffman on why she was so drawn to Flannery O'Connor's stories, and how the film came together in this special exclusive.
Why did Flannery O'Connor detest "Gone with the Wind"?
The Atlanta premiere of “Gone with the Wind” in 1939 was an historic event for many in Georgia. Everyone had “Gone with the Wind” fever, it seemed, except for Flannery O’Connor who, as a 14 year old, reportedly “couldn’t stand” the romanticized, Hollywood version of the old South. In response, she later wrote a short story mocking the excitement over the film.
Flannery
Explore the life of Flannery O’Connor whose provocative fiction was unlike anything published before. Featuring never-before-seen archival footage, newly discovered journals and interviews with Mary Karr, Tommy Lee Jones, Hilton Als and more.
Twyla Tharp: Inside Look
American Masters and legendary dancer, director, and choreographer Twyla Tharp provide an inside look at the way she approaches her work. Tune in or stream Twyla Moves on American Masters starting Fri, Mar 26 at 9/8c.
Halle Berry on how seeing Diahann Caroll on TV changed her
In this outtake from "American Masters: How It Feels To Be Free," actress Halle Berry talks about the television show that "rearranged her" and made her realize that she "had value," demonstrating the importance of having role models in media.
Diahann Carroll talks race and makeup while filming "Julia"
Carroll tells the story of when she spoke up in an early makeup session for the TV show “Julia.”
The role of women entertainers in the civil rights movement
Historian Ruth Feldstein, author of “How It Feels To Be Free,” talks about the important role that entertainers, and women entertainers in particular, had in the civil rights movement. This clip is an interview outtake from the American Masters film of the same name.
Lena Waithe on mixed feelings towards Blaxploitation
Despite the mixed feelings that many Black people have towards the genre of film, producer, actor and writer Lena Waithe says that "if Blaxploitation gives us Pam Grier I'll take it any day."
Alicia Keys doesn’t mind being compared to Lena Horne
The musician talks about why she admires Horne so much and how one of her dreams would be to play her. She also explains what she means when she says that she’s “ready to be free.”
Why Cicely Tyson was selective about her acting roles
Cicely Tyson's support for civil rights came through her portrayals of Black womanhood in her film roles. As a result, she was selective in the kind of work she took on and describes here how roles that appealed to her didn't come very often.
Lena Waithe on why Cicely Tyson's hair was revolutionary
Writer, producer, and actor Lena Waithe explains why the hair of Black women can be revolutionary, and how Cicely Tyson's decision to wear hers naturally was an inspiration to many other Black women.
How It Feels To Be Free documentary
The inspiring story of how six iconic African American female entertainers – Lena Horne, Abbey Lincoln, Nina Simone, Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson and Pam Grier – challenged an entertainment industry deeply complicit in perpetuating racist stereotypes, and transformed themselves and their audiences in the process.
How the logs of the "Little House" cabin were stolen
The famous little house on the prairie was built by Charles Ingalls on land he very likely knew belonged to the Osage Indians, according to Laura Ingalls Wilder biographer Caroline Fraser. The logs he used to build the house and the land were stolen.
The word that Laura refused to say in her wedding vows
Laura's charming courtship with Almanzo Wilder culminated in a wedding ceremony in which Laura refused to say the word "obey" because she didn't want to make a promise she couldn't keep. At this time in her life, she also demonstrated a very early talent for writing that would get noticed by her teacher.
Roxane Gay and others on racist “Little House” depictions
In this clip from American Masters — Laura Ingalls Wilder: Prairie to Page, Roxane Gay, Louise Erdrich, Pamela Smith Hill, Linda Sue Park and others discuss Wilder’s racist depictions of American Indian and Black people in the “Little House” book series.
Disaster was looming when the Ingalls moved to Minnesota
In 1874, the Ingalls family moved to Plum Creek in Minnesota. They built what was likely the nicest house they’d ever lived in, the weather was perfect and they expected a perfect crop that would pay off their debts. Then disaster struck with the arrival of the Rocky Mountain locust invasion of 1875.
Until she was an author, money was a struggle for Wilder
Laura and Almanzo Wilder had a fresh start with 40 acres on Rocky Ridge Farm in Mansfield, Missouri, a place that Laura Ingalls Wilder lived in for 62 years. But until she became a best-selling author, life was a constant struggle to make ends meet for Wilder. She and her husband, Almanzo always had second or even third jobs.
The secret mother-daughter collaboration on “Little House”
Recent scholarship has shed light on the secret collaboration between Widler and her daughter Rose Wilder Lane on the “Little House” series. Rose encouraged her mother to write the books worked closely with her on the crafting and initial editing of the stories. Though Rose denied any involvement with the books, a series of letters between the two collaborators reveals much more.
Laura Ingalls Wilder: Prairie to Page trailer
An unvarnished look at the unlikely author whose autobiographical fiction helped shape American ideas of the frontier and self-reliance. A Midwestern farm woman who published her first novel at age 65, Laura Ingalls Wilder transformed her frontier childhood into the best-selling “Little House” series.
The letter from NY that changed Laura Ingalls Wilder's life
At age 64, Wilder received unexpected news from a New York editor: She was on her way to becoming a children’s author. The manuscript she had mailed had eventually turned into “Little House in the Big Woods.” Wilder said that upon the book’s success and reading all the letters she received from children around the country she began to think “what a wonderful childhood I had had.”
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