2015

S1.E1 ∙ Sarah Kay

Wed, Jun 17, 2015

If you had two minutes to give the world your take, what would you say? Each week, PBS NewsHour's new series "Brief but Spectacular" will feature some of the brightest minds of today, offering passionate takes on topics they know well. The first installment features poet Sarah Kay's take on gratitude.

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S1.E2 ∙ Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer

Wed, Jun 24, 2015

Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer offer their brief but spectacular take on how they went from struggling for stage time in an improv group to creating their own cable comedy show, "Broad City."

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S1.E3 ∙ Ta-Nehisi Coates

Wed, Jul 01, 2015

How should the U.S. address problems of violent policing? As a nation, we may be asking the police to do certain things that they shouldn't, says Ta-Nehisi Coates. The Atlantic correspondent offers his Brief But Spectacular take on the legacy of white supremacy in America today.

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S1.E4 ∙ Jill Soloway

Wed, Jul 08, 2015

As a little kid who watched TV, writer and director Jill Soloway says she wanted to be on "the other side of the glass." Now she's the creator of "Transparent," a show based on her personal experience having a parent come out as transgender. Soloway offers her Brief But Spectacular take on the evolution in Hollywood toward embracing more diverse stories and perspectives.

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S1.E5 ∙ Alice Waters

Wed, Jul 22, 2015

Alice Waters, owner and former chef of the legendary Chez Panisse restaurant and maven of the slow food movement, says the best way to combat fast food culture is through "edible education." Waters offers her Brief but Spectacular take on the benefits of cooking and inspiring young people to care about their food.

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S1.E6 ∙ Marina Abramovic

Wed, Jul 29, 2015

Four years ago, artist Marina Abramovic sat in the Museum of Modern Art for 716 hours and 30 minutes for a work called "The Artist Is Present." Abramovic offers her Brief but Spectacular take on the value of good performance art, personal reflection and finding your place in the world.

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S1.E7 ∙ Michael Lewis

Wed, Aug 05, 2015

Michael Lewis, author of "Liar's Poker," "Moneyball" and "The Big Short" went from working on Wall Street to becoming one of its biggest critics. Lewis offers his Brief But Spectacular take on what the wealthy elite often overlook.

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S1.E8 ∙ Jennifer Senior

Wed, Aug 12, 2015

A lot has changed about parenting since the first days of America, including our perceptions of what's best for our children. Jennifer Senior, author of "All Joy and No Fun," offers her Brief But Spectacular take on the paradoxes of modern parenthood.

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S1.E9 ∙ Jason Dunn

Wed, Aug 19, 2015

So far, space travel is limited because we have to transport everything we need using rockets. But what if we could build whatever we needed? Jason Dunn, whose company built the first 3D printer to operate in space, shares his Brief but Spectacular take on the future of self-sufficiency in space travel.

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S1.E10 ∙ Eric Garcetti

Wed, Sep 09, 2015

Droughts are here to stay, says Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, so his city is striving to employ sustainable practices to preserve water not just for the next two years, but decades beyond that. Garcetti offers his Brief but Spectacular take on California's evolving relationship with water.

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S1.E11 ∙ Trudy Goodman

Wed, Sep 09, 2015

Meditation teacher Trudy Goodman, founder of InsightLA, shares her Brief but Spectacular take on how our lives could be enhanced if we incorporated a bit of mindfulness into our daily routines.

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S1.E12 ∙ Baratunde Thurston

Sat, Sep 26, 2015

When you're the one black friend, says Baratunde Thurston, you're kind of like a double agent trying to prevent thermonuclear war. The former Onion digital director, "Daily Show" producer and author of "How to Be Black," gives his Brief but Spectacular take on humor as a tool for overcoming racism.

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S1.E13 ∙ Fred Davis

Wed, Sep 30, 2015

Political consultant Fred Davis has had no shortage of notable clients, from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Carly Fiorina to John McCain. Davis gives his Brief but Spectacular take on how to captivate and convince viewers with an advertisement they will always remember.

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S1.E14 ∙ Rita Moreno

Wed, Dec 09, 2015

Actress and singer Rita Moreno fought typecasting and industry pressure to go on to be the first Latino to win an Oscar, Tony, Emmy and a Grammy. Moreno gives her Brief But Spectacular take on a lifetime in show business.

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S1.E15 ∙ Pomplamoose

Wed, Dec 16, 2015

Jack Conte and Nataly Dawn, who make up the musical duo Pomplamoose, explain in this Brief But Spectacular take how they harness their fans' internet curiosity with their covers of Beyonce hits and behind-the-scenes videos.

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S1.E16 ∙ Wendy MacNaughton

Wed, Jan 06, 2016

Illustrative journalist Wendy MacNaughton offers her Brief but Spectacular take on telling under-told stories through drawing.

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S1.E17 ∙ Ken Van Sickle

Wed, Jan 13, 2016

When photographer Ken Van Sickle was 23 and living in Paris, he could barely afford rolls of film. One night, hearing that jazz great Chet Baker was playing, he went and took only two pictures, and one was blurry. So what's happened to photography now that everyone has the technology to take as many pictures as they like? Van Sickle offers his Brief But Spectacular take.

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S1.E18 ∙ AJ Jacobs

Wed, Jan 20, 2016

Journalist and author A.J. Jacobs has been called a "human guinea pig," a title he's earned by diving into his subjects and radically changing his lifestyle: he once spent a month without telling a single lie, and a year obeying every rule in the Bible. He offers his Brief But Spectacular take on his immersive brand of journalism.

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S1.E19 ∙ Jad Abumrad

Wed, Jan 27, 2016

Jad Abumrad, co-host of Radiolab, says he grew up in a kind of in-between space, as an Arab kid in Nashville. That experience molded him as a journalist, able to stand back as an observer, and to allow the fumbling awkwardness of discovery to come through. Now Abumrad offers his Brief But Spectacular take on why radio will never die.

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S1.E21 ∙ Billy Eichner

Wed, Feb 10, 2016

You may know him as "Billy On The Street" but there's more to comedian Billy Eichner than meets the eye. He gives his Brief But Spectacular take on the most difficult person he knows: himself.

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S1.E22 ∙ Danai Gurira

Wed, Feb 17, 2016

Danai Gurira is a playwright and performer who wants to make sure women of color don't search in vain for stories they can relate to. Her latest play, "Eclipsed," is premiering on Broadway, and she also has a starring role in AMC's "The Walking Dead." Gurira offers her Brief but Spectacular take on growing up in Zimbabwe and telling African stories on American soil.

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S1.E23 ∙ Mahogany L. Browne

Wed, Feb 24, 2016

Mahogany L. Browne is a poet and author coordinating the Women of the World Poetry Slam at New York's Pratt Institute. She gives her Brief But Spectacular take on "Black Girl Magic" and the struggles facing African-American women in modern society.

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S1.E24 ∙ Thao Nguyen

Thu, Mar 03, 2016

Growing up as an Asian-American woman, Thao Nguyen didn't have many opportunities to express her feral side. Now, as singer-songwriter for the group Thao and The Get Down Stay Down, she can display the primal aspects of her personality onstage. Thao Nguyen offers her Brief But Spectacular take on self-expression and "the beast within."

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S1.E25 ∙ Robert Reich

Wed, Mar 16, 2016

Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich gives his #BriefButSpectacular take on inequality in America. His latest book is called 'Saving Capitalism: For the Many not the Few.'

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S1.E26 ∙ Douglas Holtz-Eaken

Wed, Mar 16, 2016

For the first installment of today's Brief But Spectacular double-feature, we turn to former Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin. He gives his #BriefButSpectacular take on the policy challenges facing the United States today. He currently serves as President of the American Action Forum policy institute.

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S1.E27 ∙ Ray Kurzweil

Wed, Mar 23, 2016

What if we could overcome disease and aging to extend our lives indefinitely? Inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil says that's a reality that's coming soon. Kurzweil reflects on the exponential growth of technology and the promise of immortality.

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S1.E28 ∙ Padma Lakshmi

Wed, Mar 30, 2016

As a professional model and television host, Padma Lakshmi can travel the world and live the glamorous lifestyle most people only dream about. But one of the best benefits of her fame is the ability to fight for women, especially against female-specific diseases like endometriosis, which she suffers. Lakshmi offers her Brief But Spectacular take on food, travel and celebrating all things female.

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S1.E29 ∙ Danny Strong

Wed, Apr 06, 2016

New writers are often told, "write what you know." But according to actor and writer Danny Strong, professional writers shouldn't shy away from the unfamiliar - they should write what they're passionate about. Strong gives his Brief But Spectacular take on writing what you don't know.

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S1.E30 ∙ Heben Nigatu & Tracy Clayton

Wed, Apr 27, 2016

As the hosts of BuzzFeed's popular "Another Round" podcast, Heben Nigatu and Tracy Clayton set out to break the mold and create a space where they didn't have to filter their opinions for a white audience. Nigatu and Clayton give their ?Brief But Spectacular take on creating media that's unapologetically black.

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S1.E31 ∙ Flossie Lewis

Wed, May 04, 2016

Flossie Lewis says she's 91 years old and badly crippled. But just because her body is starting to go doesn't mean her personality or character should. Taking walks, watching politics and writing a little bit of light verse help keep Lewis as optimistic now as she was at 15. Lewis gives her Brief But Spectacular take on growing old with grace.

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S1.E32 ∙ Laurel Braitman

Wed, May 11, 2016

Humans tend to view animals as a source of entertainment, but anthropologist Laurel Braitman is more concerned with entertaining them. That's why she started putting on music concerts for everything from wolves to miniature donkeys. The only rules: no people, and no food bribes for attention. Braitman gives her Brief But Spectacular take on non-human entertainment and animal madness.

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S1.E33 ∙ Pell

Wed, May 18, 2016

Recording artist and producer Pell began making music to identify himself in a new place, as his family was forced to flee to Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina. That's why he believes the goal of an artist is to tell their own story and define their own themes. Pell gives his Brief But Spectacular take on how life experience influences his music in a genre he calls "experimental soul."

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S1.E34 ∙ Tim Heidecker

Wed, May 25, 2016

Comedian Tim Heidecker's style has been described by critics as absurd, offensive, disgusting anti-comedy, but Heidecker politely disagrees. What he considers not funny, however, is the theft of his and other performers' content. Illegal downloads makes it tougher for him and his team to make more comedy. Heidecker gives his Brief But Spectacular take on why people should pay for things.

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S1.E35 ∙ Teens on Tech

Wed, Jun 01, 2016

Teenagers today have never known a world without smartphones and social media, and most of them can't even conceive of a time where people sat around the dinner table without checking their Instagram pages. We asked a handful of eighth-graders from a Los Angeles public school to give their Brief But Spectacular takes on what technology means to them.

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S1.E36 ∙ Alex Blumberg

Wed, Jun 08, 2016

People tend to be afraid of silence - they develop verbal defense mechanisms like small talk to instantly fill gaps in conversation. But according to radio journalist Alex Blumberg, some of the most amazing moments on air come from the "raw electric silence" of true emotion. Blumberg gives his Brief But Spectacular take on good tape and why silence really is golden.

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S1.E37 ∙ Negin Farsad

Wed, Jun 15, 2016

Growing up in Palm Springs, Iranian-American Muslim comedian Negin Farsad yearned to fit in. But as she grew older amid rising Islamophobia, Farsad realized she had her own people, and she could use her comedy to do more than make people laugh - she could make them think. Farsad gives her Brief But Spectacular take on being an Iranian-American Muslim female comedian lady.

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S1.E38 ∙ David McMillan

Wed, Jun 22, 2016

Playwright David McMillan vividly remembers the day O.J. Simpson was acquitted, because it created a national atmosphere in which racial assumptions were challenged. The debate over the court's decision forced Americans to see their country for what it was, rather than what they believed it to be. McMillan offers his Brief But Spectacular take on why the Simpson verdict still matters today.

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S1.E39 ∙ Tig Notaro

Wed, Jun 29, 2016

Comedian Tig Notaro lost her mother, ended a long-term relationship and got diagnosed with breast cancer all in the same year. It was, she says, more than she could handle, but it also spurred a writing spree that helped her cope with her illness. Notaro offers her Brief but Spectacular take on healing through comedy.

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