Saying Goodbye To The Kojo Nnamdi Show
On this last episode, we look back on 23 years of joyous, difficult and always informative conversation.
A surprise winner at this year’s National Book Award, James McBride’s latest novel takes on the story of abolitionist John Brown’s doomed raid on the arsenal at Harper’s Ferry. In this satirical tale, the young narrator is a boy mistaken for a girl and taken into Brown’s retinue. Onion, as he’s nicknamed, gets a front-seat view of history as Brown plans his raid, meeting Frederick Douglas, Harriet Beecher Stowe and other well-known historical figures. We speak with McBride about the novel, as well as the band he formed to play music that inspired Brown.
Guests
- James McBride Author, "The Good Lord Bird;" Distinguished Writer in Residence, New York University.
Read An Excerpt
From “The Good Lord Bird” by James McBride. Copyright © 2013 by James McBride. Reprinted by permission of Riverhead Hardcover.
Most Recent Shows
Author Briana Thomas On ‘Black Broadway In Washington D.C.’ And The History Of D.C.’s Black Culture
Kojo talks with author Briana Thomas about her book “Black Broadway In Washington D.C.,” and the District’s rich Black history.
Kevin Young Takes The Helm Of Smithsonian African American Museum
Poet, essayist and editor Kevin Young is the second director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. He joins Kojo to talk about his vision for the museum and how it can help us make sense of this moment in history.
A Conversation With PBS NewsHour’s Judy Woodruff
Ms. Woodruff joins us to talk about her successful career in broadcasting, how the field of journalism has changed over the decades and why she chose to make D.C. home.