Talks & Entertainment

If Books are Banned: Reading Between the Lines

Ahead of Banned Books Week, hear about the movement to restrict books, what’s at stake, and the effort to fight back. Panelists include PEN America Washington Managing Director Nadine Farid Johnson, author and journalist James Kirchick, and DC Public Library Executive Director Richard Reyes-Gavilan, in conversation with Laura Meckler, national education writer for The Washington Post. Following, award-winning drag queen Tara Hoot will read from a banned children’s book.

José Andrés

In Conversation with Mehdi Hasan

The World Central Kitchen Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope is a collection of recipes inspired by the many places around the world the organization has cooked following disasters, as well as inspiring narratives from the chefs and volunteers on the front lines.  

Keegan-Michael Key and Elle Key

In Conversation with Helena Andrews-Dyer

Building on the success of their Webby award–winning hit podcast “The History of Sketch Comedy,” the creative powerhouse team of Elle Key and Keegan-Michael Key present an inventive and informative examination of comedy through the ages in The History of Sketch Comedy: A Journey Through the Art and Craft of Humor. 

JFK: One Day In America

Screening and Conversation

To mark the 60th anniversary of former President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the Emmy Award-winning National Geographic franchise “One Day in America” returns with its second installment, “JFK: One Day in America.” Ahead of the series premiere in November, experience a special screening of the first episode followed by a conversation with director Ella Wright and former reporter Peggy Simpson.

Molly Baz

In Conversation with Carla Lalli Music and Andy Baraghani

In More is More: Get Loose in the Kitchen, the recipe developer and video host teaches cooks how to embrace more risk-taking, better intuition, fewer exact measurements, and a “don’t stop ‘til it tastes delicious” mentality.  

Roxane Gay

In Conversation with Juanita Tolliver

In Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People’s Business, the bestselling author and cultural critic offers a collection of her best nonfiction pieces from the past ten years, covering a wide range of topics—politics, feminism, the culture wars, civil rights, online disinformation, and more—with a new introduction reflecting on the past decade in America.

Joshua Weissman

In Conversation with Daniela Galarza

In Joshua Weissman: Texture Over Taste, Weissman uses stories and fun visualizations to teach the six fundamental textures and how they impact flavor through over 75 recipes.

Andrew Rea

In Conversation with Olga Massov

The chef and content creator known for recreating dishes from famous TV shows and movies shares over 100 easy-to-follow recipes meant for anyone looking to elevate their cooking skills in Basics with Babish: Recipes for Screwing Up, Trying Again, and Hitting It Out of the Park.

David Brooks

From the New York Times op-ed columnist comes How to Know a Person, a practical and heartfelt guide to the art of truly knowing another person in order to foster deeper connections at home, at work, and throughout our lives. 

Henry Winkler

In Conversation with Daniel Silva

In this achingly vulnerable memoir, Being Henry, the Emmy-award winning actor shares the disheartening truth of his childhood, the difficulties of a life with severe dyslexia, the pressures of a role that takes on a life of its own, and the path forward once your wildest dream seems behind you.