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America: The Land We Live In • WXXI-TV

Rediscovers America’s national wonders on a modern-day quest to unveil mysteries, uncover age-old legends, and reignite the rich history of exploration and conservation in the United States — all through the lens of a 19th-century book.

America: The Land We Live In airs Monday, February 26 at 8 p .m. on WXXI-TV.

One-hundred fifty years ago, a group of daring writers and artists set out across the country on an adventure to discover the “picturesque.” Their goal: to return with epic stories and drawings of their discoveries and inspire people to set out on their own to explore the beauty and wonder of the land and cities. Picturesque America, a gold-leafed, leather-bound compendium of their intrepid tales and intricate engravings, became the very first travel guide of America. 

America: The Land We Live In takes you on a present-day treasure hunt to retrace the steps of those early explorers. Co-hosts Scott “Doc” Varn and Sophia Michelen— with the help of locals and experts — follow clues hidden in the original text and artwork of Picturesque America to uncover the “then and now” of these locations while exploring the culture, history, and beauty in each place.

Photo: Doc Varn and Sophia Michelen  • Credit: Courtesy of World Life Productions

Recognize these illustrations?

These illustrations of Rochester were pulled from Picturesque America – a 19th century travel guide that celebrated the history, culture, and beauty of America. The program takes you on a treasure hunt across the country to rediscover locations from 150 years ago. Clues to find these sites are hidden in the engravings and tales of the guide book. How have the locations in the illustrations below changed in 150 years? The producers would love to know. Snap a photo, share it on Facebook and tag @americathelandwelivein and @wxxirochester, or use the hashtag #AmericaTheLandWeLiveIn.

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A Conversation with NAACP Image Award Recipient, Nikki Giovanni • On-Demand Facebook Live Event

Legendary Poet, Nikki Giovanni, Reflects on Her Literary Works that Inspire and Transcend the Imagination.

Watch PBS Books Event with Nikki Giovanni from Wednesday, April 3 at 8pm  The event is archived here.

As part of its Wright Conversations series, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History presents Nikki Giovanni, one of this country’s most widely read poets and one of America’s most renowned poets worldwide. Her poem, “Knoxville, Tennessee,” is arguably the single literary work most often associated with that city. Giovanni has received numerous awards in the course of her career, including seven Image Awards from the N.A.A.C.P., more than two-dozen honorary degrees, the first Rosa Parks Woman of Courage Award, the Langston Hughes Medal for Poetry, and the Carl Sandburg Literary Award; additionally, Oprah Winfrey recognized her in 2005 as one of twenty-five “Living Legends.” She continues to teach, write, and publish books. Her most recent collection, “Make Me Rain,” was released in October of 2020.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Poet Nikki Giovanni was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, on June 7, 1943. Although she grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, she and her sister returned to Knoxville each summer to visit their grandparents. Nikki graduated with honors in history from her grandfather’s alma mater, Fisk University. Since 1987, she has been on the faculty at Virginia Tech, where she is an Emerita Professor in the Department of English. She has been nominated for a Grammy and a finalist for the National Book Award. She has authored three New York Times and Los Angeles Times best-sellers, highly unusual for a poet. For more information in the words of the poet herself, visit here. 


Create Showcase: Table for All • WXXI-CREATE

Grab a seat at the table with Buki Elegbede and discover the fascinating stories behind the dishes and traditions of the globe-spanning cuisine that can be enjoyed in the Garden State.

Create Showcase: Table for All airs Saturday, February 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday, February 25 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on WXXI-Create.

Buki Elegbede, Create Cooking Challenge 2017 Grand Prize winner and host of Baked by Buki, is back with Table for All, a cinematic docuseries focusing on culture, diversity & inclusion through the lens of food — all in his home state of New Jersey. He brings viewers along for the journey as he visits local restaurants and home kitchens to try new cuisines, meet the diverse people preparing these dishes, and hear the fascinating stories behind some of the region’s favorite eats and recipes.

Photo provided by CREATE.

Supercharge Your Brain: Maximizing Your Cognitive Abilities • WXXI-TV

Join neuroscientist and bestselling author Dr. Lisa Genova to discover ways to enhance brain health for the rest of your life.

Supercharge Your Brain: Maximizing Your Cognitive Abilities airs Sunday, February 25 at 1 p .m. on WXXI-TV.

Packed with actionable, science-backed steps, the program is a roadmap for improving brain health through lifelong learning.

American Masters: Groucho & Cavett • WXXI-TV

Discover the enduring friendship between television personality Dick Cavett and his mentor iconic comedian Groucho Marx. 

American Masters: Groucho & Cavett airs Sunday, January 5 at 1 p .m. on WXXI-TV.

Groucho & Cavett explores the enduring friendship between Emmy Award-winning television personality Dick Cavett and iconic comedian Groucho Marx.Cavett, a writer for Jack Parr on The Tonight Show, met Marx at the funeral of playwright George S. Kaufman in 1961. When Cavett made the transition from writer to comedian in 1965, he was encouraged and mentored by Marx. In 1968, Cavett became the host of his own talk show and Marx became a frequent guest capturing what Cavett calls, “the last of Groucho’s greatness.” Groucho & Cavett chronicles the pair’s relationship through new interviews with Cavett, footage from Marx’s visits to The Dick Cavett Show and other rare recordings.

Photo: Groucho Marx and Dick Cavett • Credit: PBS

Independent Lens: Breaking the News On-Demand

Frustrated by the lack of representation in the media, a group of women and LGBTQ+ journalists launched The 19th*, a digital news startup whose work is guided by elevating the voices often left out of the American story.  Watch on-demand through 5/19/24.

Independent Lens: Breaking the News follows the launch of The 19th*, a news startup that seeks to change the white, male-dominated news industry, asking who’s been omitted from mainstream coverage and how to include them. Bringing the viewer right into the newsroom during tense moments as the startup launches in a pandemic amid rising social unrest, the film provides an inside view of what it takes to challenge the status quo and break the mold in American media. 

Shot over three years, the film documents the honest discussions at The 19th* around race and gender equity, revealing that change doesn’t come easy, and showcases how they confront these challenges both as a workplace and in their journalism. But this film is about more than a newsroom; it’s about America in flux and the voices that are often left out of the American story.

NPR Black Stories, Black Truths:

A special podcast series featuring black lives, experiences and voices brought to you by NPR.

The Black Stories, Black Truths Podcast Series: NPR’s best podcast episodes and features from across the Black experience. Some might make you laugh. Some might make you feel inspired. Others might make you uncomfortable. And some might make you feel all of that in the same five-minute span.

Black Stories, Black Truths Podcast Series

See Black Stories, Black Truths Videos promoting the podcast series and—most importantly—a celebration of Black voices in journalism. Our voices aren’t a monolith, and neither is public media.

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