The Historic Nature of the 46th Presidential Administration, Martin Goldsmith on 'Winter Journey,' Irving Penn, Alegba and Friends

Princeton history professor Julian Zelizer joins us on President Biden’s first day in office to discuss his administration’s challenges in comparison to other presidents that inherited major crises.

On January 20, Kamala Harris became the first woman — and the first woman of African-American and Indian-American descent — to be sworn in as Vice President. Dr. Manisha Sinha, history professor at the University of Connecticut, wrote an opinion piece in The New York Times in August titled, "Why Kamala Harris Matters to Me" and joins us to discuss this historic moment.

Martin Goldmsith, former host of the public radio classical music program, Performance Today, joins us to talk about the powerful story of how his parents met and their experiences performing with an all-Jewish orchestra in Nazi Germany. In 2001, he published a book about their experiences titled, The Inextinguishable Symphony: A True Story of Music and Love in Nazi Germany. The book has since been made into a film by Danish filmmaker Anders Ostergaard titled, “Winter Journey,” which stars Goldsmith and has been selected as the centerpiece of this year's New York Jewish Film Festival, which runs virtually through January 26.

Deputy director of the Irving Penn Foundation, Vasilios Zatse, joins us to talk about the new Irving Penn exhibit at Pace Gallery, Irving Penn: Photographism, which is on view through February 13.

In the spring of 2020, after tours and other gigs disappeared, musicians Alegba Jayhile and Mark Kraszewski started playing outdoor concerts for passersby in Prospect Park. By the summer, Alegba and Friends had grown into a rotating crew of musicians with a loyal audience and nightly performances at the Prospect Park Boathouse. Alegba Jahyile and Mark Kraszewski join us to talk about the concerts, which have continued through the winter, and busking during the pandemic.