Beyond The CANVAS: Season 3, Episode 5 - Art: The Power of Words

In the fourth episode of season three of Beyond the Canvas, we feature five artists who deeply understand the power of words. Whether using the written word in song, poetry, or writing, each articulates their own experience and allows us a way of understanding our own.

First, we speak with spoken word poet and educator Peter Kahn. His acclaimed spoken word club at Oak Park and River Forest High School has produced multiple poet laureates, including one who has won the national title. He shares his Brief But Spectacular take on amplifying the student voice.

Next, we speak with Pulitzer-prize-winning author Louise Erdrich. Her most recent novel, “The Sentence” explores the intersection of Indigenous rights movements and the Black Lives Matter protests, set in Minneapolis, where Erdrich lives and works. Against the backdrop of the murder of George Floyd, Erdrich used writing to process what was happening and give voice to Indigenous perspectives on race.

We also hear from Brandi Carlile, a seventeen-time Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter. Over the course of the covid-19 pandemic, she penned a new album, entitled “In These Silent Days.” Continuing to use her experience as a lesbian to inform her art, Carlile gave words to the isolation we all were experiencing.

Next, we turn to former NewsHour correspondent Terence Smith. In conversation with NewsHour anchor, Judy Woodruff, he reflects on his long, prolific career covering major global events around the world.

Lastly, we speak with Black women making waves in the country music industry, including Brittney Spencer and Rissi Palmer. Working in a genre that has often excluded people of color, and Black women, in particular, Spencer and Palmer are carving out their own paths.

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