The Library

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. - Dr. Seuss

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. From ideas for films to deep research and daily inspiration, books are essential to our work at American Experience.

So we’ve put together a collection of our most literary content, including interviews with our favorite authors, banned books, and the titles that influenced history’s most influential people. Happy reading!

Features

Into the Amazon | Article
TR's Bookshelf

Theodore Roosevelt's great-grandson discusses the president's love of Lincoln, penchant for Hungarian poetry, and the book that inspired his conservation legacy.
Tesla | Article
Tesla's Dinner Party

Join Robert Underwood Johnson, John Muir, Mark Twain, Stanford White, and Nikola Tesla for an imagined dinner party.
Article
Helen Keller's Bookshelf

Dorothy Herrmann, author of Helen Keller: A Life, tells us about the writer and activist’s passion for philosophy, love of Walt Whitman, and devotion to the work of a Swedish theologian.
American Comandante | Primary Source
Excerpt from The Americano

Read an excerpt from Aran Shetterly's book The Americano, on conversations with two Rebel soldiers — Roger Redondo and Raúl Nieves.
The Abolitionists | Clip
Uncle Tom's Cabin

Harriet Beecher Stowe made millions of Americans see slavery through the eyes of its victims.
Article
Books Behind Bars

Every year, the American Library Association publishes a list of banned and challenged books. This is the man who edits the list.
Walt Whitman | Article
A National Poet

Explore Whitman's calling as a poet, and the idea of a national poet.
Article
BANNED: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Just a month after its publication, librarians in Concord, Massachusetts deemed it “trash” and “suitable only for the slums.”
Article
BANNED: And Tango Makes Three

Published in 2005, complaints about the book include that it is “unsuitable for young children” and has "homosexual overtones.”
Article
BANNED: Of Mice and Men

The book debuted to instant acclaim, and was soon adapted for the screen and stage. But that didn’t insulate it from censorship challenges.
The Bombing of Wall Street | Article
Emma Goldman’s Bookshelf

The anarchist had an interest in edgy literature, a passion for European plays, and deep knowledge of the thinkers who shaped the U.S. Constitution.
Two Days in October | Article
Author Interview: David Maraniss

The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer discusses They Marched into Sunlight, the critically acclaimed book on which Two Days in October is based.
Article
BANNED: The Bluest Eye

Since its publication, Toni Morrison's first book has consistently landed on the American Library Association’s list of most challenged books.
Triangle Fire | Clip
Frances Perkins and Labor Rights

Author Kristin Downey discusses Frances Perkins, a labor rights activist, close friend of FDR, and the first female secretary of labor.
Eleanor Roosevelt | Article
Blanche Wiesen Cook

Read interview exceprts with Eleanor Roosevelt biographer, Blanche Wiesen Cook.
The Gilded Age | Article
Carnegie’s Bookshelf

Biographer David Nasaw discusses the industrial titan’s love of a Scottish poet, interest in American history, and devotion to a surly English philosopher.
Influenza 1918 | Clip
Author interview: Dr. Alfred Crosby

Watch a video interview with Dr. Alfred Crosby, author of Epidemic and Peace 1918: America's Forgotten Pandemic.
The Civilian Conservation Corps | Clip
Author Interview: Neil Maher

Neil Maher tackles issues related to the CCC and the Great Depression.
Walt Whitman | Article
Leaves of Grass

Still widely read today, it serves as an autobiography of sorts, recording some of the most tumultuous decades of American history.
Roads to Memphis | Article
Dr. King's Bookshelf

Clayborne Carson discusses King's relationship to the Bible, his opinion of Marx, and the science fiction novel that helped shape his activism.
My Lai | Article
Interview: Author Tim O'Brien

Almost a year before O'Brian's arrival in the same area, a platoon from the American Division had been responsible for the massacre at My Lai.
Roads to Memphis | Clip
Author Hampton Sides

Hampton Sides discusses writing the book Hellhound on His Trail, a dramatic account of the search for James Earl Ray after he assassinated Dr. Martin Luther King.