American Masters

The origin of Flack's hit "Killing Me Softly With His Song"

Roberta Flack discovered Lori Lieberman's "Killing Me Softly With His Song" on a plane from L.A. to New York, and made it her own. "I was not limited to just taking the song off of the page of music," said Flack. After seeing the crowd reaction to her cover of the song while on tour with Quincy Jones, Jones convinced her to record it.

The origin of Flack's hit "Killing Me Softly With His Song"

2m 27s

  • Dear Corky: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Dear Corky

    16m 27s

    New Yorker Corky Lee photographed his hometown’s Chinatown and Asian American communities around the country for over 50 years, documenting activists, celebrities and everyday heroes he encountered in over 100,000 photos. While documenting the latest rise of anti-Asian hate crimes, Lee passed away from COVID-19. In his own words and photos, this short documentary reveals the man behind the camera.

  • Jerry Seinfeld on his place in American sitcom history: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Jerry Seinfeld on his place in American sitcom history

    16m 1s

    On August 13, 2008, comedian Jerry Seinfeld discussed his collaboration with Larry David, the evolution of the American sitcom and the lure of stand-up comedy. Interview conducted by director Michael Kantor for the six-hour PBS comedy series, “Make ‘Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America” (2009).

  • Weaving Nature: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Weaving Nature

    18m 39s

    Maryland artist David Bacharach creates "The Mounds," an outdoor arts installation that confronts global climate change. Bacharach employs traditional weaving and metalsmithing techniques to build sculptures that reflect environmental problems that impact land, air and water. This synthesis of art and nature illustrates the interconnectedness of human activity and environmental degradation.

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