What's Motivating Hayes: Filmmaker Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs) profiles biologist Tyrone Hayes. When a pesticide manufacturer hired Hayes to test the effects of their product on frogs, Hayes discovered shocking results. A Sketch starring Alan Cumming and Brett Gelman. A Converstation with artist Marina Abramovic. A Poem written by Matthew Dickman. Cartoons by Emily Flake.
Filmmaker Alex Gibney (Going Clear) tells how the FBI could have prevented the 9/11 attacks - if it weren't for the CIA. Le Cafe de Balzac: Paul Giamatti plays 19th-century French author Honore de Balzac, who drank 50 cups of coffee each day. Unreality Star: Patients with "The Truman Show delusion" believe their lives are being watched on TV. Cartoon by Roz Chast.
The Ride of Their Lives: Filmmaker Steve James (Hoop Dreams) profiles two young people in the world's most dangerous sport - bull riding. Black Bodies in Motion and in Pain: Writer Edwidge Danticat looks at racist violence in America through art. The Death and Life of Atlantic City: Writer Nick Paumgarten on the closure of the Revel casino. Cartoons by Roz Chast and Liana Finck.
Brazenhead, C'est Moi: Michael Seidenberg operates a secret bookstore in a Manhattan apartment, until he gets an eviction notice. The Man Without a Mask: Filmmaker Roger Ross Williams (God Loves Uganda; Life, Animated) profiles Cassandro, the flamboyant gay star of Mexican wrestling. Symbols and Facts: Guns, Cars, and America: An essay by Adam Gopnik. Cartoons by Roz Chast and Farley Katz.
Wolvesmouth: Filmmaker Lucy Walker (The Crash Reel) profiles renegade chef Craig Thornton. The Fried Chicken King of Harlem: Chef Charles Gabriel is an uptown institution. Couple's First Dinner Party, Serves Six: Director Janicza Bravo gives us the recipe for a dinner gone wrong. Reincarnation: A poem by Ellen Bass. Cartoons by Roz Chast and Benjamin Schwartz.
Roy Spivey: An ordinary woman meets a movie star during an airplane flight. Adapted from a short story by Miranda July; starring Murray Bartlett and Allison Price. La Glows: Writer Lawrence Weschler explores the unique light of Los Angeles. The Caging of America: Writer Adam Gopnik takes on the epidemic of mass incarceration in the United States. Cartoon by Liana Finck.
Avant Gardener: Acclaimed singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett has a photography show. Lone Star Nurse: Filmmaker Dawn Porter (Gideon's Army; Trapped) follows a dedicated nurse working with some of the poorest families in America. The Psychology of Space: Architect Craig Dykers redesigns a notoriously dysfunctional location - Times Square. Cartoons by Farley Katz and Liana Finck.
Friend of Bill: When you least expect it, Bill Murray may appear to you. Last Session: Charles Grodin and John Turturro play a therapist and a patient who wants to end therapy. Eureka With Basil Twist: Meet genius puppeteer Basil Twist. The Hell-Raiser: Filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (The Celluloid Closet) profile apostate preacher Rob Bell. Cartoons by Farley Katz and Liana Finck.
The Silver Thief: Filmmakers Chapman Way and Maclain Way (Wild Wild Country; The Battered Bastards of Baseball) profile master thief Blane Nordahl. Up and Then Down: Writer Nick Paumgarten explains why life as we know it depends on elevators. Tom of Finland: The artist called Tom of Finland changed the image of gay men forever. Is his work porn, or is it art? Cartoons by Farley Katz and Benjamin Schwartz.
Snoops: Welcome to the monthly dinner of the Society of Professional Investigators. The Cyclist: Filmmaker Eugene Jarecki (Why We Fight) learns about Cuba by becoming a perp there. The Breath of the World: Pulitzer-winning composer John Luther Adams moved from Alaska to New York, but his music still reflects his original surroundings. Cartoons by Benjamin Scwartz and Farley Katz.
Protect and Serve: Filmmaker Jesse Moss (The Overnighters) examines the Albuquerque Police Department, which has killed 28 civilians since 2010. Who's Your Daddy: Meet Kenny Burck, the proud father of The Naked Cowboy. Never Alone: The Iñupiat tribe needed a way to preserve their culture and language. So they created a video game. Cartoon by Benjamin Schwartz.