The New Republic's Osita Nwanevu joins the show from Baltimore, Maryland to discuss the life of Scott Joplin, known in his day as the King of Ragtime. At the dawn of the 20th century, Joplin's music achieved widespread popularity in America, transcending segregated society, and his innovations laid the groundwork for the evolution of jazz and helped to revolutionize American music and the culture itself. Joplin died penniless in 1917 and his name languished in relative obscurity for decades until his music was rediscovered in the early 1970s and he received long-overdue recognition for his achievements.

Osita and I also discuss some of the key works in Joplin's catalog, including his only surviving opera "Treemonisha".

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Maple Leaf Rag (Joplin, composed in 1899, performed by Alexander Peskanov)

Bethana, A Concert Waltz (Joplin, composed in 1905, performed by Alexander Peskanov)