Known as "The Horror Master," John Carpenter is Hollywood's ultimate auteur of fright. In this new interview, the writer, director and composer talks about his career and the constantly shifting horror landscape. Internationally renowned for genre classics including "Halloween," "They Live," "Escape from New York," "The Thing" and "Christine," he is touring this fall in support of his new album, "Anthology: Movie Themes 1974-1998." (Season 2, Episode 05 - Revolutionary Writers)

In this new interview, comedian Margaret Cho talks about her career and the role comedy plays in dealing with the current social climate. An outspoken advocate for LGBT, Asian-American and women’s rights, Cho created the first primetime sitcom featuring an Asian-American cast, and currently she can be seen performing stand-up on her “Fresh Off The Bloat” comedy tour. (Season 2, Episode 04 - Revolutionary Writers)

Satire is often described as one of the most powerful tools against tyranny. Listen to a previously unreleased interview with legendary comedian Mel Brooks, who reveals how his experience as a soldier in the U.S. Army during World War II led to his groundbreaking satirical comedy “The Producers.” Brooks earned Oscar® and Tony® awards for writing the hit film and musical, cementing his status as one of America’s sharpest wits. [“American Masters – Mel Brooks: Make A Noise” (2013)]. (Season 2, Episode 03 - Revolutionary Writers)

“American Masters: Tyrus” filmmaker Pamela Tom interviews filmmakers/artists Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi, who discuss their Oscar-nominated animated short “The Dam Keeper” and artist Tyrus Wong’s influence on their work. See their work and learn more about Wong in “American Masters: Tyrus,” premiering September 8 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and streaming September 9 at http://pbs.org/americanmasters and PBS OTT apps.

Witch hunts, political hysteria, and paranoia! Listen to previously unreleased interviews with Tony- and Pulitzer-winning playwright Arthur Miller and actresses Madeleine Sherwood and Lee Grant, who explore the themes of Miller’s landmark play The Crucible (1953). Published amidst the milieu of government persecution when McCarthyism struck Hollywood, the play is a stark and powerful allegory of the era with lasting implications. [“American Masters – Arthur Miller, Elia Kazan and the Blacklist: None Without Sin” (2003)]. (Season 2, Episode 02 - Revolutionary Writers)

Season 2 of the American Masters Podcast looks at the artists that challenge and shape our thoughts through the power of the written word. We begin with a new interview with Pulitzer Prize-winner and MacArthur “Genius” Award recipient Suzan-Lori Parks (Topdog/Underdog, The Red Letter Plays, Venus), who discusses her writing, inspirations and teaching the arts, and performs original music. (Season 2, Episode 01 - Revolutionary Writers)

Host and series executive producer Michael Kantor sits down with Ruben Santiago-Hudson, director of August Wilson’s Jitney, which makes its Broadway debut this week at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Santiago-Hudson discusses the impact that Wilson has made as one of the most prolific African-American playwrights of the 20th century. Tune in to your local PBS station for American Masters – August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand, which airs tonight, January 20th at 10 PM EST (Check your local listings).

Listen as host and series executive producer Michael Kantor sits down with Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, co-directors of American Masters – Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You. The two veteran filmmakers share their experiences working in the film industry, and most recently with nonagenarian producer Norman Lear as their subject. The documentary is streaming now at http://pbs.org/americanmasters and is available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital HD from PBS Distribution. (Season 1, Episode 10 - Women on Women)

Comedian Hasan Minhaj, senior correspondent for The Daily Show, shares a personal story with legendary producer Norman Lear, recorded live at this summer’s New York premiere of American Masters – Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You. The documentary premieres nationwide Tuesday, October 25 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and is available on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital HD from PBS Distribution.

We remember novelist Gloria Naylor, who died September 28, 2016, at the age of 66. Best known for The Women of Brewster Place, which received the National Book Award in 1983, and was adapted into a 1989 miniseries produced by Oprah Winfrey, Naylor speaks compassionately and critically about the notion of the American Dream. She explores this theme in three American classics: Nella Larsen’s novel Passing (1929), F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (1925) and John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath (1939). This never-before-heard interview is from director Michael Epstein’s American Masters – Novel Reflections on the American Dream (2007). (Season 1, Episode 09 - Women on Women)