Willard Van Dyke, cinematographer and co-director of documentaries like "The City" and "The River," talks about 20th century American history and how it effected the arts. Using his documentaries and other artists' work, he explores how the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War changed American art and culture. He discusses Public Works of Art, war propaganda, and McCarthyism and their challenges for artists. Near the end of this interview, Van Dyke discusses the changes in modern still photography and documentaries as Americans forget history.

Author and actor Patricia Bosworth discusses her book “Anything your Little Heart Desires,” which details her upbringing and her father’s life as a lawyer.

David Halberstam, writer and historian, talks about his book, "The Fifties." The conversation includes Brown v. Board of Education, atomic weapons, the Cold War, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, consumerism, birth control, suburbs, television and the start of the counterculture. Halberstam reads several passages from his book.

The military's attitude toward gay people is what's covered in Allan Berube's book, "Coming Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War II." For some people, hiding their true identity was necessary because they would have been discharged by the military.