E-mail a friendAugust 28, 2009
New Orleans-based presidential historian Douglas Brinkley reflects on Sen. Edward Kennedy's legacy and discusses the progress of his city's post-Katrina rebuilding efforts. Musician Josh Charles explains his love for the Crescent City and talks about the origin of his "Healing Time" project, which he wrote and released to benefit the city. He also performs.
Douglas Brinkley
Douglas Brinkley
Historian talks about the absence of someone fighting for New Orleans at the federal level. (1:25)
Full interview. (12:54)
Historian Douglas Brinkley is a Rice University professor and renowned author. His numerous nonfiction books include a biography of Jimmy Carter, a New York Times best-seller on John Kerry and The Great Deluge, an analysis of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath. Based in New Orleans, his latest work is a groundbreaking biography of Theodore Roosevelt, The Wilderness Warrior. Brinkley is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and has taught at the U.S. Naval Academy, Princeton, Hofstra and Tulane Universities.
Josh Charles
Josh Charles
Singer-songwriter performs 'Healing Time.' (3:44)
Full interview. (9:50)
Josh Charles has played with some of the great musicians, from Wynton Marsalis and Tony Bennett to Dr. John—who became his friend and mentor. He experimented with different styles, but always came back to his love of New Orleans music and the piano. Charles grew up in Kansas City, where he started playing in blues clubs as a teen. He was moving to the Big Easy when Katrina hit. Forced to flee, he later returned and, after seeing the devastation, wrote and recorded "Healing Time," to raise money for the recovery effort.