biographies

Books have the ability to take you to another time. This month on Up To Date, author Steve Paul, and BLK + BRWN bookstore owner Cori Smith share the literature that brought them to the 1930s Harlem jazz scene, the 1980s war on drugs, through the twists and turns of the life of a mad genius and more.

Washington Post opinion columnist David Von Drehle's newest nonfiction book, "The Book of Charlie," highlights the life of his former neighbor in Kansas City: Dr. Charlie White, who lived to the age of 109.

Sports biographer Jeff Pearlman interviewed more than 700 friends, family members, coaches and others close to Bo Jackson for his new book about the acclaimed athlete.

Veteran Kansas City writer Steve Paul's new biography of Evan S. Connell digs deep into the mysterious novelist's life.

NPR is celebrating its fiftieth birthday this year and much of the organization's early success can be attributed to four groundbreaking women.

How the KCPD ranked in a nationwide report, and the story of the four women who were pivotal to the growth of NPR.

A middle school in Kansas City has been named after Gloria Willis, who grew up in Texas under Jim Crow Law. She joined Kansas City Kansas Public Schools…

Segment 1: Kansas City mourns the death of philanthropist Henry Bloch.Henry Bloch, co-founder of the tax preparation firm H&R Block and World War II…

Caroline Fraser's biography of beloved children's author Laura Ingalls Wilder reveals a life that "was harder and grittier" than the one portrayed in the…

The executive director of the Kansas City Symphony is a busy man, but Frank Byrne has carved out some time for Up To Date. Today, he leads us through a…

Despite passing away 25 years ago, Marjorie Powell Allen's life works continue to impact the Kansas City region. Today, we recall the businesswoman,…

Today, Kansas's newest poet laureate discusses how to find extraordinary meaning in the seemingly ordinary events of our lives. Then, we speak with…