American Stories: A Reading Road Trip began in Rhode Island, a state with a long and varied literary tradition. This 35-minute documentary examined Rhode Island's literary legacy, from the revolutionary writings of Roger Williams and the Gothic fiction of H. P. Lovecraft to Edgar Allan Poe's time in Providence and the work of Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jhumpa Lahiri, including Interpreter of Maladies and The Namesake.
The program also included interviews with writers and illustrators such as Anika Aldamuy Denise (Planting Stories), Christopher Denise (Knight Owl), Caldecott honoree Oge Mora (Thank You, Omu!), David Macaulay (The Way Things Work), and Elizabeth Rush (Rising). Their perspectives highlighted how Rhode Island's landscape, architecture, and arts community influenced both literary and visual storytelling.
Viewers also saw historic and cultural institutions including the Providence Athenaeum, Redwood Library, and John Hay Library, along with an examination of the role the Rhode Island School of Design played in shaping generations of artists and storytellers.
Made possible through PBS Books and Library of Congress Centers for the Book