James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket
american masters

This program is an in-depth portrait of James Baldwin, one of the greatest American authors of the 20th century. Using archival material that reflects Baldwin's worldwide influence and appeal, the film includes interviews with family members, friends and notable colleagues, including Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, William Styron, Amiri Baraka, Richard Avedon, and Bobby Short, among others. Segments were filmed in France, Turkey, and Harlem, all places where Baldwin lived. Through Baldwin's work as a writer (ever since his first book in 1953, "Go Tell It On The Mountain"), he has helped mobilize the civil rights movement, brought new awareness and compassion to both black and white readers, and shed light on what it is like to be black in America.

Episode Duration: 1 hour 26 minutes and 46 seconds

Episode Number: 309

About American Masters:

AMERICAN MASTERS is an ongoing series of award-winning primetime specials examining the lives, works, and creative processes of our most outstanding cultural artists.

Created in 1984 by Susan Lacy and produced by Thirteen/WNET for national public television, the series is both a celebration and an exploration of creativity in America.

Consisting of more than 250 hours of programming to date, AMERICAN MASTERS is a growing film library documenting the role important individuals, groups, and movements have played in the formation of our cultural identity.


Watch American Masters - Clips, Episodes & Previews


Future Broadcast times for "American Masters": (show all)

Sat, Jun 3 8:00 P.M. Little Richard: The King and Queen of Rock and Roll     NH WORLD
Sun, Jun 4 12:00 A.M. Little Richard: The King and Queen of Rock and Roll     NH WORLD
Mon, Jun 5 12:00 P.M. Little Richard: The King and Queen of Rock and Roll     NH EXPLORE
Tue, Jun 13 12:00 P.M. Oliver Sacks: His Own Life     NH EXPLORE
Sat, Jun 17 7:00 P.M. Ballerina Boys     NH WORLD
Sun, Jun 18 1:30 P.M. Ailey     NH EXPLORE
Tue, Jun 20 1:30 P.M. Ballerina Boys     NH EXPLORE
Tue, Jun 20 2:00 P.M. Groucho & Cavett     NH WORLD
Wed, Jun 21 2:00 P.M. Lennon NYC     NH WORLD
Wed, Jun 21 4:00 P.M. Walter Winchell: The Power of Gossip     NH WORLD
Thu, Jun 22 5:00 A.M. Ballerina Boys     NH WORLD
Thu, Jun 22 11:00 A.M. Ballerina Boys     NH WORLD
Thu, Jun 22 3:30 P.M. Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road     NH WORLD
Sat, Jun 24 6:30 P.M. Joe Papp In Five Acts     NH WORLD
Sat, Jun 24 8:00 P.M. James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket     NH WORLD
Sun, Jun 25 12:00 A.M. James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket     NH WORLD

NHPBS Over-the-Air Broadcast

WENH-TV Ch. 11 Durham

WLED-TV Ch. 48 Littleton

WEKW-TV Ch. 18 Keene

W50DP-D Ch. 50 Hanover

W34DQ-D Ch. 34 Pittsburg

Cable and Satellite Channels


NHPBS NHPBS Passport Passport

This Old House | E23 | First Period Gambrel | Factory Built
Ask This Old House | E23 | Flagstone Repairs, Tub Diverter | Ask This Old House
NOVA | Saving the Right Whale
Iconic America | The Hollywood Sign
My Grandparents' War | Emeli Sandé
Nature | Attenborough’s Wonder of Song
Antiques Roadshow | Shelburne Museum, Hour 2
Independent Lens | Matter of Mind: My ALS
My Music with Rhiannon Giddens | Episode 1
Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale | Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale
Tom Jones | Episode 2
Great Performances | Now Hear This
Next at the Kennedy Center | Continuum: Jason Moran & Christian McBride
Changing Planet | Episode 1
La Frontera with Pati Jinich | Back to the Middle
How Saba Kept Singing | How Saba Kept Singing
Rick Steves' Europe | Art of the Renaissance
Austin City Limits | ACL Presents 21st Annual Americana Honors
American Experience | The Movement and the
Gershwin Prize | Joni Mitchell: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize
Finding Your Roots | Out of the Past
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip | Brian Cox CBE and Philip Jackson
Marie Antoinette | Deus Ex Machina
American Masters | In The Making
Sanditon | Episode 1
Awakening in Taos: The Mabel Dodge Luhan Story | Awakening in Taos: The Mabel Dodge Luhan Story
Ruth Stone's Vast Library of the Female Mind | Ruth Stone's Vast Library of the Female Mind
Fight the Power: How Hip Hop Changed the World | Still Fighting
POV | POV Shorts: Happiness is £4 Million
After Action | Taps
The Best of the Joy of Painting with Bob Ross | Stormy Seas