Smithsonian | Brian Jay Jones

Category Archives: Smithsonian

Taking The Capitol (and Jim Henson) to the Capital

Posted on August 10, 2026 | Leave a comment

I’m excited to finally be bringing The Capitol to Washington, D.C. for a weekend in October. But first, let me tell you about another event I’ll be doing that same weekend. It involves this guy:

This has been in the works for a while–and now that it’s finally been posted, I’m excited I can officially tell you about it: on Friday, October 23, I’ll be appearing with Jim Henson Company Archives Director Karen Falk at the Smithsonian Museum of American History for a conversation about the life and work of Jim Henson, told through six objects in the Smithsonian’s collection. Our moderator and guide will be Ryan Lintelman, entertainment curator in the Smithsonian’s Division of Culture and the Arts. Here’s the official description from Smithsonian Associates:

Jim Henson’s boundless imagination and enduring legacy are best revealed through his creations. From inventing beloved characters such as Kermit the Frog and Rowlf and crafting fantastical worlds in The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth to creating television for the whole family in The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock, Henson’s creative genius was unparalleled.

The Jim Henson Company Archives Director Karen Falk and biographer Brian Jay Jones explore six extraordinary objects donated by Henson’s family to the National Museum of American History. Each offers a unique window into Henson’s creativity, artistic evolution, and long-lasting cultural impact. Ranging from early experiments to iconic creations, these artifacts reveal how Henson blended artistry, technology, and storytelling to reshape modern entertainment. Guided by Ryan Lintelman, entertainment curator in the Smithsonian’s Division of Culture and the Arts, the discussion weaves together biography, behind-the-scenes insights, and historical context.

Following the program, attendees have the rare opportunity to see objects from the National Museum of American History’s collection that are not on public display.

Which six objects will we be discussing? You’ll have to find out–but as you can see, it’s six objects that are presently not on display in any of the Smithsonian’s museums. And as Karen and I went down the list of the six, divvying up who would discuss what, I am giddily excited about one object in particular that I get to talk about.

You can find more information about the event here at the Smithsonian’s website–and while our event is at noon on a Friday, if you’re going to be in Washington that day, I hope you’ll register and come see us. It’ll be a blast, I promise.

The very next day, at 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, I’ll be discussing The Capitol at Politics and Prose with the help of ace biographer, historian, lawyer, and novelist David O. Stewart. David’s latest book is The Democracy We Must Keep: Seven Founders, Nine Documents and the Ideas that Shaped America, so between the two of us, we’ll have plenty to say about the hard work that goes into building a nation, and what our founding documents and infrastructure tell us about who we are as Americans. The event is free, but get there early to grab a seat.

Oh, and we’ll be at the flagship P&P on Connecticut Avenue, so don’t head for the one at the Wharf or at Union Market or you’ll miss us. And we’ll miss you.

Playing Catch Up (Again)

Posted on November 6, 2013 | Leave a comment

Augh! Sorry about the lack of posts here — the last few weeks have been a bit of a blur.

When I last left you — back in mid-October — I was giving you a heads up about the interview I taped with the super cool Tavis Smiley. The interview did indeed run on October 18/19 — and if you missed it, you can see it right here.

I had a great time at Tavis Smiley, and it’s another one of those shows that runs like a well-oiled machine: quick, easy, and over much too fast. When I was finished, he very sweetly asked if I would sign his copy of Jim’s biography — and when I asked who I should make it out to (left to my own devices, I would’ve probably written “To Mr. Smiley”), he said gently, “Why, to Tavis — who else?” Awesome.

The next week, I had the great privilege of speaking to a sold out crowd at the Smithsonian, where they know a thing or two about the importance of the Muppets to American Hi story. I spoke at the S. Dillon Ripley Center (the entrance to which you can see there at right — the gigantic facility itself is underground), which — perhaps appropriately — is where I saw the Jim Henson’s Fantastic World exhibit back in 2008, and met several of the Hensons for the first time. My talk was called “More Than Muppets,” which let me cover a lot of Jim’s early TV commercial work and experimental projects like Cyclia, Time Piece, Youth 68, The Cube, as well as later projects like The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. All in all, it was a lot of fun, with a lot of good questions and conversation afterwards.

The morning after my Smithsonian talk, I got a plane and headed for Albuquerque, New Mexico, to do a quick Home Town Tour, which — thanks to the Herculean skills of my pal Marron — involved me making lots of TV and radio appearances, speaking at several bookstores (including Page One and Bookworks) and giving presentations at a number of schools, including my high school (Go Eagles!) and college (Go Lobos!) alma maters. In another fitting bit of full circle serendipity, my talk at the University of New Mexico made the front page of the Daily Lobo, the college newspaper where I spent every night of my college career serving as Night Editor:

No, that’s not a photo of me on the front of the Daily Lobo — though my wife pointed out that I DO slightly resemble the puppet. (Bonus points if you applauded the photo bomb by the Frontier soda cup….)

I also had the pleasure of spending my last evening in the state in Santa Fe, speaking at Collected Works Bookstore and Coffeehouse, followed by an outstanding dinner party hosted by my friend and BIO colleague (and crack biographer of Pulitzer, to name but a few) James McGrath Morris.

I’m now back in the chair at my desk in Maryland, though only for a moment — now that I’ve done my home town, I’m spending the next week doing Jim’s, heading first for Leland, Mississippi and then over to University Park, Maryland.