Washington, DC

Anna Deavere Smith is currently appearing at Washington, DC's Arena Stage in Second Stage's production of Let Me Down Easy, directed by Leonard Foglia. Illustration by Jimmy Turrell

Today is the first day of the annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which this year is being held in Washington, DC. The mayors kicked things off with a breakfast honoring leadership in the arts. Among the honorees at the breakfast was the incomparable actor-playwright Anna Deavere Smith who received the 2011 National Award for Artistic Leadership from Americans for the Arts. Smith has received many awards over the course of her career, including a MacArthur "genius" grant, but she says this one has a special meaning for her. But we'll let her tell it...[2:14] [audio:http://artworks.arts.gov/wp-content/uploads/Anna-Deavere-Smith-blog.mp3] [transcript]