Beyond the appropriate awe, this two-part PBS documentary, co-directed by Ken Burns, adds human texture to the hagiography.

Dorothy Allison, a lesbian and author who rose to fame with the publication of her critically acclaimed 1992 novel "Bastard Out of Carolina," died November 6 at her home in Guerneville.

Film directors usually make the least promising subjects for biography. They tend to stay behind the camera and get on with making films, emerging only to make the odd promotional statement. Only ...