Rod McKuen, The Cheeseburger To Poetry's Haute Cuisine
Poet Rod McKuen was loved by millions but mocked by literary critics. He died this week at age 81.
Books
Why A Black Man's Murder Often Goes Unpunished In Los Angeles
From witnesses to reluctant gang members, Jill Leovy says, "everybody's terrified." Her book, Ghettoside, uses the story of one murder to explore the city's low arrest rate when black men are killed.
NPR Bestsellers: Week Of January 29, 2015
The lists are compiled from weekly surveys of close to 500 independent bookstores nationwide.
NPR Bestsellers: Hardcover Fiction, Week Of January 29, 2015
In Lily King's Euphoria, three young anthropologists in 1930s New Guinea are caught in a love triangle. It debuts at No. 13.
NPR Bestsellers: Hardcover Nonfiction, Week Of January 29, 2015
Debuting at No. 14, Diane Muldrow's Everything I Need to Know About Love I Learned From a Little Golden Book offers insights on the world of romance.
NPR Bestsellers: Paperback Fiction, Week Of January 29, 2015
At No. 15, Chris Pavone's The Accident follows literary agent Isabel Reed as she races through a mysterious manuscript while the CIA simultaneously tries to bury the story.
NPR Bestsellers: Paperback Nonfiction, Week Of January 29, 2015
In How to Love, Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh instructs on the essentials of mindfulness practice and understanding the many different kinds of love. It appears at No. 14.
Are We Having Fun Yet? New Book Explores The Paradox Of Parenting
Kids can be magical and maddening. The title of Jennifer Senior's book — All Joy and No Fun — contrasts the strains of day-to-day parenting with the transcendent experience of raising a child.
Why Teens Are Impulsive, Addiction-Prone And Should Protect Their Brains
New research shows that teenagers' brains aren't fully insulated, so the signals travel slowly when they need to make decisions. Neuroscientist Frances Jensen, who wrote The Teenage Brain, explains.
'Karen Memory' Builds Up A Good Head Of Steam
Elizabeth Bear's new novel makes thoughtful use of steampunk elements in a lively tale of brothel inhabitants defending their house against a rival — and in the process uncovering a political plot.