Books

Dr. Frances Jensen is a professor and chair of the Department of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

Why Teens Are Impulsive, Addiction-Prone And Should Protect Their Brains

1:26pm January 30, 2015

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.

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'Karen Memory' Builds Up A Good Head Of Steam

1:07pm January 30, 2015

by Jason Heller

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.

Bill Parcells has been coach to the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, the New England Patriots and the New York Jets.

Should Ray Rice Get A Second Chance? 'Maybe,' Parcells Says

10:54am January 30, 2015

by NPR Staff

In part two of David Greene's conversation with Bill Parcells, the football coach talks about how he dealt with players' drug use and about redemption for the former Baltimore Ravens running back.

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Parcells' Book Details Highs And Lows Of His NFL Coaching Career

8:37am January 30, 2015

Bill Parcells recently recounted his life and career in a memoir, Parcells: A Football Life. David Greene sits down with Parcells to talk about his legacy, and the challenges the league faces today.

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In 'Outline,' A Series Of Conversations Are Autobiographies In Miniature

2:21pm January 29, 2015

by Maureen Corrigan

Rachel Cusk's novel centers on a writer and mother recovering from divorce who teaches a summer course in Athens, Greece. The narrator has 10 conversations filled with holes, lies and self-deceptions.

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Low-Key, Real-Life Heroism In 'March: Book Two'

11:29am January 29, 2015

by Etelka Lehoczky

Rep. John Lewis continues his graphic memoir series about the civil rights movement in March: Book Two. He isn't afraid to humble the famous and focus on those whom history often overlooks.

Books
Arts

A Haunting, Victorian-Inflected Dystopia In 'The Mime Order'

10:39am January 29, 2015

by Jane Ciabattari

Samantha Shannon's richly detailed follow-up to The Bone Season picks up with clairvoyant heroine Paige on the run after leading a revolt against the alien oppressors of her far-future England.

Michelle Tea's previous books include Rent Girl and Mermaid in Chelsea Creek.

Books
Arts

'How To Grow Up' Needs To Grow Up

3:05pm January 28, 2015

by Michael Schaub

Poet, novelist, memoirist and queer icon Michelle Tea makes a rare misstep in How to Grow Up, an essay collection that reviewer Michael Schaub calls "a well-intentioned, exasperating mess of a book."

Marie Mutsuki Mockett says the Japanese tradition of Tōrō nagashi — lighting floating paper lanterns in honor of loved ones — reminded her that she was not alone in her grief.

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Arts

After Father's Death, A Writer Learns How 'The Japanese Say Goodbye'

6:30pm January 27, 2015

by NPR Staff

Lost in a deep depression, Marie Mutsuki Mockett visited a temple owned by her mother's family near Fukushima. There, she found traditions and ways of thought that helped her work through her grief.

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Books
Arts

'Mr. Mac' Paints Flowers In A Darkening World

1:53pm January 27, 2015

by Heller McAlpin

Esther Freud's new novel Mr. Mac and Me traces an unlikely friendship between a lonely boy and a struggling artist. Reviewer Heller McAlpin says the book has both technical prowess and grace.