The Kaypro II: An Early Computer With A Writer's Heart
Commentator Andrei Codrescu remembers the first word processor he had — the Kaypro II in the 1980s. Its inventor, Andrew Kay, died Aug. 28, at the age of 95.
Books
13 Days Of High Emotion That Led To The Egypt-Israel Peace
Lawrence Wright's new book examines the 1978 peace deal President Carter brokered between Egypt and Israel. During the tense summit, Carter had "never been angrier," Wright says.
Futuristic 'Bone Clocks' Encompasses A Strange, Rich World Of Soul-Stealers
David Mitchell's latest fantasy is an odyssey into the dark side, spanning from 1984 to 2043. It's about a teenager who runs away from her London home and becomes prey to a ghastly gang of mystics.
Wendy Davis Tells Of Her Own Difficult Abortions In 'Forgetting'
A champion of abortion rights, the Texas gubernatorial candidate reveals she terminated two of her pregnancies — once because her life was endangered.
As Independence Vote Approaches, A Spirited Novel About The Scottish Experience
Next week the people of Scotland vote on whether to become independent from the U.K. Author Marie Mutsuki Mockett recommends a book that illuminates the Scottish psyche, Iain Banks' The Crow Road.
Fact Meets Fiction In Tale Of A Slave, Explorer And Survivor
A Moroccan slave named Estebanico was one of only four men to survive a 1528 expedition to America from Spain. The Moor's Account, a fictional memoir by Laila Lalami, tells the story through his eyes.
'Father And Son' Is Part Homage, Part Indictment
Marcos Giralt Torrente's memoir of his absentee father, the famed Spanish painter Juan Giralt, frequently resorts to lists and repetition to get across Torrente's exasperation, anger and love.
How 'Gatsby' Went From A Moldering Flop To A Great American Novel
In So We Read On, Maureen Corrigan looks at the story behind The Great Gatsby, from F. Scott Fitzgerald's life to the era in which it's set. She says it's her favorite novel, but it wasn't always.
James Ellroy's 'Perfidia' Is A Brutal, Beautiful Police Procedural
Perfidia is a sprawling novel that takes place in 1940s LA. There are Pearl Harbor, internment camps, schemes within schemes. Ellroy weaves an epic tale that evokes an ugly time and an awful place.
Stars Line Up To Reimagine Laura Nyro
The late Laura Nyro penned hits, including "And When I Die" and "Save the Country." NPR's Scott Simon speaks with composer Billy Childs about his new album of tributes, Reimagining Laura Nyro.