Ralph Ellison: No Longer The 'Invisible Man' 100 Years After His Birth
Ellison's exploration of race and identity won the National Book Award in 1953 and has been called one of the best novels of the 20th century.
Books
Maya Angelou, Poet, Activist And Singular Storyteller, Dies At 86
Angelou refused to speak for much of her childhood and revealed the scars of her past in her groundbreaking memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. She opened doors for black and female writers.
Mystery Series' Portly P.I. Peels Back The Layers Of Delhi Society
Tarquin Hall's mystery novels, starring the Punjabi detective Vish Puri, are a merry introduction to India's cultural and culinary delights.
Hardcore With A Heart: Joburg Thrillers Star A Spunky P.I.
Jassy Mackenzie's crime novels, set in Johannesburg, star the not-always-law-abiding private investigator Jade de Jong. Mackenzie says that de Jong and "Joburg" are well-matched.
'Fresh Air' Remembers Poet And Memoirist Maya Angelou
In 1986, Angelou spoke to Terry Gross about Southern influences in her writing, her love of autobiography and how, as a traumatized young girl, poetry inspired her to start speaking again.
China Turns To Africa For Resources, Jobs And Future Customers
In China's Second Continent, Howard French explores the Chinese presence in 15 African countries. The relationship goes beyond economics: more than a million Chinese citizens have migrated to Africa.
A Look At India's New Leader, Through The Lens Of Literature
Narendra Modi is a Hindu nationalist and political outsider who won India's election in a landslide. To understand India's political history, author Akash Kapur recommends a book by V.S. Naipaul.
'Third Plate' Reimagines Farm-To-Table Eating To Nourish The Land
Renee Montagne talks to Dan Barber about his new book The Third Plate: Field Notes on the Future of Food. Barber advocates eating a wider variety of foods that better support the land.
A Second Posthumous Collection From Rock Critic Ellen Willis
The Essential Ellen Willis focuses on the writer's explicitly feminist culture criticism. It was edited by Willis' daughter, who published an earlier collection of her mother's essays in 2011.
40 Years After Watergate, A Look Back At Nixon's Downfall
Political journalist Elizabeth Drew chronicled the events of 1974 in her recently reissued Washington Journal. She tells NPR's Robert Siegel that she sees "a certain nobility" in Nixon's resilience.