Books

Books
Arts

'In Paradise,' Matthiessen Considers Our Capacity For Cruelty

1:43pm April 07, 2014

by Tom Vitale

At 86, Matthiessen has written what he says "may be his last word." In Paradise, a novel about a visit to a Nazi extermination camp, caps a career spanning six decades and 33 books.

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In Book's Trial Of U.S. Justice System, Wealth Gap Is Exhibit A

6:56pm April 06, 2014

by NPR Staff

Journalist Matt Taibbi investigates the differences between punishment for white-collar and blue-collar crimes in The Divide. He also questions beliefs about who is "appropriate for jail."

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WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 17: Dinaw Mengestu poses for a portrait on Monday, September 17, 2012 at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. (Photo by Eli Meir Kaplan/Getty Images for Home Front Communications)

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Dinaw Mengestu Embraces The Vastness Of Love And War

7:34pm April 03, 2014

by Meg Wolitzer

Meg Wolitzer says All Our Names, told in the alternating voices of two lovers, is a subtle masterpiece. It tackles huge themes — relationships, violence, identity, racism — but never overreaches.

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Jolie Kerr says when you have a fresh red wine stain, pouring table salt — no water — on it will suck it right up. "You can go pour some wine on your carpet tonight and try it out!" she says.

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Embarrassing Stains? This Housekeeping Guide Gets That Life Is Messy

4:48pm April 03, 2014

Jerry Seinfeld joked that if you have bloodstains on your clothes, you have bigger problems than the laundry. But Jolie Kerr helps with all the stains in a new book, My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag.

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Stefan Zweig was born to a prosperous Jewish family in Vienna. He wrote novels, short stories and biographies.

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Arts

The Rise And Fall Of Stefan Zweig, Who Inspired 'Grand Budapest Hotel'

9:54pm April 02, 2014

by NPR Staff

The Viennese writer was once one of the world's most translated authors, but after his death he was forgotten — until now. Wes Anderson credits Zweig's writing at the end of his latest film.

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On A 'Rigged' Wall Street, Milliseconds Make All The Difference

2:01pm April 02, 2014

"The stock market is rigged," Michael Lewis says. In his new book Flash Boys, he describes how computerized transactions known as high-frequency trading are creating an uneven playing field.

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In 1917, the Harlem Hellfighters were first sent to train at Camp Whitman near Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

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Arts

The Harlem Hellfighters: Fighting Racism In The Trenches Of WWI

7:58pm April 01, 2014

by Hansi Lo Wang

The Harlem Hellfighters broke barriers as the first African-American infantry unit to fight in World War I. Their story is retold in a new graphic novel written by Max Brooks, author of World War Z.

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Books
Arts

This Tightly Choreographed Tale Of Ambition And Ballet Will 'Astonish'

2:08pm April 01, 2014

by Maureen Corrigan

Maggie Shipstead tells the story of a disciplined dancer who can't make it into the spotlight. Critic Maureen Corrigan says Shipstead is "Edith Wharton with a millennial generation edge."

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Post Arab Spring, Where Do Islamist Parties Stand?

8:23am April 01, 2014

Steve Inskeep talks with author Shadi Hamid about his new book, Temptations of Power: Islamists and Illiberal Democracy in a New Middle East.

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Marijuana plants grow at a farm near Medellin. Tony Dokoupil's father made hundreds of thousands of dollars smuggling marijuana into the U.S. from Colombia.

Son Of A Secret Smuggler Digs Up The Truth About His Dad

3:47pm March 31, 2014

Tony Dokoupil's father was once busted for distributing enough marijuana "to roll a joint for every college-age person in America." In The Last Pirate, Dokoupil reflects on his dad's time as a dealer.

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