Books

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (second from left) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry next to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (far left) and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius (far right) after a statement on early Nov

Books
Arts

A Poet's Advice For Unlikely Partners: Just Dance

6:49pm November 29, 2013

by Ariel Dorfman

Earlier this week, international negotiators agreed on a deal to curb the Iranian nuclear program temporarily. Author Ariel Dorfman offers context to the reactions that have followed. He suggests a book of poetry by the Sufi master Rumi, a fascinating glimpse into the lives and ideas that shape Persian identity.

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The Beatles on the stairs of NEMS — North End Music Stores, Brian Epstein's Liverpool record shop — having just signed a management deal, in 1964.

At The BBC, The Beatles Shocked An Institution

4:13pm November 27, 2013

Between 1962 and 1965, The Beatles were featured on 53 BBC radio programs. For The Beatles: The BBC Archives, executive producer Kevin Howlett had to search for many of these recordings, and they weren't easy to find.

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Books
Arts

It Still Isn't Easy, But Independent Bookstores Are Doing Better

3:36pm November 27, 2013

by Wendy Kaufman

Despite intense competition from Amazon and big-box retailers, there are more independent bookstores now than there were four years ago. Borders' bankruptcy, the "buy local" movement and cooperative publishers have all contributed to the renaissance.

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Y'Jazzmin Christopher, 7, takes up target practice at Archery in the Wild in Longmont, Colo. "She used to be a really shy person, but now she's opening socially," says Alicia Christopher, Y'Jazzmin's mom, about her daughter's archery.

More Girls Target Archery, Inspired By 'The Hunger Games'

12:32pm November 27, 2013

by Grace Hood

The popularity of The Hunger Games book and film series is leading to an uptick in the popularity of archery, especially among girls. USA Archery says membership is on the rise, and some sporting equipment outfitters have seen a big boost in bow and arrow sales in the years since the series began.

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Books
Arts

Thanksgivukkah Stress Getting You Down? Here's A Literary Escape Plan

7:13pm November 26, 2013

by Maureen Corrigan

For critic Maureen Corrigan, this year's hybrid family holiday may be best celebrated by escaping into a book. Her recommendations include a kids' book about Russian Jews who identify with the Pilgrims, and a novel that contemplates class divides during wartime through the lens of a football game.

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Franklin D. Roosevelt smiled upon hearing that he was leading the 1928 contest for governor of New York, more than six years after he contracted polio.

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Arts

Roosevelt's Polio Wasn't A Secret: He Used It To His 'Advantage'

4:07pm November 25, 2013

In The Man He Became, historian James Tobin says, despite misimpressions to the contrary, Americans of Franklin Roosevelt's day were well-aware of his disability — it was an important part of the personal narrative that helped him win the presidency.

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Israeli soldiers work from a Gaza Strip watchtower.

'Promised Land' Wrestles With Israel's Brutal Contradictions

9:01am November 24, 2013

by NPR Staff

Journalist Ari Shavit says Israel must find a way to reconcile its democratic values with the reality of everyday life there. His new book draws from interviews with hundreds of Israelis — both Jews and Arabs — as well as his military experience and Zionist family history.

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An Inside Look That Strips The Face Paint Off The NFL

8:44pm November 23, 2013

by Mike Pesca

Writer Nicholas Dawidoff spent a year living with the New York Jets and came away with a respect for players and coaches that not all fans will like. NPR's Mike Pesca says Dawidoff's new book, Collision Low Crossers: A Year Inside the Turbulent World of NFL Football, demystifies the game as it entrances.

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Lyndon B. Johnson delivers a speech 28 July 1965 in the White House in Washington, D.C.

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Arts

How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Senate

7:21pm November 22, 2013

With the invocation of the so-called "nuclear option," Senate Democrats moved to limit the power of the filibuster and dramatically change the nature of the institution. Many — on both sides — point to the maneuver as a sign of the system's failure. Writers Drew Toal and Kate Tuttle suggest books that might offer hope for us yet.

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Books
Arts

Introducing 'Miss Anne,' The White Women Of A Black Renaissance

12:16pm November 22, 2013

by Maureen Corrigan

That's the collective nickname Harlem-ites used for them: white women who risked family exile and social ostracism to be part of the movement. They were philanthropists and thrill seekers,educators and artists, hostesses and lovers. Carla Kaplan tells their stories in Miss Anne in Harlem.

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