Books

Louise Penny (left), a best-selling author, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, paired up to write State of Terror, a new novel that they say is meant to serve as a cautionary tale.

Hillary Clinton and Louise Penny tackle nuclear war and diplomacy in new crime novel

8:02am October 16, 2021

The former secretary of state and the best-selling author say their new book, State of Terror is meant to serve as an entertaining yet cautionary tale that deals with the perils of the "vast silence."

Books

Tiphanie Yanique's 'Monster in the Middle' tackles love and religion

7:51am October 16, 2021

NPR's Scott Simon speaks to author Tiphanie Yanique about her new book, "Monster in the Middle.

Omar Mohamed, left, and his brother, Hassan. In the graphic memoir he coauthored, When Stars Are Scattered, Mohamed shares what their life was like in the refugee camps in Kenya — and their journey to resettlement in the U.S.

A refugee at 4, he felt like a lost star. Now his voice shines in a graphic memoir

7:00am October 16, 2021

by Jacky Habib

When Stars Are Scattered is the story of Omar Mohamed's years at a refugee camp in Kenya. He cared for his brother and found the courage to dream big. The book was a National Book Awards finalist.

Books
Arts

'This Thing Between Us' wants to hurt you — and you should let it

5:00am October 16, 2021

by Gabino Iglesias

Gus Moreno's new novel follows a man who flees the city where his wife's murder became a political and media sensation, but he can't escape either his grief or the thing that haunted their apartment.

Books

Anthology 'The Matter of Black Lives' reflects on America's past to guide its future

5:13pm October 15, 2021

NPR's Sarah McCammon talks with writer Jelani Cobb about a new collection of work from The New Yorker, "The Matter of Black Lives." Cobb co-edited it and wrote the introduction.

Books
Arts

In 'Maid,' a single mother struggles to make it on minimum wage

1:34pm October 15, 2021

by Terry Gross

While raising her young daughter, Stephanie Land cleaned houses to scrape by. It was back-aching work for low pay. Her memoir inspired the Netflix series, Maid. Originally broadcast Jan. 29, 2019.

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Books
Arts

Grover's iconic Sesame Street children's book turns 50

5:09am October 15, 2021

For NPR's 50th anniversary we look at an influential children's book that is turning 50. It features Sesame Street's Grover trying desperately to avoid "The Monster at the End of this Book."

Why We Fly, by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal

Books
Arts

'Why We Fly' flips dusty old cheerleader stereotypes upside down

5:00am October 15, 2021

by Alethea Kontis

In their new YA novel, Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal tell the story of a cheerleading squad whose white captain convinces them to take a knee to protest injustice — and the backlash that follows.

Novelist Margaret Verble on history, family and identity

5:43pm October 14, 2021

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Margaret Verble, author of When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky, a story about a young Cherokee horse-diver who is finding her way in the Jim Crow South.

Books
Arts

Beloved children's author and wilderness enthusiast Gary Paulsen has died at 82

5:43pm October 14, 2021

by Samantha Balaban

Gary Paulsen — whose wilderness adventure Hatchet taught generations of kids to survive in the forest — worked as a farmhand, truck driver and satellite technician before turning to writing.