Books

Meet Oakland's First Poet Laureate: Dr. Ayodele 'WordSlanger' Nzinga

5:13am July 15, 2021

by David Exumé

Oakland, Calif., has named its first Poet Laureate. Dr. Ayodele Nzinga — also known as WordSlanger — will serve a two-year term aimed at making poetry more accessible to Oaklanders.

MLB Pitcher C.C. Sabathia Shares Stories From The Mound — And Of Sobriety

1:48pm July 14, 2021

by Dave Davies

The six-time All Star pitched for the Yankees and the Indians during his 19-year career. He also struggled with alcoholism. Sabathia reflects on baseball and sobriety in the memoir, Till the End.

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Books

After 300 Years, A Book Is Returned To Sheffield Cathedral

6:14am July 14, 2021

Rev. Canon Keith Farrow told the Sheffield Star he's delighted the book — The Faith and Practice of a Church of England-Man — is back. He joked that he's trying to figure out the fine.

Books
Arts

'A Passage North' Is A Quiet Elegy For Lives Lost To Civil War

5:00am July 14, 2021

by Jenny Bhatt

In his second novel, Anuk Arudpragasam returns to the subject of Sri Lanka's civil war — this time to examine the ways people live amidst the aftermath of war, and to memorialize the lives lost.

Reporters Reveal 'Ugly Truth' Of How Facebook Enables Hate Groups And Disinformation

4:50pm July 13, 2021

by Terry Gross

In a new book, Cecilia Kang and Sheera Frenkel say Facebook failed in its effort to combat disinformation. "Facebook knew the potential for explosive violence was very real [on Jan 6]," Kang says.

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Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness, Kristen Radtke

Loneliness Is A Communal Experience In 'Seek You'

11:15am July 13, 2021

by Gabino Iglesias

Kristen Radtke's Seek You looks at isolation as a problem — and investigates where it comes from, how it shapes us, and why we should battle against it.

Revenge, Red Smoke And Rubber Trees: A Vietnam Ghost Story

4:25pm July 12, 2021

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Violet Kupersmith about Build Your House Around My Body. It's the story of a woman's disappearance in Vietnam, populated by vengeful — but not always scary — ghosts.

Books
Arts

'Startup Wife' Satirizes Tech Culture And Boardroom Sexism — From Experience

12:21pm July 12, 2021

by Terry Gross

Tahmima Anam's new novel is about a married couple who found a tech startup. The platform's success turns the husband into a messiah figure — even though it was his wife who designed it.

Bring Your Baggage and Don't Pack Light: Essays, Helen Ellis

Books
Arts

'Bring Your Baggage And Don't Pack Light' Is A Baker's Dozen Of Sharply Funny Essays

7:05am July 12, 2021

by Heller McAlpin

Helen Ellis, author of American Housewife and Southern Lady Code, is back with her third book in five years — in which the connection with her longtime, close-knit female friends features prominently.

Books

The Novel, 'The Vixen,' Explores The Moral Ambiguity Of 1950s America

6:07am July 12, 2021

NPR's Sacha Pfeiffer talks to Francine Prose about her latest book, The Vixen, which is loosely based on Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, suspected spies for Russia who were executed in 1953.