The Alchemy Of Words And Music: Tayari Jones Talks With Lara Downes
The best-selling novelist shares tips for good writing and the stories behind some of the most meaningful music in her life, from Rossini to the O'Jays.
Books
An Argentinean Novel Spins Countless Stories From A Bicycle Wheel
César Aira's The Divorce, a 2008 novel now out in English, centers around one charged moment at a Buenos Aires cafe, when water falling from an awning suddenly drenches a passing bicyclist.
Jack Ruby's Trial Moves From Side Stage To Center In 'Kennedy's Avenger'
Dan Abrams and David Fisher tell a gripping tale that takes readers into the heart of Ruby's trial, picking up the moment he killed Oswald and then methodically unpacking what followed.
An Office Rivalry Turns Strange — And Maybe Dangerous — In 'The Other Black Girl'
Zakiya Dalila Harris drew on her own experiences in publishing for her new thriller, about a young Black woman who hopes for a friend and ally when her lily-white office hires another Black woman.
In 'How The Word Is Passed,' 8 Places Tell The Story Of Slavery In The U.S.
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Atlantic staff writer Clint Smith about his new book, How the Word is Passed, which looks at slavery as being central in America's history.
Former Obama Advisor Explores the Decline of Democracy Across The Globe In New Book
NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Ben Rhodes, former advisor to President Obama, about his new book which explores the decline of democracy abroad — and warns that it could happen here, too.
Yes, There Are Crimes — And Much More — In 'The Thousand Crimes Of Ming Tsu'
Tom Lin's new novel promises — and delivers — lots of crimes in a cinematic Western starring a Chinese American gunslinger on a mission of revenge against the men who sent him to work the railroads.
Publisher Peter Osnos, Who's Worked With Promininent Americans, Pens Memoir
NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with former journalist and publisher Peter L.W. Osnos about his book: An Especially Good View.
Historian Uncovers The Racist Roots Of The 2nd Amendment
Carol Anderson says the Second Amendment was designed to ensure slave owners could quickly crush any rebellion or resistance from those they'd enslaved. Her new book is The Second.
'How The Word Is Passed' Teaches The Importance Of Reckoning With History
Clint Smith seeks out troubling history, including white supremacy, white violence — and the erasure of the oppression of Black Americans — to understand what America tells itself about who we are.