Books

Books

Author Explains Why Those 4-Letter Words Are So Satisfying To Say Out Loud

4:30pm May 14, 2021

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with linguist John McWhorter about his new book, Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter: Then, Now, and Forever, which looks at how profanities have evolved over centuries.

When I Grow Up I Want To Be A List Of Further Possibilities, by Chen Chen

Books
Arts

Engaging With Asian American And Pacific Islander Heritage Month: A Reading List

12:16pm May 14, 2021

Over the past year, stories surrounding Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have been full of violence and grief — here are some reading recommendations that'll take you beyond just suffering.

Books
Arts

Lee Mokobe: How Can We Make Sense Of Ourselves Through Poetry?

9:36am May 14, 2021

How can art be a tool to better understand ourselves and the world around us? Poet Lee Mokobe shares what it was like to grow up trans in South Africa, and how language can be a tool for change.

Queue Listen Now

Amanda Gorman - National Youth Poet Laureate - photographed for the Check The Coast campaign for the California Coastal Commission

Books
Arts

Amanda Gorman: Using Your Voice Is A Political Choice

8:56am May 14, 2021

Poet Amanda Gorman has often been asked to write poems that aren't "political." In her 2018 TED Talk, she explains why her writing inherently carries messages greater than her words.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

In 'Sorrowland,' The Story Gets Lost In The Forest

7:00am May 14, 2021

by Danny Lore

Rivers Solomon's new novel — a gothic thriller about a woman escaping a cult for a wild life in the forest — relies too much on atmospherics, neglecting the basic building blocks of story.

The U.S. Is Headed Away From The Ideals Of Democracy, Says Author Masha Gessen

4:27pm May 13, 2021

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks to Masha Gessen, author of Surviving Autocracy, about the state of U.S. democracy, as House Republicans continue to embrace former President Trump's lies about the election.

Facing the Mountain, by Daniel James Brown

Books
Arts

In 'Facing The Mountain' Japanese-Americans Sacrifice For A Country That Spurns Them

7:03am May 13, 2021

by Michael Schaub

Daniel James Brown writes a fascinating account of some of the bravest Americans who ever lived; it's also a sobering reminder of a dark history — of anti-Asian racism that never really went away.

Lewis' Memoir Describes Being A Teen Mom In College While Raising A Daughter

6:24am May 13, 2021

by Elissa Nadworny

In the new book Pregnant Girl, Nicole Lewis shares her experience as a Black teenage mother and college student fighting for opportunities for herself and her child.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

Reality TV Inspired This Poetic Look At People And The Things They Hoard

5:51am May 13, 2021

by Jeevika Verma

In her latest book of poems, artist Kate Durbin looks at modern consumerism and the way people process trauma and loss through the objects they hoard. Durbin was inspired by the A&E show Hoarders.

Queue Listen Now

Son of the Storm, by Suyi Davies Okungbowa

Books
Arts

'Son Of The Storm' Explores Power And Its Transformations

10:11am May 12, 2021

by Fran Wilde

Suyi Davies Okungbowa's new novel seems like a familiar epic fantasy setup-- in fact, it's anything but. Son of the Storm explores power: Who has it, who wants it, and who's shut out from it.