Books

Books
Arts

2 Novels Explore The Big Romantic Bargains We Strike In The Name Of Love

1:06pm April 29, 2021

by Maureen Corrigan

Early Morning Riser, by Katherine Heiny and Secrets of Happiness, by Joan Silber, ruminate on love and family — particularly the family that's thrust upon you when you fall in love.

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Arts

Jhumpa Lahiri's New 'Whereabouts' Is About Places Both Geographical And Emotional

10:01am April 29, 2021

by Heller McAlpin

Jhumpa Lahiri's new novel — which she wrote in Italian, then translated back to English herself — centers on a middle-aged Italian woman trying to figure out her place in the world.

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Arts

Survival Is An Invitation To Push Through Hard Times In 'White Magic'

7:45am April 29, 2021

by Gabino Iglesias

Elissa Washuta's White Magic is full of magic — and pain — as it deals with trauma while exploring cultural inheritance and the way attacks on Native women never stopped.

Mom Genes: Inside the New Science of Our Ancient Maternal Instinct, by Abigail Tucker

'Mom Genes' Aims To Examine Biological Transformations Of Motherhood

11:51am April 28, 2021

by Barbara J. King

Abigail Tucker's descriptions of how radically women may change at the time of motherhood — and, as an extension, how this might affect their ability to focus on other things — gets pretty harrowing.

The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story, by Kate Summerscale

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Arts

'The Haunting Of Alma Fielding' Is A Ghost Story — And A Tale Of Power And Fear

8:42am April 28, 2021

by Ilana Masad

In 1938, a housewife went to the press complaining of a poltergeist in her home — and a ghost hunter investigated. Kate Summerscale's true tale is about women and power, anxiety, and choices.

Books

Jhumpa Lahiri On Her Unique Use Of Place In 'Whereabouts'

4:44pm April 27, 2021

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with author Jhumpa Lahiri about her unusual use of place in her new novel, Whereabouts, which she first wrote in Italian and translated herself into English.

John McCain attends a rally in the park on Jan. 31, 2000 in Keene, NH, with his family (from left to right) daughter Bridget (8), wife Cindy, sons Jack (13) and Jimmy (10), and daughter Meghan (15).

In 'Stronger,' Cindy McCain Reflects On Life, And The Last Days, With John McCain

4:09am April 27, 2021

by Claudia Grisales

In her memoir, the late senator's wife details a decision on emergency surgery in John McCain's final days, reviews their 38 years of marriage — and offers her thoughts on Donald Trump.

Hooked author Michael Moss says processed food companies appeal to our childhood nostalgia: "What we eat is all about memory."

Cheap, Legal And Everywhere: How Food Companies Get Us 'Hooked' On Junk

3:57pm April 26, 2021

by Dave Davies

Reporter Michael Moss says processed foods can be as alluring in some ways as cocaine or cigarettes. His new book explains how companies keep us snacking by appealing to nostalgia and brain chemistry.

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Books

'Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night,' Remains An Iconic Poem, 70 Years In

9:48am April 25, 2021

by Tom Vitale

For National Poetry Month, we take stock of the poem Dylan Thomas wrote about death that continues to resonate in pop culture 70 years after it was penned.

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Arts

Embarrassed By Your Parents? 'Watercress' Explores That Universal Kid Experience

8:43am April 25, 2021

by Samantha Balaban

A little girl is initially ashamed when her immigrant parents stop the car to forage for watercress by the side of the road — until she learns more about her family's history in China.