Books

Books
Arts

Bro, This Is Not The 'Beowulf' You Think You Know

7:00am August 27, 2020

by Jason Sheehan

This new translation of the ancient epic poem drags it kicking and screaming into the 21st century, giving us tales of blood, guts and glory told as if over beers in a loud sports bar.

Finish the Fight!: The Brave and Revolutionary Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote, by Veronica Chambers and the Staff of The New York Times

'Finish The Fight' Paints A Different Picture Of Women Who Pushed For A Vote

6:23pm August 26, 2020

by Audie Cornish

The 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment offers an opportunity to take a closer look at stories of women of the movement — those we think we already know, and those that have been lost to history.

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'Reaganland' Author Revisits The Roots Of American Conservatism

3:03pm August 26, 2020

by Dave Davies

Author Rick Perlstein chronicles the events that propelled Ronald Reagan to the White House in 1980. He says that a certain "viciousness" has always been part of the conservative Republican coalition.

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Consumer advocate and activist Erin Brockovich poses during a photo shoot in Adelaide, South Australia on Oct. 21, 2016.

Erin Brockovich Says 'Superman's Not Coming' To Save Our Water Supply

9:48am August 26, 2020

by Gabino Iglesias

The environmental activist and consumer advocate takes a brutally honest look at how mismanagement, chemical spills, mishandling of toxic waste, and even fake studies have damaged U.S. water systems.

Books
Arts

Fraught Relationship Between 'Sisters' Lies At The Heart Of Daisy Johnson's Latest

7:00am August 26, 2020

by Annalisa Quinn

Johnson's chilly, uneasy novel follows two sisters in the wake of an unnamed "something" that happened. Critic Annalisa Quinn says it's slighter than Johnson's previous work, but genuinely surprising.

His Truth Is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope by Jon Meacham

New Biography Admires John Lewis' Faith That 'It's All Going To Work Out'

5:51pm August 25, 2020

by Michael Schaub

In His Truth Is Marching On, Jon Meacham offers an introduction to one decade in the late congressman's life. The book doesn't quite seek to be more, but this may leave some readers disappointed.

President Trump greets talk show host Sean Hannity at a 2018 rally in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

'Hoax' Traces The 'Grotesque Feedback Loop' Between President Trump And Fox News

2:45pm August 25, 2020

by Terry Gross

CNN correspondent Brian Stelter says the president's "cozy" relationship with Fox News is like nothing he's seen before: "In some ways [Trump] wants to be a television producer more than a president."

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Books
Arts

Ali Smith Brings Her Seasonal Quartet To A Close With 'Summer'

10:16am August 25, 2020

by Heller McAlpin

In Ali Smith's new novel, she reveals the overarching connections between the characters and themes of her previous three. Critic Heller McAlpin says connection is the great theme of these works.

Books

'The Last Great Road Bum': The Life Of Adventurer Joe Sanderson Explored

4:00pm August 24, 2020

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with journalist Héctor Tobar about his new novel, The Last Great Road Bum. The book tells the story of adventurer and storyteller Joe Sanderson.

'Hatemonger' Paints Trump Advisor Stephen Miller As A 'Case Study In Radicalization'

1:49pm August 24, 2020

by Terry Gross

Miller has been seen as a link between the white nationalist agenda and the Trump White House. Journalist Jean Guerrero traces the origins of Miller's anti-immigrant policies in a new book.

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