Books

Humankind: A Hopeful History, by Rutger Bregman

Books
Arts

In 'Humankind,' Rutger Bregman Aims To Convince That Most People Are Good

2:39pm May 30, 2020

by Scott Simon

The historian and author of Utopia for Realists says that research shows that "especially in times of crisis, we show our best selves. And we get this explosion of altruism and cooperation."

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

Say 'Hello, Neighbor' To This Charming Picture Book About Mister Rogers

7:00am May 30, 2020

by Juanita Giles

Our kids' books columnist reports that amidst the messes and fights that result from kids in lockdown, Matthew Cordell's gentle new picture book biography of Mister Rogers has the power to soothe.

Hollywood Park: A Memoir, by Mikel Jollett

Books
Arts

'Hollywood Park' Compassionately Depicts The Suffering And Struggles Of Addiction

3:01pm May 28, 2020

by Nicholas Cannariato

Musician Mikel Jollett writes of his young years spent in the Synanon cult and how music helped him overcome these dark days, but misses a chance to discuss music as art and the ideas guiding him now.

Writer and activist Larry Kramer, here in 1989, was an unapologetically loud and irrepressible voice in the fight against AIDS.

Larry Kramer, Pioneering AIDS Activist And Writer, Dies At 84

5:44pm May 27, 2020

by Neda Ulaby

Kramer was a writer with an Oscar-nominated screenplay when his friends started dying mysteriously — galvanizing him to found the Gay Men's Health Crisis, and later ACT UP, to combat AIDS.

Queue Listen Now

Breathing slowly and deeply through the nose is associated with a relaxation response, says James Nestor, author of Breath. As the diaphragm lowers, you're allowing more air into your lungs and your body switches to a more relaxed state.

How The 'Lost Art' Of Breathing Can Impact Sleep And Resilience

3:07pm May 27, 2020

by Terry Gross

While researching his book, Breath, James Nestor participated in a study in which his nose was completely plugged for 10 days, forcing him to breathe solely through his mouth. "I felt awful," he says.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

A Memoir Reflects On What Happens To The 'Fairest' Of Them All

2:57pm May 27, 2020

by Hope Wabuke

During a boyhood in the Philippines, Meredith Talusan received positive reactions to the white skin and blonde hair accompanying albinism. She found a different response as a trans woman in the U.S.

Books

How The Pandemic Is Affecting Book Publishing Industry

4:17pm May 26, 2020

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Jim Milliot, an editorial director at Publishers Weekly, about how the pandemic has affected the book business.

Queue Listen Now

Cover detail of St. Christopher on Pluto, by Nancy McKinly

Books
Arts

'St. Christopher On Pluto' Follows The Adventures Of 2 Friends In An Old Buick

1:13pm May 26, 2020

by Maureen Corrigan

Nancy McKinley mixes screwball humor with social criticism in a collection of interlocking stories about two women who work at a mall in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Books
Arts

How Winston Churchill Pulled Britain Through The Early Years Of WWII

12:05pm May 25, 2020

by Dave Davies

In The Splendid And The Vile, author Erik Larson details the British prime minister's first year in office, during which England endured a Nazi bombing campaign. Originally broadcast March 30, 2020.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

André Leon Talley Writes About Wintour, Lagerfeld In 'Chiffon Trenches'

6:56am May 25, 2020

by Karen Grigsby Bates

Longtime Vogue editor André Leon Talley has a new memoir out called: The Chiffon Trenches. In it, he describes rifts with Vogue editor Anna Wintour and the late designer Karl Lagerfeld.

Queue Listen Now