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Louise Erdrich On Her Personal Connection To Native Peoples' 'Fight For Survival'

2:03pm March 04, 2020

by Dave Davies

Erdrich's new novel, The Night Watchman, was inspired by her grandfather, who chaired the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and fought a Congressional initiative to move native people off their land.

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Life Is Hard, So Why Not Wear Your Dog? Questions For Laura Zigman

10:00am March 04, 2020

by Petra Mayer

Laura Zigman's compassionate, occasionally cringey and ultimately comforting new novel follows a middle-aged woman as she comes to terms with the ways her life hasn't turned out the way she'd hoped.

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Witchcraft, Field Hockey And 1980s Massachusetts Meet In 'We Ride Upon Sticks'

7:01am March 04, 2020

by Annalisa Quinn

In Quan Barry's charming novel, a team's luck changes when its members pledge themselves to the forces of eternal darkness by signing a spiral notebook with Emilio Estevez's face on it.

Rust: A Memoir of Steel and Grit, by Eliese Colette Goldbach

The Steel Mill 'Becomes A Family' Author Of 'Rust' Memoir Reveals

2:36pm March 03, 2020

by Noel King

Eliese Goldbach turned to a local steel mill in Ohio as a way to earn money after college. She's written a book about her journey — including its dangers and what she learned about the mill workers.

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Roman Dial and his son, Cody Roman, regularly took adventure trips together. "I kind of hoped that he would be an outdoors partner for me for life," Dial says of his son.

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A Father Recounts His Search For The Son Who Vanished In Costa Rican Wilderness

2:09pm March 03, 2020

by Dave Davies

Roman Dial hoped his son would be his outdoor partner for life. But that dream ended when his son disappeared in a Central American wilderness. Dial's new book is The Adventurer's Son.

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Scratched: A Memoir of Perfectionism, by Elizabeth Tallent

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Stymied By Perfectionism, 'Scratched' Author Struggles To Break Free

1:20pm March 03, 2020

by Maureen Corrigan

Elizabeth Tallent's profound memoir explores writer's block and the allure of perfectionism. After her third short story collection came out in 1993, she didn't publish another book for 22 years.

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'The Power Notebooks' Daringly Explores Contradictions In Lives Of Women

7:37am March 03, 2020

by Heller McAlpin

Katie Roiphe's journal-like entries are a series of brief-but-potent meditations on women, autonomy, independence, and power — on "women strong in public, weak in private" — including herself.

Cover detail of The Second Chance Club, by Jason Hardy

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Arts

Former Parole Officer Reflects On His Time Supervising 'The Second Chance Club'

2:37pm March 02, 2020

by Dave Davies

As a parole officer in New Orleans, Jason Hardy was responsible for 220 individuals — four times the recommended caseload. He says the parole and probation system fails the most vulnerable.

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The Mirror and the Light, by Hilary Mantel

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'The Mirror & The Light' Is A Triumphant End To A Spellbinding Story

9:52am March 02, 2020

by Genevieve Valentine

In this new novel, Hilary Mantel brings her award-winning trilogy on the life of Tudor politician Thomas Cromwell to an end. And even though readers know how this story will end, it's still gripping.

Books

Erik Larson's Latest Book Focuses On Winston Churchill During The Blitz

6:18am March 02, 2020

NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to Erik Larson about his latest book: The Splendid and the Vile. Larson's past books have often focused on less famous characters at the edge of history.

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