Books

Cover detail of The Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead

Books
Arts

Rooted In History, 'The Nickel Boys' Is A Great American Novel

1:53pm July 16, 2019

by Maureen Corrigan

Colson Whitehead's deeply affecting new novel is based on the true story of a segregated reform school in Florida where African American boys were brutalized and possibly murdered.

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Colson Whitehead On The True Story Of Abuse And Injustice Behind 'Nickel Boys'

1:35pm July 16, 2019

by Dave Davies

Whitehead's new novel is based on a notorious Florida reform school where boys were beaten and sexually abused. "If there's one place like this, there are many," he says.

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'Jazz From Detroit' Offers A Mosaic Portrait Of A Larger Scene

1:34pm July 16, 2019

by Kevin Whitehead

Mark Stryker covered jazz and its people for the Detroit Free Press for decades. He uses his reporter's eye and critic's ear to chronicle the musicians from the city who made their mark on the world.

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Emily Nussbaum received the most hate mail of her career after she panned season 1 of HBO's True Detective. "Most of it was handwritten," she says.

Books
Arts

We All Watch In Our Own Way: A Critic Tracks The 'TV Revolution'

1:10pm July 15, 2019

by Terry Gross

New Yorker TV critic Emily Nussbaum won't appear on panels pitting TV against movies or books. "Everything is valuable in its own way and they don't need to be in tension with one another," she says.

Books
Arts

'Spin The Dawn' Stitches Up A Fabulous Fantasy

7:00am July 15, 2019

by Caitlyn Paxson

Elizabeth Lim's new young adult novel follows a girl who disguises herself as a boy and sets off for the emperor's court in place of her ailing father, who's been summoned as an imperial tailor.

Mark Bowden Talks Process Of Adapting Mueller Report Into Graphic Novel

5:09pm July 14, 2019

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with journalist Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down, about the process of adapting the Mueller Report into a graphic novel.

Books

Lesley Nneka Arimah Wins 2019 Caine Prize For African Writing

5:09pm July 14, 2019

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Nigerian writer Lesley Nneka Arimah, winner of the 2019 Caine Prize for African Literature, about her short story Skinned.

Books
Arts

'The Golden Hour' Is A Refreshingly Bittersweet Read

10:00am July 14, 2019

by Denny S. Bryce

Beatriz Williams' new novel follows a woman searching for her missing husband in London during World War II, jumping back and forth in time to show all the people and events that led her there.

Books
Arts

New Thriller 'The Chain' Has An Origin Almost As Exciting As Its Plot

9:09am July 14, 2019

by Lynn Neary

Novelist Adrian McKinty had several books and prestigious awards under his belt — but no one was buying, and he'd given up writing to drive an Uber when a blog post led to some new opportunities.

Books

'The Chain' Asks: How Far Would You Go For Your Child?

7:00am July 14, 2019

by Paddy Hirsch

In Adrian McKinty's propulsive new thriller, an organization called The Chain kidnaps children, and forces the parents to kidnap another child in turn in order to rescue their own