Books

Filmmaker John Waters, 73, has plenty of advice for his fellow elders: "Whenever any magazine says, 'What photographer do you want to shoot you?' I always just say, 'The one that has the biggest retouch budget!' "

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'Filth Elder' John Waters Says There Are Still 'Plenty Of Rules' Left To Break

2:03pm May 20, 2019

by Terry Gross

The cult filmmaker, 73, has plenty of ideas about what older people should and shouldn't do. "You can't be trying too hard to rebel [when] you're older," Waters says. His new book is Mr. Know-It-All.

The banquet of a noble Roman in ancient Rome was more than a lavish social meal, it was a crucial power tool — a way of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer.

Books

The Lavish Roman Banquet: A Calculated Display Of Debauchery And Power

7:01am May 20, 2019

by Nina Martyris

A new book profiles 10 prominent emperors who helped shape the destiny of Rome. Part of their legacy includes wild stories of hedonistic banquets, when luxury ruled even as plebeians went hungry.

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Love Goes Global In These 3 May Romances

7:00am May 20, 2019

by Maya Rodale

This month, we're bringing you stories from around the world, featuring royals and regular boys and girls who risk it all for their happy ever after — from Vietnam to California to Scotland.

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In 'Ladysitting,' Lorene Cary Chronicles The End Of Her Grandmother's Life

6:04pm May 19, 2019

Lorene Cary's new memoir explores the ups and downs of caretaking for an elderly family member. NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Cary about Ladysitting: My Year With Nana at the End of Her Century.

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There's Something About Sweetie, by Sandhya Menon

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'There's Something About Sweetie' — Something Irrepressibly Joyous

10:00am May 19, 2019

by Alethea Kontis

Sandhya Menon's followup to her hit young adult novel When Dimple Met Rishi follows a young woman with a big voice, a big personality — and to her family's dismay (though not her own), a big body.

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Grappling With Identity In 'Fieldnotes On Ordinary Love'

8:28am May 19, 2019

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with poet and video game designer Keith S. Wilson about his new collection of poetry, Fieldnotes On Ordinary Love, which explores space, race and physics.

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Buckle Up For This 'Million Mile Road Trip'

7:00am May 19, 2019

by Jason Sheehan

We're trying not to make the "long, strange trip" joke about Rudy Rucker's new novel, but it's about three teens in a beat-up purple wagon with a dark energy motor, traveling across dimensions, so ...

Mind and Matter: A Life in Math and Football, by John Urschel

From The Gridiron To Multigrid Algorithms In 'Mind And Matter'

5:45pm May 18, 2019

by Michel Martin

MIT mathematician and former Baltimore Ravens offensive lineman John Urschel has a new memoir out about how he combined his two very different talents into a successful and varied career.

The Candle and the Flame, by Nafiza Azad

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Language Has Magic In 'The Candle And The Flame'

10:00am May 18, 2019

by Caitlyn Paxson

Nafiza Azad creates a fantastical yet believable Silk Road city in her new young adult novel, building a world of humans and djinns, spices and sounds, woven through with Urdu, Arabic and Hindi.

Books

The Chateau Marmont's Place In Hollywood History

8:12am May 18, 2019

NPR's Scott Simon discusses the glamorous LA hotel Chateau Marmont with Shawn Levy, author of The Castle on Sunset.