Books

Former Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes, shown here walking with President Barack Obama, says Obama was bothered by the perception that he was aloof.

Obama Staffer Looks Back On His White House Years: 'It Can Take A Real Toll'

1:52pm June 05, 2018

by Dave Davies

Former Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes was 24 when he saw the collapse of the first tower on 9/11. He says that moment was a "fork in the road" that eventually led to the White House.

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Books
Arts

An Epic Conversation Draws To A Close In 'Kudos'

7:00am June 05, 2018

by Heller McAlpin

Rachel Cusk's trilogy about a peripatetic writer and her many conversational partners winds up with Kudos. The books are essentially plotless — but there's plenty of joy to be found just in talk.

Former President Bill Clinton listens during a Monday interview about The President is Missing, a novel he wrote with James Patterson.

In Bill Clinton's New Thriller, A (Fictional) President Faces Impeachment

9:08pm June 04, 2018

by Mary Louise Kelly

The President Is Missing follows a commander in chief trying to thwart a cyberattack — and not lose his job. Clinton co-wrote the book with best-selling author James Patterson.

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Keith Hernandez On Baseball, 'Seinfeld' And Being His Own 'Worst Enemy'

2:06pm June 04, 2018

by Dave Davies

The former first baseman played on World Series-winning teams with the Cardinals and Mets, and made a memorable appearance on Seinfeld. His new memoir is I'm Keith Hernandez.

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This 2013 photo of schoolgirls in Haiti shows the slow progress in recovering from the 2010 earthquake.

The Lies We Tell About Foreign Aid

2:04pm June 04, 2018

by Malaka Gharib

In his new book, Pablo Yanguas argues that fudged numbers, shallow aid projects and politics have created a dysfunctional aid system.

From left Bishop James Shannon, Rabbi Abraham Heschel, Dr. Martin Luther King and Rabbi Maurice Eisendrath. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arlington Cemetery, February 6, 1968.

Exploding Myths About 'Black Power, Jewish Politics'

6:18am June 04, 2018

by Leah Donnella

In a new book, historian Marc Dollinger argues that the conventional wisdom of Jewish and African-American harmony during the civil rights era is flawed. And that the real story has lessons for today.

Books

A Tale Of Obsession In 'Social Creature'

8:14am June 03, 2018

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with author Tara Isabella Burton about her debut novel Social Creature. It's a dark tale of characters willing to do whatever it takes to get money and attention.

Books

Alfredo Corchado On Mexico, The U.S. And 'Homelands'

8:14am June 03, 2018

Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks to Mexican-American journalist and author Alfredo Corchado about his new book Homelands, which is a personal reflection and history lesson.

Books

Anthony Horowitz On 'The Word Is Murder'

8:28am June 02, 2018

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Anthony Horowitz about his new book The Word Is Murder.

One of the intricately embroidered garments on display for "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & the Catholic Imagination" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Books
Arts

'Heavenly Bodies' Is Gorgeous — But Full Of Strange Silences

7:00am June 02, 2018

by Genevieve Valentine

The companion piece to this year's Met Gala, Heavenly Bodies functions beautifully as an art object — but it has some odd blank spots, particularly around the contributions of women to Catholicism.