Books

A couple walks in the rain in Mumbai in 2007.

Books
Arts

Indian Couples Navigate A 'Shifting Sea' Of Love And Marriage

2:57pm February 08, 2018

by Nishant Dahiya

PBS Newshour reporter Elizabeth Flock spent nearly a decade following the lives of three couples in Mumbai. She chronicles their stories in The Heart Is a Shifting Sea: Love and Marriage in Mumbai.

Everything Happens for a Reason by Kate Bowler

What Not To Say To The Terminally Ill: 'Everything Happens For A Reason'

10:11am February 08, 2018

by Rachel Martin

Kate Bowler has lived with stage 4 cancer for years. Her new memoir details what she's found out about herself and suffering. "You have to learn to be present, even when things are absurd," she says.

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Never Dare a Wicked Earl, by Renee Ann Miller

Books
Arts

For February, 3 Swooningly Romantic Reads

10:00am February 08, 2018

by Maya Rodale

As Valentine's day approaches, we bring you three novels that take ideas of romance far beyond flowers and chocolate — from a wicked wager with a hot rogue to a fake date that turns into real love.

The Line Becomes A River, by Francisco Cantú.

Books
Arts

'The Line Becomes A River' Chronicles Life In The Border Patrol

7:00am February 08, 2018

by Genevive Valentine

Francisco Cantú's new book about his years in the Border Patrol combines brutal personal reminiscences with detached academic interludes, a dreamlike narrative halfway between memoir and tone poem.

At Mr. John Chivery's Tea-table. An illustration from Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit, originally published in serial form between 1855 and 1857.

Books

Coffee Or Tea: In Dickens' World, It Might Be A Choice Between Good And Evil

9:17pm February 07, 2018

by Nina Martyris

The author of a new book, Dinner with Dickens, has an insightful — though far from scientific — observation: The Victorian writer's good characters prefer tea while dodgier ones lean toward coffee.

Books
Arts

Denis Johnson's Final Collection Of Short Stories Is Published

8:49pm February 07, 2018

by Tom Vitale

Denis Johnson died of liver cancer last year. Now a final collection of short stories by the National Book Award-winning author has been published posthumously. Johnson's first collection of stories, Jesus' Son attracted a devoted following that includes Philip Roth and Zadie Smith.

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Books
Arts

'Self-Portrait With Boy' Explores The Narcissistic Ambition That Fuels Success

1:41pm February 07, 2018

by Maureen Corrigan

An artist's photograph of a young boy's death leads to a terrible dilemma in Rachel Lyon's new novel. Critic Maureen Corrigan calls the book a "striking debut."

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'A False Report' Highlights How Women Who Report Sexual Assault Are Treated

10:20am February 07, 2018

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ken Armstrong.

Books
Arts

Immortality, Sadness And Drinking With Shakespeare In 'How To Stop Time'

7:00am February 07, 2018

by Jason Sheehan

Matt Haig's new novel isn't exactly about time travel — it's about a slow-aging man who travels through time just by staying alive for centuries. And yes, he meets Shakespeare (who has bad breath).

A U.S. Army helicopter crew chief scans the ground near Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan in June 2017.

After 16 Years, Afghanistan War Is 'At Best A Grinding Stalemate,' Journalist Says

2:18pm February 06, 2018

by Terry Gross

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Steve Coll warns that there is no end in sight to America's longest war: "Most of the generals ... say in public, 'There's no military solution to this war.'"