Books

'The Largesse Of The Sea Maiden' by Denis Johnson

Books
Arts

Denis Johnson Leaves Us With His Best In 'Largesse Of The Sea Maiden'

7:00am January 20, 2018

by Michael Schaub

Denis Johnson finished his first story collection in 25 years just before he died. The pieces in it are stunning, dark, sometimes as bleak as anything he's ever written — but miraculous to read.

Daniel Ellsberg Explains Why He Leaked The Pentagon Papers

1:30pm January 19, 2018

In 1971, Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers to the press in the hope that they would help end the Vietnam War. His story is portrayed in the new film The Post. Originally broadcast Dec. 4, 2017.

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Arts

In 'Munich,' Neville Chamberlain Gets The Best Of Hitler

5:58am January 19, 2018

by Steve Inskeep

History hasn't been kind to British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, who tried to head off war by appeasing Adolf Hitler. But Robert Harris' new novel Munich asks readers to reconsider Chamberlain.

"It brings back a lot of shame," Christian Picciolini says of his time fronting a white power punk band. He has since disavowed the white supremacist movement and works to help others disengage from it too.

A Former Neo-Nazi Explains Why Hate Drew Him In — And How He Got Out

2:27pm January 18, 2018

by Dave Davies

Christian Picciolini spent eight years as a member of a violent, white power skinhead group. He eventually withdrew and co-founded a nonprofit to help extremists disengage.

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Arts

In 'Heartland,' Writer's Block Can Be Murder

7:00am January 18, 2018

by Juan Vidal

Ana Simo's brash and unsettling debut novel straddles the line between pulp noir and slapstick; it's the story of a struggling writer who decides that murder is the cure for her decade-long block.

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Arts

Daniel Pink's 'When' Shows the Importance Of Timing Throughout Life

7:01pm January 17, 2018

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with author Daniel Pink about his new book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing. In his book, Pink examines the importance of timing in various aspects of life.

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Are Implanted Medical Devices Creating A 'Danger Within Us'?

3:11pm January 17, 2018

by Dave Davies

Medical journalist Jeanne Lenzer warns that implanted medical devices are approved with far less scrutiny and testing than drugs. As a result, she says, some have caused harm and even death.

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The Girls in the Picture, by Melanie Benjamin

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Arts

'Girls In The Picture' Traces A Friendship In The Flickers

7:00am January 17, 2018

by Jean Zimmerman

A century ago, Hollywood had no stars. Movies were silent and the actors were anonymous. Melanie Benjamin's new novel outlines how actress Mary Pickford and writer Frances Marion changed that.

Frankenstein: The 1818 Text, by Mary Shelley

Books
Arts

See A Famous Monster Come Alive In 'Frankenstein: The 1818 Text'

7:00am January 16, 2018

by Genevieve Valentine

Most stage and screen versions of Frankenstein are based on a later edition of Mary Shelley's classic — this new reprint of her original text shows the story growing and changing with its author.

Books
Arts

New Picture Book Illustrates How 'Love' Is Always Around

8:33pm January 15, 2018

If you're lucky, you know what love is before you can even say the word. When you're a little kid love is a piece of toast, the color of a sunset, music from the radio. That's the message of a new picture book called, Love. NPR's Kelly McEvers talks with author Matt de la Pena and illustrator Loren Long.

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