Books

The Only Girl in the World, by Maude Julien

Books
Arts

A Father's Cruel Mission To Create 'The Only Girl In The World'

7:56am December 09, 2017

by Scott Simon

Maude Julien's new memoir chronicles her extraordinary — and awful — childhood with fanatical parents determined to turn her into the ultimate survivor through deprivation, violence and endless tests.

cover art of The Lost Prayers Of Ricky Graves

Books
Arts

In A New Novel, The 'Lost Prayers' Of A Gay Teen Bullied To Death

7:56am December 09, 2017

by Scott Simon

James Han Mattson's debut book, inspired by the real-life suicide of an outed young man, treats the Internet as both lifeline and paper trail of a tormented, small-town adolescence.

Wayne Lo (left) is serving two life sentences at a Massachusetts prison for killing two people, including Greg Gibson's (right) son, Galen.

Books

25 Years Later, He Speaks To The Man Who Killed His Son

9:08am December 08, 2017

Ahead of the 25th anniversary of a shooting at Simon's Rock college in Massachusetts, a father whose son was killed that day sits down with the man who pulled the trigger.

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Books

Exploring Politics And Religion In 'Three Daughters Of Eve'

6:18am December 08, 2017

Turkish writer Elif Shafak juggles politics, faith and feminism in her new novel set in Turkey and England. Steve Inskeep speaks with her about her book Three Daughters of Eve.

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Books
Arts

'Cartoon County' Looks Back At The Golden Age Of Sunday Comics

1:41pm December 05, 2017

Vanity Fair editor-at-large Cullen Murphy grew up the son of a cartoonist. His father, John Cullen Murphy, drew the popular Prince Valiant strip, which Murphy eventually wrote for 14 years.

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A composite of book covers from the 2017 Book Concierge.

Books
Arts

NPR's Book Concierge: Our Guide To 2017's Great Reads

10:25am December 05, 2017

The Book Concierge is back and bigger than ever! Explore more than 350 standout titles picked by NPR staff and critics.

Books

The 2017 NPR Book Concierge: Get Your Read On

7:29am December 05, 2017

NPR launches its 2017 Book Concierge on Tuesday, pulling together a year's worth of favorite reads from staff and critics. NPR Books editor Petra Mayer talks about some of this year's selections.

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Ezra Pound poses in Rapallo, Italy, not long after his 1958 release from St. Elizabeths Hospital, where he spent 12 years.

Books
Arts

Do Politics Matter In Poetry? New Biography Explores The Case Of Ezra Pound

1:46pm December 04, 2017

by Maureen Corrigan

A central figure in 20th century poetry, Pound was also an outspoken fascist. In The Bughouse, Daniel Swift investigates whether or not the poet's politics and madness matter to his work.

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'Nuclear War Planner' Reflects On The Cold War And Assesses The Current Threat

1:46pm December 04, 2017

In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg leaked the Pentagon Papers to the press in hopes they would help end the Vietnam War. He looks back on his early days as a national security analyst in The Doomsday Machine.

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Books
Arts

In 'Hiddensee,' Gregory Maguire Gets Under The Shell Of 'The Nutcracker'

4:53pm December 03, 2017

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

Author Gregory Maguire made his name rewriting fairy tales. Now, he's taken on The Nutcracker — a beloved holiday classic, yes, but one that Maguire says makes no sense as it's usually performed.

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