Salman Rushdie's American Tale
A nationalist leader comes to power, affecting a family of immigrants in New York.
Books
'Unforgivable Love' Resets Steamy 'Dangerous Liaisons' In 1940s Harlem
The retelling of the 1782 French novel has just as much betrayal and bed-hopping as the original, but in a new locale. Author Sophfronia Scott explains why Harlem — and how she writes good sex scenes.
Leveling Up In The Video Game Industry, Without Checkpoints: 'Significant Zero'
Videogame writer Walt Williams describes his Red-Bull-and-Adderal-fueled advancement in a competitive and secretive industry. Critic Jason Sheehan says the book "plays out ... like a videogame."
'Inside Studio 54' Takes You Behind The Velvet Rope, And Into Some Dark Corners
Owner Mark Fleischman's memoir drops plenty of celebrity names while detailing the day-to-day logistics (and the drugs) that kept the nightspot running.
Poetry For Kids Who Are 'Just No Good At Rhyming'
Poetry has to rhyme, doesn't it? Chris Harris talks with Scott Simon about his new book for kids called I'm Just No good at Rhyming.
A Suicide Reverberates In 'The Ninth Hour'
NPR's Scott Simon talks to author Alice McDermott about her new novel, The Ninth Hour. It starts with a suicide and then reveals how the kindness of faithful strangers can steer people's lives.
In 'The Ninth Hour,' A Tonic For The Ills Of The World
Alice McDermott's new novel immerses readers in the homely details of Irish Catholic Brooklyn in the early decades of the 20th century, but also addresses bigger, universal questions of love and life.
At Duke University, A Bizarre Tour Through American History And Palates
Through the Rubenstein Test Kitchen project, librarians and staff re-create historical recipes from thousands of cookbooks in the collections. Some dishes are culturally telling ... and comical.
In 'The Twelve-Mile Straight,' Characters Are Symbols First, People Second
Eleanor Henderson's novel, set in 1930s Georgia, seeks to portray a time when "slavery was over, but not past," says our reviewer. But a lack of nuance keeps its characters from emerging as individuals.
Novel 'Forest Dark' And Dog Book 'Afterglow' Consider The Meaning Of Life
Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews two books that use experimental forms to tackle weighty topics. "Both of these odd new books offer something special," she says.