The Unconventional Poetry Of Tyehimba Jess
Tyehimba Jess, the African-American poet from Detroit, won this year's Pulitzer in poetry for a collection that shines a different light on minstrel shows.
Books
The Total Eclipse Of 1878
NPR's Scott Simon interviews science writer David Baron about his new book American Eclipse, the story of the total solar eclipse of 1878.
In 'Meddling Kids,' The Scooby Gang Grows Up — Hard
Edgar Cantero's head-kick of a novel about damaged adults who used to be spunky kid detectives mixes bright, pulpy cartoon nostalgia with some seriously dark trauma-survivor subtext.
Lawrence Osborne Doesn't Care If You Like His Characters In 'Beautiful Animals'
"Likable characters are usually completely forgettable ... " he says. "We love villains ... because they show us these disturbing complexities." His sun-drenched summer novel is set on a Greek island.
'Schumer' Writer Jessi Klein On Barbies, Ageism And Pumping At The Emmys
Klein won an Emmy in 2015 for her work on Inside Amy Schumer. Her book, You'll Grow Out of It, is a collection of humorous personal essays. Originally broadcast July 12, 2016.
A Local Writer Discusses His Evolving Style: Spencer K. M. Brown
Jayden Bannister interviews local writer Spencer K. M. Brown. They discuss what led Brown on his path to writing, and he reads a short excerpt from his latest novel.
A Favorite In Waiting: Alison Bechdel's 'Dykes To Watch Out For'
Alison Bechdel is one of the few cartoonists who appears twice on our list of 100 favorite comics and graphic novels — but many readers overlooked her beloved cult strip Dykes To Watch Out For.
The Old School: Classic Strips That Continue To Shape Comics
When we asked readers to name their favorite comics, many classic, hugely influential newspaper strips got nudged out of the running. We thought we'd give them a shout-out.
Truth Is A Fragmentary Thing In 'American Fire'
The rural Virginia county of Accomack was plagued by arson in the winter of 2012. The arsonist was caught, and in American Fire, Monica Hesse tries to tease out the elusive truth of why he did it.
'Goodbye, Vitamin' Is Sweet — But Not Sugarcoated
Rachel Khong's first novel is a heartwarming account of family devotion and dementia — which sounds sickly, but her offbeat sensibility and flair for wordplay keep the story from becoming saccharine.