Books

Hillary Clinton steps down a staircase on Nov. 9 after making a concession speech following her defeat to Republican Donald Trump.

'Pantsuit Nation' Serves Up Nostalgia, Uplift, Heartbreak. But Why?

9:26am May 09, 2017

by Danielle Kurtzleben

For Hillary Clinton's staunchest supporters, reading Pantsuit Nation may be like reading an ex's love letters just after a breakup: a flood of memories, a little too soon, and with no clear purpose.

"Rainbow Man," one of 29 disturbing stories from American history covered in Dave Anthony and Gareth Reynolds' The United States of Absurdity.

Books
Arts

'The United States Of Absurdity' Looks At Our Dark (And Hilarious) History

7:00am May 09, 2017

by Andrew Flanagan

A new book from the hosts of the history-comedy podcast The Dollop investigates the dark side of American history — and reminds us that our current upheavals are part of a grand national tradition.

Condoleezza Rice Reflects On The State Of Democracy

3:25pm May 08, 2017

In an interview with NPR about her book Democracy: Stories from the Long Road to Freedom, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice assesses the Trump administration's outreach to dictators.

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Before landing her first film role, Gabourey Sidibe struggled to find work. "This is my path, and I'm really grateful that I'm on it," she says of acting.

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Arts

Actress Gabourey Sidibe On Anxiety, Phone Sex And Life After 'Precious'

3:21pm May 08, 2017

by Terry Gross

As a young woman, Sidibe struggled to find work before landing the film role that would change her life. "This is my path, and I'm really grateful that I'm on it," Sidibe says of her acting career.

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Former President Bill Clinton gestures to the crowd during a campaign stop in Philadelphia for his wife, Hillary, on the day before the 2016 presidential election.

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Beware The Twist! Bill Clinton Plans To Pen A Thriller With James Patterson

2:42pm May 08, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

The former president and fiction titan foisted a surprise on readers Monday, announcing they'll be releasing a novel named The President Is Missing in June 2018.

"What the American Founding Fathers understood was that institutions were built for human imperfection, not human perfection," Condoleezza Rice says.

Condoleezza Rice: Institutions Aren't Perfect, But They're The Bedrock Of Democracy

1:30pm May 08, 2017

by Rachel Martin

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tells NPR that America is still a "bright, shining city on the hill, not because we're perfect but because we struggle in our imperfections every day."

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Min Kym is shown at her debut recital at the Serenates D'Estiu Festival in Majorca in July 1992.

Her Violin Stolen, A Prodigy's World Became 'Unstrung'

9:25am May 08, 2017

Min Kym had found her perfect partner in a 1696 Stradivarius — until it was snatched in a London cafe. She comes to terms with the loss in her new memoir, Gone: A Girl, A Violin, A Life Unstrung.

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Tommy Caldwell poses for a portrait after just climbing to the top of Tadrarate via a 500m, 7c climbing route. He's climbing with Alex Honnold in Taghia, Morocco. September 20th, 2016.

World-Renowned Rock Climber On Constantly Pushing The Limits

11:55pm May 07, 2017

by NPR Staff

NPR's Lakshmi Singh talks to Tommy Caldwell, the first to free climb a 3,000 foot "Dawn Wall" granite cliff, about his book The Push: A Climber's Journey of Endurance, Risk and Going Beyond Limits.

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City of Miracles, by Robert Jackson Bennett

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Arts

An Old Soldier Is Back In Action In 'City Of Miracles'

10:00am May 07, 2017

by Jason Sheehan

As Robert Jackson Bennett's Divine Cities series draws to a close, grizzled old enforcer Sigrud — in hiding, in a remote forest — returns to the city to avenge the murder of his friend and partner.

Books

'House Of Names' Reimagines A Classic Greek Tragedy

8:16am May 07, 2017

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with author Colm Toibin about his new book, House of Names, set in ancient Greece and the House of Agamemnon.