Books

Hala Alyan is the author of three poetry collections. Salt Houses is her first novel.

Books
Arts

'I Belonged Nowhere': A Story Of Displacement, From A Novelist Who Knows

5:05am May 04, 2017

by Steve Inskeep

Salt Houses traces several generations of a displaced Palestinian family. Author Hala Alyan says she experienced firsthand the "intergenerational trauma that went along with losing a homeland."

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Arts

At 'The Dinner Party,' Stories That Walk The Line Between Tragedy And Comedy

1:09pm May 03, 2017

by Heller McAlpin

The 11 stories in Joshua Ferris' new collection have all been published before, but they provide a fine showcase for his sly wit, proceeding from the ordinary to the uncomfortable and even bizarre.

A Guide To Ivanka Trump's Manual For 'Women Who Work'

10:08am May 03, 2017

by Danielle Kurtzleben

The first daughter's new book is billed as a resource for women trying to reach their dream professional lives, but it is fairly short and nonspecific about how to get there.

Many Working Women Won't See Themselves In 'Women Who Work'

9:55am May 03, 2017

by Annalisa Quinn

Ivanka Trump's new book — named after her brand's marketing campaign — is packed with anodyne advice borrowed from others, and a striking lack of awareness about economic and racial realities.

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Arts

'Anything Is Possible' Explores The Unquiet Depths Of Ordinary Lives

1:29pm May 02, 2017

by Maureen Corrigan

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout explores class humiliation and loneliness in her new book. Critic Maureen Corrigan says Anything Is Possible is the work of a writer who is on her game.

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Arts

For Richard Ford, Memoir Is A Chance To 'Tell The Unthinkable'

1:29pm May 02, 2017

The Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist revisits the lives and deaths of his parents in his new memoir, Between Them. "As much as they loved me, an only child, they loved each other more," he says.

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Former President George W. Bush and Laura Bush greet evangelist Billy Graham in 2010.

Why White Evangelicals Are 'Splintering' Politically

11:47am May 02, 2017

by Danielle Kurtzleben

A new book traces the history of white evangelicals in the U.S., from the group's rebellious 19th century roots to its role as political force. We asked the author about where the movement is headed.

Books
Arts

A Dangerous Trip Into The 'Spill Zone:' Questions For Scott Westerfeld

10:00am May 02, 2017

by Petra Mayer

Scott Westerfeld's new graphic novel was inspired by photos of Chernobyl; it's the story of two sisters living on the outskirts of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. after a mysterious incident destroys the city.

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Arts

Eerie 'Fen' Is Full Of Dazzling, Hard-To-Explain Stories

7:12am May 02, 2017

by Michael Schaub

Daisy Johnson's story collection is set in the marshlands of eastern England — now mostly, catastrophically drained. It's beautifully creepy, hard to explain but easy to read over and over again.

Ian McShane as Mr. Wednesday and Ricky Whittle as Shadow Moon hit the road in the new Starz adaptation of Neil Gaiman's American Gods.

Books
Arts

In 'American Gods,' Even Deities Have The Immigrant Experience

5:42pm May 01, 2017

by Mallory Yu

In the new Starz adaptation of Neil Gaiman's beloved fantasy novel, gods from all over the world are drawn to America when their worshippers arrive here — whether as immigrants, explorers, or slaves.

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