Books

Books
Arts

A Strange Odyssey Through Bulgaria In 'Shadow Land'

7:00am April 16, 2017

by Bethanne Patrick

Elizabeth Kostova's deep love for her adopted homeland grounds this story of a young American woman in Sofia, who finds a mysterious urn full of ashes and has to piece together the lives behind it.

An anesthesiologist writes about the profound moment a patient wakes up from surgery.

The Poetic Intimacy Of Administering Anesthesia

5:00am April 16, 2017

by Meredith Rizzo

An anesthesiologist and poet says her medical work is well-suited to poetry, as patients move in and out of consciousness under the doctor's watch.

Books

Literature And Social Media Collide In 'Sympathy'

8:04am April 15, 2017

Sympathy, the debut novel by Olivia Sudjic, could be about falling in love in the digital age. Or it could be about falling down a digital rabbit hole. Linda Wertheimer asks Sudjic about her book.

Books

Filmmaker John Waters On How To 'Make Trouble'

8:04am April 15, 2017

NPR's Linda Wertheimer speaks with filmmaker John Waters about his new book. Make Trouble is based on Waters' commencement address to the Rhode Island School of Design.

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli

Books
Arts

'Upside Of Unrequited' Is A Fresh, Fun, Snarky Spring Fling

7:00am April 15, 2017

by Caitlyn Paxson

Becky Albertalli's new young adult novel is a snappy romance that'll bring you back to the pain and elation of young love. It follows two sisters trying to balance their relationship with new crushes.

Detail of cover of America #2, by Gabby Rivera and Joe Quinones, starring America Chavez, Marvel's lesbian Latina superhero.

Books
Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Diversity In Comics And 'RuPaul's Drag Race'

11:09am April 14, 2017

by Linda Holmes

This week, while we recover from our live show, we bring you a segment from Code Switch about diversity in comics and we revisit our segment on RuPaul's Drag Race.

Cynthia Nixon plays Emily Dickinson in Terence Davies' new film A Quiet Passion. "I think she was afraid of life," Davies says. "Like a lot of geniuses, she had — skin missing. And that makes you very, very vulnerable."

New Film Celebrates Emily Dickinson's Poetry And 'Quiet Passion'

4:57pm April 13, 2017

by Lynn Neary

Many people find fascination in Dickinson's mysterious, reclusive life. But British film director Terence Davies says it was her poetry, more than her personal life, that drew him in.

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Books
Arts

Fitzgerald Didn't Satisfy This Author, So She Wrote Her Own 'Gatsby'-Inspired Novel

4:57pm April 13, 2017

by Ari Shapiro

Stephanie Powell Watts' No One Is Coming to Save Us isn't quite a retelling of The Great Gatsby; instead, it uses similar themes to tell a story about black characters in a declining furniture town.

How Can The Colorado River Continue To Support 36 Million People In 7 States?

1:35pm April 13, 2017

by Terry Gross

New Yorker staff writer David Owen says that convoluted legal agreements and a patchwork of infrastructure determine how water from the Colorado is allocated. His new book is Where The Water Goes.

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Books
Arts

All Roads Lead Back To Florida In 'Sunshine State'

11:36am April 13, 2017

by Jason Heller

Sarah Gerard's lucid, atmospheric essay collection draws on her experiences growing up in Florida for a candid memoir that mixes first-person memories with thoughtful big-picture reporting.