Books

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Arts

In 'Singing Bones,' An Artist Recasts The Grimm Tales — Literally

7:00am October 12, 2016

by Etelka Lehoczky

Illustrator Shaun Tan puts his skills to a new test in The Singing Bones. He's taking the familiar Grimm fairy tales and condensing each one down to a single, wordless photo of one of his sculptures.

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Jonathan Safran Foer On Marriage, Religion And Universal Balances

1:51pm October 11, 2016

Safran Foer's new novel, Here I Am, is told from the points of view of different members of a Jewish family. He says it's about things falling apart — but also about "people trying to mend things."

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A Coming-Of Age Melodrama Is Steeped In Social Politics In 'The Mothers'

1:51pm October 11, 2016

by Maureen Corrigan

Britt Bennett's debut novel centers on three African-American friends dealing with their community's expectations and their own mistakes. Critic Maureen Corrigan says it is full of "mini epiphanies."

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American Philosophy by John Kaag (Raquel Zaldivar/NPR)

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A Neglected Library Leads To Love In 'American Philosophy'

7:00am October 11, 2016

by Heller McAlpin

John Kaag's new memoir-slash-philosophical treatise begins at a low point in his life, and follows his quest for answers to a dusty old library that proves to be a treasure trove of American thought.

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David Szalay's 'All That Man Is' Charts Life Of Man In 9 Stories

4:40pm October 10, 2016

Short listed for the Mann Booker Prize, the new book, All That Man Is lives somewhere between short story collection and novel. NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks to author David Szalay.

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Native Americans and other activists march to a sacred burial ground site that was disturbed by construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Hundreds of people have joined the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's protest of the oil pipeline.

On Columbus Day, A Look At The Myth That 'All The Real Indians Died Off'

10:01am October 10, 2016

by Leah Donnella

Two Native American authors tackle the perpetual challenge of combating ignorance, stereotypes and the notion that there's such a thing as a "real" Indian.

Books

Billy The Kid: New Novel Separates The Man From The Myth

7:59am October 10, 2016

Renee Montagne talks to author Ron Hansen about his novel based on the life of legendary outlaw Billy the Kid. It's called The Kid: A Novel. The outlaw died on July 14, 1181, but his legend lives on.

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After losing her daughter during the war, Vijaya cares for her granddaughter Anjali. Despite not being able to afford fresh vegetables, she cooks nourishing sothis or stews made of coconut milk.

Cookbook Tells The Story Of Sri Lanka's Civil War Through Food

6:45pm October 09, 2016

by Vidya Balachander

Handmade trains its lens on 34 women from across the war-torn north, interweaving their stories of struggle and survival with recipes representative of the region's distinctive cuisine.

'Imperfections Can Make Us More Creative,' Author Tim Harford Argues

5:04pm October 09, 2016

Tim Harford's new book Messy takes a look at how disorder and uncertainty spark creativity, by looking at famous examples of art, invention, office buildings and workspaces.

Bandit by Molly Brodak (Raquel Zaldivar/NPR)

Books
Arts

Growing Up As A Bank Robber's Daughter In 'Bandit'

5:04pm October 09, 2016

by NPR Staff

Kids eventually realize their parents are real people, says author Molly Brodak. But in her new memoir, she talks about another sort of realization: That her father was dishonest, and a criminal.