Books

'The Fractured Republic' Explores How Nostalgia Led To Polarized Politics

4:41pm June 07, 2016

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Yuval Levin about his latest book, The Fractured Republic: Renewing America's Social Contract in the Age of Individualism. He argues both liberal and conservative Americans' nostalgia for the past has led to today's polarized national life.

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Arts

'Such A Magical Time': Harry Potter Fans Recall Growing Up Alongside Wizard

4:41pm June 07, 2016

by Neda Ulaby

A new play about Harry Potter, written by J.K. Rowling, begins previews this week with Harry as a grown up. Grown, too, is the "Potter Generation," the kids who were the first to read the books when they came out. Their experience — maturing alongside Harry — was unique.

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Arts

In 'Homegoing,' A Saga Of A Family United By Blood, Separated By Slavery

1:55pm June 07, 2016

by Maureen Corrigan

Yaa Gyasi's debut short story collection begins in 18th century Ghana, where the slave trade separates two half sisters. Critic Maureen Corrigan calls Homegoing a strong work with versatile language.

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Revisiting The Tenure Of Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, The 'Jewish Jefferson'

1:32pm June 07, 2016

One hundred years ago, Brandeis became the first Jewish justice on the Supreme Court. Author Jeffrey Rosen says that Brandeis was also the most far-seeing progressive justice of the 20th century.

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Arts

'Homegoing' Is A Sprawling Epic, Brimming With Compassion

11:46am June 07, 2016

by Jean Zimmerman

Yaa Gyasi's debut novel traces the terrible impact of slavery on generations of an African family, beginning with two sisters in 18th century Ghana — one who stayed, and one shipped to America.

This picture depicts the strong bond between the mother and child. A five (5) to six (6) months old baby holds strongly on his mother's finger, even while his attention is elsewhere.

Nutrition In 'The First 1,000 Days' Of Life Can Shape A Child's Future

3:33pm June 06, 2016

by Allison Aubrey

In his new book, journalist Roger Thurow chronicles the obstacles that women around the globe face in raising healthy babies.

Muhammad Ali reads one of his poems during a contest at the Bitter End, a Greenwich Village coffeehouse and nightclub, in 1963.

Muhammad Ali: A Poet In And Out Of The Ring

2:00pm June 06, 2016

by Juan Vidal

"The Louisville Lip" was famously as fast with his words as with his fists — years before the birth of hip hop, he was a battle rapper flipping similes and metaphors in a language all his own.

Onaje X. O. Woodbine's book, Black Gods of the Asphalt, has also been adapted into a play by the same name. He appears here on that play's set at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass.

Books
Arts

'Black Gods Of The Asphalt' Takes Basketball Beyond The Court

5:48pm June 05, 2016

When you see a bunch of guys playing street basketball you might not just see a game. In his new book Black Gods of the Asphalt author Onaje Woodbine shows how it's also a spiritual experience.

Muslims Are Just The Latest In History Of Scapegoats, Author Says

5:17pm June 05, 2016

In his book Scapegoats, human rights lawyer Arsalan Iftikhar says Muslims are the newest group in the U.S. to be ostracized. But there is a long history of groups before them facing discrimination.

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Arts

Cat Videos And All, The Internet May Be Humankind's Greatest Masterpiece

7:48am June 05, 2016

by NPR Staff

In her new book Magic and Loss, Virginia Heffernan makes the case for the Internet as art. Just look at Twitter, she says. "It's hard to think of a time when poetry was more powerful."