Books

Books
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Neil Gaiman's Nonfiction, Seen From The 'Cheap Seats'

8:04pm May 31, 2016

by Jason Heller

Neil Gaiman is best-known for his fictional creations, but he is also a prolific producer of essays, album liner notes, speeches and introductions — now collected in The View From the Cheap Seats.

Students at Do Space learn to use a laser cutter during a crash course on how to design a key chain.

Books

In Omaha, A Library With No Books Brings Technology To All

5:30pm May 31, 2016

by Bill Kelly

The privately funded, $7 million Do Space provides free access to computers, high-end software, 3-D printers, and laser cutters. It's a learning and play space, as well as an office for entrepreneurs.

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From Medical Maggots To Stench Soup, 'Grunt' Explores The Science Of Warfare

4:14pm May 31, 2016

When it comes to curiosity, science writer Mary Roach describes herself as someone who is "very out there." Her new book, Grunt, looks at some scientific developments that help keep soldiers safe.

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Heather Shumaker encourages "renegade parenting."

Parenting Pitfalls: Renegades, Privilege And Putting On The Boxing Gloves

5:31pm May 29, 2016

Heather Shumaker and Stephanie Land are two parenting writers with different ideas about how class and conventional wisdom shape the modern view of parenting.

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Arts

'Rolling The R's' Is A Story About Coming Of Age And Coming Out

5:14pm May 29, 2016

Rolling the R's tells the stories of restless teenagers in the disco era in a gritty neighborhood in Hawaii. Author R. Zamora Linmark discusses the book's impact, 20 years after it first came out.

Levison Wood walked 1,700 miles, from Afghanistan to Bhutan along the Himalayan Mountain range. He says that seeing Everest, the highest mountain in the world was "just magical."

Adventurer Says 'Walking The Himalayas' Wasn't About 'Sticking Flags In Peaks'

9:56am May 29, 2016

by NPR Staff

Levison Wood, who previously walked the length of the Nile River, has now trekked 1,700 miles, from Afghanistan to Bhutan, along the Himalayan mountain range.

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Arts

'Sweetbitter' Is A Savory Saga Of Restaurant Life And Love

9:55am May 29, 2016

by NPR Staff

Oysters, cocaine, fine wine, love triangles: Stephanie Danler's debut novel Sweetbitter follows a year in the life of a young woman working at a top-tier Manhattan restaurant.

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Arts

Lonely 'Hope' Appears, But Is Quickly Forgotten

7:00am May 29, 2016

Claire North's moving new novel The Sudden Appearance of Hope centers on a young woman who cannot be remembered; only animals or people with brain damage can recall their interactions with her.

From Alaska To The Himalayas, 'Voyager' Embarks On Self-Discovery

8:15am May 28, 2016

NPR's Scott Simon talks with writer Russell Banks about his new book, "Voyager." It's a collection of travel writing that also reads like a memoir.

Books
Arts

'Sweetbitter' Sings With Innocence And Experience

7:00am May 28, 2016

by Annalisa Quinn

Stephanie Danler's new novel follows a young woman finding herself in the New York City restaurant world. It's voluptuous, ripeness on the verge of rot — but anything more tasteful wouldn't do.