Books

Classical music fans are familiar with Robert Schumann. But they might not know that his his wife, Clara, was an accomplished composer, too.

'Sounds And Sweet Airs' Remembers The Forgotten Women Of Classical Music

6:40am May 22, 2016

by NPR Staff

You may be familiar with Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann. But did you know Mendelssohn's sister Fanny and Schumman's wife Clara were accomplished composers, too?

The curator of the Qarawiyyin Library, Abdelfattah Bougchouf, opens an original version of a famous work, Muqaddimah, written by historian Ibn Khaldun in the 14th century. The library in Fez is one of the world's oldest working libraries, dating to the 10

The Delicate Task Of Restoring One Of The World's Oldest Libraries

5:20pm May 21, 2016

by Leila Fadel

After a four-year restoration, Morocco is poised to reopen the Qarawiyyin Library, founded more than a millennium ago by a pioneering woman and home to some of the earliest works of Islam.

Books
Arts

'32 Yolks' Chronicles Chef's Culinary Journey

8:52am May 21, 2016

Before Eric Ripert worked in Michelin-starred restaurants, he struggled to make a simple hollandaise sauce. He talks to NPR's Scott Simon about his new memoir, "32 Yolks."

Sebastian Junger's Examines Veteran Life After Leaving 'Tribe'

8:52am May 21, 2016

Sebastian Junger's new book, "Tribe," looks at soldiers returning home from war. He tells NPR's Scott Simon that veterans often don't feel like they belong to the society they fought for.

Books
Arts

'Girls On Fire' Is Terrifying, Upsetting And Beautiful

7:00am May 21, 2016

by Michael Schaub

Young adult author Robin Wasserman's new novel is definitely just for grown-ups — it's a tangled, thrilling story of two friends gone very wrong; hard to put down, with a twist you won't see coming.

One of musician-turned-chef Philip Gelb's culinary creations for his Sound & Savor series of dinners and concerts. It's a mezze plate of falafel, roasted garlic hummus, beet nut pate, pepper pecan sauce and socca, a thin pancake made of chickpea flour.

An Underground Supper Club Where Music Moves The Menu

1:00pm May 20, 2016

by Maria Godoy

Philip Gelb once toured with top musicians. Now he's a chef who hosts intimate dinner parties where the entertainment, by innovative world musicians, is as experimental as the ever-changing fare.

Books
Arts

'Eleven Hours' Vividly Depicts The Beauty And Brutality Of Childbirth

6:59pm May 19, 2016

by Maureen Corrigan

Pamela Erens' new novel takes place in the maternity ward of a New York hospital as a pregnant nurse assists in another woman's labor. Critic Maureen Corrigan calls it a fierce read.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

'Little Labors' Is No Small Feat

1:00pm May 19, 2016

by Annalisa Quinn

Rivka Galchen's meditation on motherhood is wry, low-key and non-linear, inspired by the 11th-century Japanese classic The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon — and the sleep-deprived brains of new parents.

Books
Arts

'Devil And The Bluebird' Is A Magical, Musical Road Trip

8:23pm May 18, 2016

by Caitlyn Paxson

Jennifer Mason-Black's new novel has echoes of The Odyssey. It follows a young musician who makes a deal with a devil at the crossroads: her voice, in exchange for a way to find her missing sister.

Books
Arts

The Nightmarish Reality Of Ceausescu's Romania In 'The Fox'

7:34pm May 17, 2016

by Jean Zimmerman

Herta Müller's remarkable novel tells the story of a young schoolteacher who becomes convinced, through gruesome clues, that the Romanian dictator's secret police are closing in on her.