Books

Authors' Garden Clippings Grow Students' Love Of Literature

8:47am August 26, 2015

by Rebecca Kruth

High school English teacher Jennifer McQuillan spent the summer collecting clippings from the gardens of American authors. She's using them to plant a "literary garden" in her school's courtyard.

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Exclusive First Read: 'The Shepherd's Crown' By Terry Pratchett

8:33am August 26, 2015

by NPR Staff

Return to the Discworld one more time in the late author's last novel, about young witch Tiffany Aching. Tiffany faced down the Queen of the Elves in her first adventure — but now the queen is back.

U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors are seen parked at Kadena Air Base on the island of Okinawa in Japan. The U.S. military established a presence on Okinawa during World War II.

Do America's Military Bases Abroad Help Or Hinder Global Security?

9:50pm August 25, 2015

by NPR Staff

David Vine's new book argues that the hundreds of U.S. bases in other countries come at a high cost, both at home and abroad. He suggests reducing such bases and increasing diplomatic engagement.

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In WWII, Millions Of Indians Fought For A Britain They Abhored

4:30pm August 25, 2015

by NPR Staff

As Indians struggled to break free of Britain, more than 2 million signed up to fight with the Allies, the largest volunteer force in the world. Raghu Karnad unearths the story in The Farthest Field.

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In Richard Price's Latest Novel, Haunted Cops And Cases They Couldn't Close

1:29pm August 25, 2015

Price says that in every precinct there's one cop who just can't let go of a case. "They all reminded me of Ahab ... looking for their whales," he says. Originally broadcast Feb. 17, 2015.

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Capturing An Unknowable Writer In 'Love Song'

10:56am August 25, 2015

by Michael Schaub

Author Tracy Daugherty's new biography of Joan Didion is an honest attempt to construct a coherent narrative about her — but critic Michael Schaub says it doesn't completely work.

Algerian writer and journalist Kamel Daoud's new book, The Meursault Investigation, reworks Albert Camus' The Stranger.

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Novelist Kamel Daoud, Finding Dignity In The Absurd

6:54pm August 24, 2015

by Robert Siegel

His new novel, The Meursault Investigation, reworks Albert Camus' The Stranger from the point of view of the murdered Arab's brother. He says Camus' vision of the absurd gave him back his dignity

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'Sad Puppies' Fail To Stuff Ballot Box At Hugo Awards

6:37pm August 24, 2015

by Petra Mayer

The "sad puppies" — a group of disgruntled, mostly white male science fiction authors — struck out at the Hugo Awards over the weekend after trying to stuff the ballot box.

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A Manual For Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin

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'A Manual For Cleaning Women' Showcases A Gritty, One-Of-A-Kind Voice

4:13pm August 24, 2015

by Maureen Corrigan

A posthumously published collection of stories steers recognition to Lucia Berlin, whose fictional narrators are the sort who have seen it all and aren't afraid to tell you about their crappy day.

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'I Regret Everything': Toni Morrison Looks Back On Her Personal Life

4:13pm August 24, 2015

"It's not profound regret," Morrison tells Fresh Air. "It's just a wiping up of tiny little messes that you didn't recognize as mess when they were going on." Originally broadcast April 20, 2015.

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