Author R.F. Kuang on unlikable narrators and cultural appropriation in 'Yellowface'
R.F. Kuang talks about her new novel Yellowface and why she wanted to write a book about cultural appropriation in the publishing world.
Books
She wants fiction writers to step outside their experiences. Even if it's messy
R.F. Kuang's novel Yellowface offers a literary exploration of cultural appropriation taken to a new degree.
'Quietly Hostile' is Samantha Irby's survival guide (of sorts)
Irby shares almost everything in her new book of essays, Quietly Hostile but, she says, "If I can't have a conversation with a stranger about the thing that I wrote, I won't put it in a book."
'The Three of Us' tracks a married couple and the wife's manipulative best friend
We've seen jealous, possessive friends and housewreckers with no boundaries before, though perhaps not quite so thoroughly, unapologetically unlikeable as in Ore Agbaje-Williams's debut novel.
Jonathan Eig's new biography examines the life of Martin Luther King Jr.
NPR's Steve Inskeep talks to biographer Jonathan Eig about King a Life. "One of the interesting things about King is that he's a protest leader who really does not like conflict," Eig says.
In 'Quietly Hostile,' Samantha Irby trains a cynical eye inward
In her fourth collection of essays, the bestselling author and TV writer renews her love/hate vows with the human race — as well as her relationship with her own flaws and failings.
'Yellowface' takes white privilege to a sinister level
R.F. Kuang's first foray outside fantasy is a well-executed, gripping, fast-paced novel about the nuances of the publishing world when an author is desperate enough to do anything for success.
'New China Playbook' has a different view than many Western policymakers do on China
NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with economist Keyu Jin about her book: The New China Playbook. She teaches now at the London School of Economics.
Cassandra Jackson on her memoir 'The Wreck'
As Cassandra Jackson struggled with infertility, she learned more about loss that devastated her father before her birth. She talks with NPR's Ayesha Rascoe about her memoir, "The Wreck."
Opinion: Books are not landmines
NPR's Scott Simon remarks on the effects of book bans on libraries and young readers.