Author Interviews

Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, says her immigrant journey, detailed in a new memoir, has driven her to "stand up to bullies."

Quiet No More: Sen. Hirono's Immigrant Journey Fuels Her Fire In Congress

7:40am April 18, 2021

by Michel Martin

Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii — one of the most outspoken Democrats in Congress — wasn't always so vociferous. She says her story, detailed in a new memoir, has driven her to "stand up to bullies."

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Books

Sen. Mazie Hirono Talks New Memoir

6:07pm April 17, 2021

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, Democrat from Hawaii, about her book, Heart of Fire: An Immigrant Daughter's Story.

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Books

Jory Fleming Shares What It's Like Going Through Life With Autism In New Memoir

7:59am April 17, 2021

NPR's Debbie Elliott speaks to Jory Fleming about his new book, How to be Human — An Autistic Man's Guide to Life. Fleming, who himself is autistic, co-wrote the book with Lyric Winik.

Books
Arts

Louise Erdrich On Her Personal Connection To Native Peoples' 'Fight For Survival'

1:28pm April 16, 2021

by Dave Davies

Erdrich's novel, The Night Watchman, is based on her grandfather's role in resisting a Congressional effort to withdraw federal recognition from her family's tribe. Originally broadcast March 4, 2020.

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Books

National Parks Should Be Controlled By Indigenous Tribes, One Writer Argues

5:14pm April 15, 2021

The National Parks Service has often been called "America's Best Idea." But David Treuer argues that, because that came at the cost of Native American homeland, they deserve to take control.

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The Making of Biblical Womanhood, by Beth Allison Barr

'The Making Of Biblical Womanhood' Tackles Contradictions In Religious Practice

3:35pm April 15, 2021

by Rachel Martin

Biblical womanhood is a pervasive concept among evangelicals. A new book by historian Beth Allison Barr argues those ideas may be more secular than scriptural.

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Books

How A Humble Bookseller Helped Give Rise To The Renaissance

12:43am April 15, 2021

Mary Louise Kelly talks with author Ross King about his new book The Bookseller of Florence, inspired by the history of the "Street of Booksellers" found in Florence, Italy.

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Tufts University became the first major university to strip the Sackler name from its buildings in 2019.

Journalist Investigates 'Crime Story' Of The Sackler Family And The Opioid Crisis

5:23pm April 14, 2021

by Terry Gross

Empire of Pain author Patrick Radden Keefe says the Sackler family has "thrown a lot of energy" into trying to thwart his reporting about the family's involvement in the opioid crisis.

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Books

'Empire Of Pain: The Secret History Of The Sackler Dynasty' Profiles Pharma Family

5:18pm April 13, 2021

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Patrick Radden Keefe about his book Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty. The book profiles the family that founded oxycontin maker Purdue Pharma.

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Henry Louis Gates Jr. On 'The Black Church' And His Own Bargain With Jesus

1:44pm April 13, 2021

by Terry Gross

When he was 12, Gates made a bargain with Jesus in an attempt to save his mother's life. He talks about how that altered his own life, and his new book and PBS series, The Black Church.

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