Author Interviews

Books
Arts

60 Years Later, Ruby Bridges Tells Her Story In 'This Is Your Time'

8:59am November 07, 2020

by Scott Simon

Bridges was the little girl depicted in that famous Norman Rockwell painting — the first Black student at her New Orleans elementary school. Now, she's written a book to tell kids her story.

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A pre-pandemic Seattle supermarket boasts row after row of prepackaged snacks. Even before the pandemic put extra stress on grocery workers, keeping shelves stocked with the variety Americans have come to expect took a hidden toll on producers, distributo

'Secret Life Of Supermarkets' Shines A Light On Bounty's Dark Side

7:00am November 07, 2020

by John Henning Schumann

Keeping U.S. markets filled with a dazzling array of choices relies on an army of farmers, suppliers, truckers and retail workers. What's gained and lost as all that food makes its way to the shelves?

Future Presidents Should Be Held More Accountable, 'After Trump' Author Says

1:43pm November 05, 2020

by Terry Gross

Jack Goldsmith, former legal counsel to George W. Bush's White House, says no matter when Trump leaves office, his successor will face tough questions about how to reconstruct the battered presidency.

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Books
Arts

'How To Make A Slave' Author On The Advice That Changed His Writing Career

6:03pm November 03, 2020

by Terry Gross

Jerald Walker talks about growing up on Chicago's South Side, raising his two sons in a predominantly white suburb and preventing his essays from turning into clichés about the Black experience.

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Books
Arts

Ina Garten: 'All My Books Really Are About Comfort Food'

5:39pm October 31, 2020

by Michel Martin

Sometimes you want a really good salad, Garten says. But now is not that time. Her new book, Modern Comfort Food, is packed full of recipes for beef stew, chocolate chip cookies and Boston cream pie.

Books

Susie Yang's Debut Album Is An Exploration Of Race And Class

7:47am October 31, 2020

NPR's Scott Simon speaks to Susie Yang about her debut novel, White Ivy. It's a coming-of-age story about identity, race, wealth, and obsession.

Denial And Lies Are 'Almost An Intrinsic Part Of An Epidemic,' Doctor Says

1:44pm October 29, 2020

by Dave Davies

Apollo's Arrow author Nicholas Christakis says we're likely to be living with pandemic-related social restrictions into 2022 — even if an effective vaccine is developed.

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Books
Arts

Echoes Of Today's Unrest Run Through 'The Cold Millions'

5:36pm October 27, 2020

by Ari Shapiro

Jess Walter's new novel an adventure tale based on actual events in the early days of the last century's labor movement — which was much wilder and bloodier than most people remember.

When his wife and young daughter were killed in a car accident in 1972, Joe Biden struggled to acknowledge his grief publicly. "He didn't want to become a symbol of human vulnerability," Evan Osnos says. "But it was thrust upon him and he had to decide wh

Biography Traces Political Mistakes And Personal Scars That Shaped Joe Biden

4:00pm October 27, 2020

by Terry Gross

The New Yorker's Evan Osnos writes about the candidate's enduring quest to become president. He says Joe Biden has a different mindset today than he once had: "He's a man who is at peace."

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What Were We Thinking: A Brief Intellectual History of the Trump Era, Carlos Lozada

Washington Post Critic Says 'Trump Has Unwittingly Enabled' Discussions Of Race

9:15am October 27, 2020

by Steve Inskeep

Carlos Lozada tells NPR: "It's ironic that a president with such a negative force for race relations" and women's rights has presided over a period where both groups feel more empowered to speak out.

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