Author Interviews

A man walks past a mural of Malcom X and Martin Luther King Jr. in London.

Books
Arts

Black Power Scholar Illustrates How MLK And Malcolm X Influenced Each Other

4:05pm August 12, 2020

by Terry Gross

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X are frequently seen as opposing forces in the struggle for civil rights but Peniel Joseph, author of The Sword and the Shield, says the truth is more nuanced.

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"I've never heard any Republican officeholder speak of President Trump as if he should be president," says GOP strategist Stuart Stevens.

Veteran GOP Strategist Takes On Trump — And His Party — In 'It Was All A Lie'

3:34pm August 11, 2020

by Dave Davies

Political consultant Stuart Stevens says the Republican Party's support for Trump reflects the abandonment of principles it claimed to embrace, such as fiscal restraint and personal responsibility.

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Books

Sarah Chayes' New Book Examines 'Corruption In America'

7:43am August 11, 2020

Author Sarah Chayes has investigated corruption in places like Afghanistan and Nigeria. She wondered if the U.S. was corrupt. NPR's Noel King talks to her about her book: "On Corruption in America."

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Books

Molly Wizenberg Shares Her Story Of Changing Identity In New Book, 'The Fixed Stars'

4:00pm August 10, 2020

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Molly Wizenberg about her new memoir, The Fixed Stars.

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Books

Authors Omid Scobie And Carolyn Durand Chart Harry And Meghan's Journey In New Book

7:55am August 09, 2020

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand about their new book on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Finding Freedom.

Books

David Sheff Charts Jarvis Jay Masters' Buddhist Journey In Prison In New Book

7:56am August 08, 2020

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with author David Sheff and inmate Jarvis Jay Masters about Sheff's new book, The Buddhist on Death Row.

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Books
Arts

In 'Finna,' Poet Nate Marshall Is 'All About What Happens Next'

7:56am August 08, 2020

by Scott Simon

Playwright, musician, and author Nate Marshall has a new book of poetry out, called Finna. He says the title comes from the common Southern phrase "fixing to," which is all about what happens next.

'Satchel' Recalls The Iconic Pitcher Who Helped Integrate Major League Baseball

2:22pm August 07, 2020

by Dave Davies

Hall of Famer Satchel Paige started his career pitching in the Negro leagues and later became a major league star. Author Larry Tye tells his story in Satchel. Originally broadcast in 2010.

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Robert Mueller (left) "gave the president a free pass effectively on the fact that he repeatedly committed obstruction of justice," legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin says.

Legal Analyst Jeffrey Toobin Explains The 'Tragedy' Of The Mueller Investigation

2:46pm August 05, 2020

by Terry Gross

Toobin's new book, True Crimes and Misdemeanors, examines how Trump and his team outmaneuvered special counsel Robert Mueller. Mueller, he says, gave Trump "a free pass" on obstruction of justice.

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Books
Arts

In 'Afterland,' A World (Mostly) Without Men: Questions For Lauren Beukes

7:00am August 05, 2020

by Petra Mayer

Lauren Beukes' new novel is set in a near future where a virus has killed off most of the men on Earth, and one woman is racing to free her young, immune son from the government and get him to safety.