Author Interviews

Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams

Books
Arts

A Teen Faces Colorism At School And At Home In 'Genesis Begins Again'

7:18pm January 31, 2019

by Ari Shapiro

Thirteen-year-old Genesis keeps a running list of things about herself that she hates — her skin is #95. Debut author Alicia D. Williams says she hopes her book will help young people "heal."

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Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., announced on Jan. 23 that he is forming an exploratory committee to run for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The Youngest 2020 Candidate Pushes A Platform Of 'Inter-Generational Justice'

5:02am January 31, 2019

by Eric McDaniel

Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Ind., recently announced his intent to run for president, saying the 2020 election should focus on changing the economic outlook for millennials.

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Stephanie Land says that cleaning houses gave her an intimate knowledge of the homeowners: "I knew them by the imprints they left in their bed. I knew them by the ring of coffee from their coffee mug that was always in the same place."

In 'Maid,' A Single Mother Finds 'No Way' To Make It On Minimum Wage

6:46pm January 29, 2019

by Terry Gross

While raising her young daughter, Stephanie Land cleaned houses to scrape by. It was back-aching work and the pay — $8.55 an hour to start, $9.25 an hour two years in — just wasn't enough.

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Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's new book, Let Me Finish: Trump, the Kushners, Bannon, New Jersey, and the Power of In-Your-Face Politics details his history with New Jersey politics and thoughts on the Trump administration.

Chris Christie: There Is No One With More Influence Over Trump Than Jared Kushner

4:34pm January 29, 2019

by Mary Louise Kelly

The former New Jersey governor also tells NPR that he has "great faith and confidence" in special counsel Robert Mueller and that Trump's team has made "a lot of really bad personnel choices."

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Books

How I Made It: Yesika Salgado's Love Poem to Los Angeles

3:40pm January 28, 2019

Yesika Salgado has been writing and living in Los Angeles for her whole life.

"There's just so much beneath the streets of New York City that people walking around on the surface don't ever think about," journalist Will Hunt says. His new book is Underground.

Books
Arts

'Underground' Digs Up The Secrets Of Hidden Communities Around The World

1:58pm January 28, 2019

by Dave Davies

Journalist Will Hunt is fascinated with the world below us: "Every manhole, every doorway, every stairway going down into the dark [feels] like a potential portal into this like separate world."

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Henry Winkler, who has dyslexia, has spent his life struggling to read books. "It never dawned on me that I would have my name on a book," Winkler tells NPR's Michel Martin.

Books

Dyslexia Made Henry Winkler Feel 'Stupid' For Years. Now, He's A Best-Selling Author

6:05pm January 27, 2019

by Emma Bowman

The Emmy-winning actor is lesser known for his work writing for children. But he calls his book series, about the adventures and struggles of a dyslexic child, his proudest accomplishment.

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Books
Arts

'99 Nights In Logar' Is An Afghan Adventure Told In Nested Stories

7:57am January 27, 2019

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

The novel is a coming-of-age journey, about a young boy chasing after a runaway dog. Author Jamil Jan Kochai says he hopes the book will counter some American misconceptions about Afghanistan.

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At the Wolf's Table, by Rosella Postorino

Books
Arts

Tasting Food For The Führer At 'The Wolf's Table'

7:40am January 26, 2019

by Scott Simon

Rosella Postorino's new novel is based on the real-life story of a German woman who was conscripted to serve as a food taster for Adolf Hitler, who feared that the Allies were trying to poison him.

The World According to Fannie Davis cover

Books
Arts

Who Run The Numbers Racket? Mom

7:40am January 26, 2019

by Scott Simon

In The World According to Fannie Davis, Bridgett M. Davis has written a memoir about her mother, who ran a thriving underground gambling outfit in 1960s Detroit to provide for her family.