Author Interviews

Books
Arts

In 'Wonder Valley,' There's More Than One Los Angeles

5:41am November 10, 2017

by David Greene

Ivy Pochoda's latest was informed by creative writing classes she teaches on L.A.'s Skid Row. "My L.A. experience, it was a little bit different, and I think the book sort of reflects that," she says.

Books

Author Beverly Gray Looks Back On 50 Years Of 'The Graduate' In Her Latest Book

4:50pm November 09, 2017

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Hollywood writer Beverly Gray about her new book, Seduced by Mrs. Robinson: How The Graduate Became the Touchstone of a Generation. The book offers behind-the-scene details of the 1967 film, The Graduate and looks at its lasting impact on the industry.

Books
Arts

Once An Underground Currency, Bitcoin Emerges As 'A New Way To Track Information'

2:22pm November 09, 2017

by Terry Gross

The digital currency's value has gone from zero to $120 billion in nine years. Digital Gold author Nathaniel Popper says major banks are looking into the possibilities of its decentralized network.

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An organic market on Boulevard des Batignolles in Paris.

'A Taste Of Paris': How The City Of Light Became The City Of Food

12:39pm November 08, 2017

by Eleanor Beardsley

In his new book, food historian David Downie takes readers on a gourmet jaunt through time to reveal how the French capital became a gastronomic powerhouse. (Hint: You can thank Rome.)

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Lou Reed performs in New York City in 2004. "I wanted to write a book that took Lou ... seriously," says biographer Anthony DeCurtis.

Biographer Sought To Write The Kind Of Book Lou Reed 'Deserved'

12:01pm November 08, 2017

by Terry Gross

"It wasn't like I had to go looking for the drugs and the sex," Anthony DeCurtis says. "Lou wrote about it ... so I felt it was fair game." DeCurtis' new book is Lou Reed: A Life.

Bo, the first dog, boards Air Force One for a weekend trip to Chicago on May 27, 2010.

Photographer Pete Souza Reflects On 8 Years (And 1.9 Million Photos) Of Obama

4:11pm November 07, 2017

by Terry Gross

As the chief official White House photographer for President Obama, Souza sometimes shot more than 2,000 photos a day. "I was there all the time," he says. His new book is Obama: An Intimate Portrait.

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Matthew Weiner attends the Mad Men Live Read at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles.

Books

'Mad Men' Creator Says Writing A Novel Is Nothing Like TV Writing

8:10am November 06, 2017

by Lynn Neary

Matthew Weiner's first novel is Heather, the Totality. It's a character study of a well-to-do New York family — and a violence-prone construction worker who becomes obsessed with their daughter.

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Actress Jenifer Lewis details her journey to the spotlight in her memoir The Mother of Black Hollywood.

Books
Arts

Jenifer Lewis Of 'Black-ish' Reflects On Her Role As Black Hollywood's Mother

9:32pm November 05, 2017

by Noel King

Actress Jenifer Lewis' new memoir The Mother of Black Hollywood explores her decades-long career and her role as the mom character to black actors in TV and film.

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The Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott, have a new memoir called It Takes Two.

Books
Arts

The Property Brothers Flip A Page On Their TV Triumphs

12:43pm November 05, 2017

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

If you've ever watched HGTV, you've probably come across Drew and Jonathan Scott — the twins from Canada who are the darlings of home improvement. Their new book is called It Takes Two.

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Books

'Invisible No More' Examines Police Violence Against Minority Women

9:00am November 05, 2017

by Cheryl Corley

Author Andrea Ritchie wants the incidents of police violence involving women of color and transgender women to get as much attention as black men and boys have received in recent years.