Author Interviews

Journalist Chronicles Ordinary People Fighting Extremism In Africa

2:01pm October 25, 2017

by Dave Davies

New Yorker writer Alexis Okeowo wanted to get past standard journalistic narratives of war and tragedy and show people as flawed, complicated individuals in her new book, A Moonless, Starless Sky.

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Arts

The Trick To Making Your Own Halloween Candy? Swallowing Your Fear

11:34am October 25, 2017

by Deena Prichep

Jami Curl is a homemade candy evangelist. The sweet stuff can be made from "real" ingredients — and you can do it at home. The process can be intimidating, but also kind of magical.

Books

John Hodgman And The Three Wildernesses Of 'Vacationland'

9:57am October 25, 2017

by Linda Holmes

Author, comedian, and fake internet judge John Hodgman talks about his new book Vacationland, mediating internet disputes, writing a serious book after a lot of fake facts, and lots more.

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Climate Change Journalist Warns: 'Mother Nature Is Playing By Different Rules Now'

2:00pm October 24, 2017

Author Jeff Goodell says that American cities are under threat from extreme weather, rising sea levels and lax enforcement of environmental regulations. His new book is The Water Will Come.

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Arts

In 'Vacationland,' John Hodgman Tells The Funny Story Of His Life

5:26pm October 23, 2017

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with John Hodgman about his new book Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches. This time Hodgman isn't writing about nonsensical histories, but his life.

Demonstrators in Miami stand with tape reading, " I Can't Breathe," in 2014. The protest occurred after a grand jury in New York City declined to indict the police officers involved Eric Garner's death.

'I Can't Breathe' Examines Modern Policing And The Life And Death Of Eric Garner

2:41pm October 23, 2017

by Terry Gross

"The reality is that Eric Garner died at the hands of a police force and a criminal justice system that were designed entirely by white people, for the most part," says journalist Matt Taibbi.

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Khizr Khan at the Democratic National Convention, July 28, 2016.

Khizr Khan Says His Faith In America Is Stronger Than Ever

12:28pm October 23, 2017

by Steve Inskeep

The Gold Star father who made headlines last year after he spoke at the Democratic National Convention has a new memoir, An American Family, about growing up in Pakistan and coming to America.

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Books
Arts

Dan Brown Pits Creationism Against Science In His Latest Novel, 'Origin'

8:27pm October 22, 2017

by Lakshmi Singh

Brown has long considered questions about science and faith, leavened with plenty of adventure, of course. In his new novel, he asks whether faith in God (or gods) can survive the advance of science.

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Books

'Hotel Scarface': The Hotel At The Center Of Miami's Cocaine Boom

7:38am October 22, 2017

NPR's Melissa Block talks to journalist Roben Farzad about his new book, Hotel Scarface: Where Cocaine Cowboys Partied and Plotted to Control Miami. It was a hub for Miami's exploding cocaine trade.

Books

Author Recognizes Ordinary Africans Fighting Extremism

7:38am October 22, 2017

NPR's Melissa Block talks to Alexis Okeowo author of A Moonless, Starless Sky. Among the stories, a Somali girl defies al-Shabab and plays basketball, and a Mauritanian man campaigns against slavery.