Author Interviews

Books

Atoning For The Past In 'The Twelve Lives Of Samuel Hawley'

7:45am March 25, 2017

In Hannah Tinti's new novel, a daughter discovers her father's dark past by investigating the 12 bullet scars on his body. NPR's Scott Simon talks to Tinti about The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley.

The Supreme Court Ruling That Led To 70,000 Forced Sterilizations

3:46pm March 24, 2017

In the early 20th century, American eugenicists used forced sterilization to "breed out" traits considered undesirable. Adam Cohen tells the story in Imbeciles. Originally broadcast March 7, 2016.

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Negin Farsad on the TED stage at TED2016 in Vancouver, Canada.

Negin Farsad: Can Humor Fight Prejudice?

9:10am March 24, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

Comedian Negin Farsad traveled all over the U.S. to clear up misconceptions about Islam while making people laugh. She calls this form of activism "social justice comedy."

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Kevin Breel: What Can Depression Teach Us About Comedy?

9:10am March 24, 2017

by NPR/TED Staff

The image of the "sad clown" can seem like a cliche. But for Kevin Breel, it's very real. He describes how he struggled with depression while performing as a stand-up comedian.

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Books
Arts

Welcome To 'The Collapsing Empire:' Questions For John Scalzi

7:00am March 24, 2017

by Petra Mayer

Prolific sci-fi author John Scalzi boots up a new universe in The Collapsing Empire. It's set in a future where far-flung humanity's ability to travel and communicate between planets is under threat.

An 'Intimate Portrait' Of Dorothy Day, The Catholic Activist With A Bohemian Past

1:54pm March 23, 2017

Kate Hennessy drew from family letters, diaries and memories in writing Dorothy Day, a biography of her late grandmother. Day founded the Catholic Worker Movement and is now a candidate for sainthood.

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Books
Arts

'Ghosts' In The Arctic: How The Long-Lost Franklin Expedition Was Found

5:04am March 21, 2017

by Steve Inskeep

In the 1840s, two British crews vanished while seeking a passage through the ice at the top of the world. Paul Watson became "obsessed with the mystery" and tells the story in his new book Ice Ghosts.

Author Ron Powers describes the heartbreak of having two sons with schizophrenia in his new book No One Cares About Crazy People.

Father Of 2 Sons With Schizophrenia Talks Of His Struggle To Save Them

1:28pm March 20, 2017

"There is no greater ... feeling of helplessness than to watch two beloved sons deteriorate before [your] eyes," says Ron Powers. His new book is No One Cares About Crazy People.

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Anyone who has read or seen Victor Hugo's masterpiece knows the plot of Les Miserables turns on the theft of a simple loaf of bread. There was no sharper barometer of economic status in 19th-century France than bread.

Let Them Eat Bread: The Theft That Helped Inspire 'Les Miserables'

11:34am March 20, 2017

by Nina Martyris

Anyone who has read or seen Victor Hugo's masterpiece knows the plot turns on the theft of a simple loaf of bread. There was no sharper barometer of economic status in 19th-century France than bread.

Books

Authoring An Author's Life In 'Mikhail and Margarita'

7:52am March 19, 2017

Julie Lekstrom Himes talks about her novel Mikhail and Margarita. It is a fictional account of the life of Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov, who wrote the classic The Master and Margarita.