Author Interviews

A police officer stands guard in Moscow's Red Square.

Journalist: Russia's Interference Is An 'Assault On The Western Liberal Order'

3:42pm January 26, 2017

Luke Harding, the former Moscow Bureau Chief for The Guardian, says that Putin "wants to turn the clock back to an age ... where strong sovereign nations didn't talk about values or human rights."

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The History of U.S. Intervention And The 'Birth Of The American Empire'

1:44pm January 24, 2017

Journalist Stephen Kinzer's book, True Flag, explains how the Spanish-American War launched an ongoing debate about America's role in the world. Kinzer has also been writing about President Trump.

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Though Donald Trump's policies may not help his voters economically, sociologist Arlie Hochschild says he is speaking to them on a deeper level: meeting their emotional needs.

Strangers in Their Own Land: The 'Deep Story' of Trump Supporters

9:42am January 24, 2017

Millions of Americans seem to ignore their own interests when it comes to how they vote. Sociologist Arlie Hochschild thinks we might be turning to politics to meet emotional needs, not economic ones.

'Why Time Flies' Investigates How Humans Experience Time

6:45pm January 23, 2017

NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with Alan Burdick about his book, Why Time Flies. It's an investigation of the sometimes contradictory ways we experience time.

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Books
Arts

'America In Laos' Traces The Militarization Of The CIA

1:30pm January 23, 2017

In the '60s, the CIA began a secret program that aimed to curb Communism by arming and training local fighters in Laos. Author Joshua Kurlantzick calls it "the largest covert operation in US history."

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In 1932, Lola's husband Mitia was drafted into the army, leaving her to care for Tanya, their infant daughter, alone.

Books
Arts

'Soviet Daughter': How A Great-Grandmother's Diary Became A Graphic Novel

8:25am January 22, 2017

by NPR Staff

After her beloved great-grandmother's death, author Julia Alekseyeva discovered her memoirs, bursting with rich details of her life in the USSR enduring wars, pogroms, and purges.

Treating 'Imaginary Illness' In 'Is It All In Your Head?'

8:05am January 22, 2017

Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with neurologist Suzanne O'Sullivan about her new book Is It All In Your Head? O'Sullivan chronicles the stories of patients she's diagnosed with psychosomatic disorders.

Dark at the Crossing, by Elliot Ackerman

Books
Arts

A Failed Revolution And A Failed Marriage In 'Dark At The Crossing'

2:27pm January 21, 2017

by NPR Staff

Elliot Ackerman's new novel Dark at the Crossing follows an Iraqi man who tries to cross into Syria to fight Bashar al-Assad, but gets caught up with a charismatic Syrian exile and his troubled wife.

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Books
Arts

Not My Job: Author Daniel Handler Gets Quizzed On Baggage Handlers

10:32am January 21, 2017

Lemony Snicket, aka Daniel Handler, is the author behind "A Series of Unfortunate Events" and "All the Wrong Questions." He'll answer three questions about the people who handle our luggage.

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Books

Artists Produce Great Works — And Great Romances

8:46am January 21, 2017

Catherine Lacey and Forsyth Harmon talk with Scott Simon about some of the 20th century's greatest artists and their love lives. Their new book is called The Art of the Affair.