Author Interviews

Books
Arts

Rose Tremain On Her New Novel, 'The Gustav Sonata'

8:57am October 02, 2016

Gustav Perle is a young boy growing up in Switzerland after World War II. And the defining factor in his life is that his mother does not love him. The Gustav Sonata is Rose Tremain's 13th novel.

Phoebe Robinson is a stand-up comic, writer and actor. She is the creator and co-host of the podcast 2 Dope Queens and the host of the podcast Sooo Many White Guys.

Books
Arts

No, 'You Can't Touch My Hair' And Other Lessons From Comic Phoebe Robinson

8:38am October 02, 2016

by NPR Staff

In her new book, the stand-up comic and podcast host writes about what it's like to be black and female in America. "Black hair seems to raise a lot of nonblack people's blood pressure," she writes.

Books
Arts

Overwhelmed Mom Seeks 'A Basic Amount Of Dignity' In 'Today Will Be Different'

8:38am October 02, 2016

by NPR Staff

Today, Eleanor Flood will only wear yoga clothes for yoga — which today she will actually attend. Novelist Maria Semple says her frazzled heroine "has decided ... to set the bar very low for herself."

Sports
Books

Former NFL Player Nate Jackson Wades Into The 'Brutality' Of Fantasy Football

5:12pm October 01, 2016

Former NFL player Nate Jackson's new book Fantasy Man explores the growing business and competitiveness behind fantasy football.

Authors Talk Politics: Junot Diaz On Election 2016

9:01am October 01, 2016

For the latest in our "Let's Talk Politics" series NPR's Scott Simon talks to Pulitzer Prize winning author Junot Diaz about this election year.

Books
Arts

'Cruel Beautiful World' Was Inspired By Two Haunting Relationships

8:28am October 01, 2016

by NPR Staff

Before novelist Caroline Leavitt started dating a controlling boyfriend, she had tragically lost a friend to one. She says writing her new book was "a way for me to forgive myself."

Lutheran Minister Preaches A Gospel Of Love To Junkies, Drag Queens And Outsiders

1:44pm September 30, 2016

Nadia Bolz-Weber was a standup comic who opened up a church with a mission to "remind people that they're absolutely loved." Her memoir is Accidental Saints. Originally published Sept. 17, 2015.

Queue Listen Now

Toasting with Champagne is not just for holidays and formal occasions.

Books
Arts

A Growing Champagne Trend Is Uncorking More Ways To Celebrate

10:01am September 30, 2016

by Alicia Cypress

Champagne shouldn't be just for special occasions, says wine writer David White. He explains how to choose it, how to pair it with food and how small growers are changing the industry.

Carli Lloyd takes a corner kick during a 2010 international friendly match between the U.S. and Mexico in Sandy, Utah.

How Carli Lloyd Became A Soccer Star 'When Nobody Was Watching'

12:21pm September 29, 2016

by NPR Staff

Lloyd's journey to success was long and hard-fought. In her new memoir, she describes how she nearly quit playing soccer and reveals painful details about her strained relationship with her parents.

Queue Listen Now

'Kingdom' Examines Afghanistan Through The Prism Of The Karzai Family

2:05pm September 27, 2016

Journalist Joshua Partlow was in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2012, a time of corruption, government dysfunction and civilian hostility to U.S. military operations. His new book is A Kingdom of Their Own.

Queue Listen Now