Author Interviews

From Medical Maggots To Stench Soup, 'Grunt' Explores The Science Of Warfare

4:14pm May 31, 2016

When it comes to curiosity, science writer Mary Roach describes herself as someone who is "very out there." Her new book, Grunt, looks at some scientific developments that help keep soldiers safe.

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Heather Shumaker encourages "renegade parenting."

Parenting Pitfalls: Renegades, Privilege And Putting On The Boxing Gloves

5:31pm May 29, 2016

Heather Shumaker and Stephanie Land are two parenting writers with different ideas about how class and conventional wisdom shape the modern view of parenting.

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Books
Arts

'Rolling The R's' Is A Story About Coming Of Age And Coming Out

5:14pm May 29, 2016

Rolling the R's tells the stories of restless teenagers in the disco era in a gritty neighborhood in Hawaii. Author R. Zamora Linmark discusses the book's impact, 20 years after it first came out.

Levison Wood walked 1,700 miles, from Afghanistan to Bhutan along the Himalayan Mountain range. He says that seeing Everest, the highest mountain in the world was "just magical."

Adventurer Says 'Walking The Himalayas' Wasn't About 'Sticking Flags In Peaks'

9:56am May 29, 2016

by NPR Staff

Levison Wood, who previously walked the length of the Nile River, has now trekked 1,700 miles, from Afghanistan to Bhutan, along the Himalayan mountain range.

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Books
Arts

'Sweetbitter' Is A Savory Saga Of Restaurant Life And Love

9:55am May 29, 2016

by NPR Staff

Oysters, cocaine, fine wine, love triangles: Stephanie Danler's debut novel Sweetbitter follows a year in the life of a young woman working at a top-tier Manhattan restaurant.

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From Alaska To The Himalayas, 'Voyager' Embarks On Self-Discovery

8:15am May 28, 2016

NPR's Scott Simon talks with writer Russell Banks about his new book, "Voyager." It's a collection of travel writing that also reads like a memoir.

Chef Eddie Huang On Cultural Identity And 'Intestine Sticky Rice Hot Dog'

7:01pm May 27, 2016

by NPR Staff

Huang and his brothers, Evan and Emery, headed to China to reconnect with their culture, to eat lots and lots of food — and to cook. He's documented his travels in his new book, Double Cup Love.

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Moby's new memoir, Porcelain, is a tale of dance clubs, DJs, and New York City in the 1990s.

In 'Porcelain,' Moby Searches For Validation And Finds Unlikely Success

9:00am May 26, 2016

by NPR Staff

The electronic musician's new memoir traces his journey from Connecticut suburbs to New York City raves. It's a tale of dance clubs, DJs and Manhattan in the 1990s full of self-deprecating humor.

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'Mirror Test' Reflects On The Consequences Of The Wars In Iraq And Afghanistan

1:31pm May 25, 2016

While serving as a State Department adviser in Iraq and Afghanistan, J. Kael Weston instigated a military mission that resulted the death of 31 service members. His memoir revisits the tragedy of war.

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Books
Arts

In An Alternate 19th Century London, Sins Are Marked With 'Smoke'

11:12am May 25, 2016

NPR's Audie Cornish speaks with Dan Vyleta about his novel, Smoke. It's set in an alternate 19th century London, where the morally corrupt are marked by a smoke that pours from their bodies.

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