Author Interviews

Books
Arts

Chris Cleve's WWII Novel Draws From Family's Bravery

7:59am May 07, 2016

NPR's Lynn Neary asks Chris Cleve about his new novel "Everyone Brave if Forgiven." He wanted to write about Randolph Churchill's World War II experiences but discovered surprising inspiration.

Books
Arts

After 20 Years On The Job, NYC Police Officer Tells His Intense Stories

3:40pm May 06, 2016

"Your heart is pounding; your adrenaline is shooting out of your ears," retired police officer Steve Osborne says. "And you got one second to get it right." Originally broadcast April 21, 2015.

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The University of Louisville's marching band leaves the Churchill Downs infield after performing the state song at the Kentucky Derby.

Churchill Downer: The Forgotten Racial History Of Kentucky's State Song

10:32am May 06, 2016

by NPR Staff

"My Old Kentucky Home" is sung every year at the Kentucky Derby. Written in 1852 as an anti-slavery ballad, the song has a more sinister meaning upon closer examination.

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Crepes are a cousin of the enchilada, says Mexican chef Pati Jinich. A vestige of French intervention in Mexico, crepes are now considered classics of Mexican gastronomy. (Above) Jinich's crepe enchiladas with corn, poblano chiles and squash in an avocado

Crepes For Cinco De Mayo? Chef Pati Jinich Explains Por Qué

10:19pm May 05, 2016

by Maria Godoy

The holiday commemorates a Mexican victory against French invaders, whose culinary imprint lingers. In her new cookbook, Jinich explores Mexico's evolving cuisine and its many immigrant influences.

Newly Released Documents Detail Traumas Of China's Cultural Revolution

1:44pm May 05, 2016

Historian Frank Dikötter says newly opened archives offer fresh details about the chaos China experienced in the 1960s, when Chairman Mao urged students to take to the streets.

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Books
Arts

Novelist Richard Russo: 'I Find Myself Now ... Having Lived The American Dream'

11:11am May 05, 2016

by NPR Staff

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author says his blue-collar grandfather would have been astonished by the life Russo leads. His new book, Everybody's Fool, is a sequel to 1993's Nobody's Fool.

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Empty storefronts line the streets of Northern Cambria, Pa., Jennifer Haigh's hometown.

'Heat And Light' Digs For The Soul Of Coal Country

6:44pm May 04, 2016

by Lynn Neary

Jennifer Haigh grew up in small town Pennsylvania, where jobs disappeared when coal mines closed. Her new novel explores the changes that mining — and now fracking — has brought to nearby communities.

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Books
Arts

To Play Sports Under Taliban Rule, 'Different Kind Of Daughter' Dressed As A Boy

1:33pm May 04, 2016

Growing up in the tribal region of Pakistan, Maria Toorpakai pretended she was a boy in order to compete as a weightlifter. Later she became an internationally known squash player.

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Books
Arts

'Neither Snow Nor Rain' Celebrates History Of U.S. Postal Service

5:46pm May 03, 2016

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with author Devin Leonard whose new book, Neither Snow Nor Rain, celebrates the history of the U.S. Postal Service.

Exene Cervenka and John Doe perform in Hollywood in September 2004. "The first person I ever saw jump into the audience was me," Cervenka tells Fresh Air.

A Personal History Of L.A. Punk: 'It Was A Free-For-All For Outcasts'

12:08pm May 03, 2016

John Doe, Exene Cervenka and Dave Alvin of X join Fresh Air to discuss punk's early days. "Anybody could belong to punk that wanted to be there," Cervenka says. "[It] didn't matter how old you were."

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