'Numero Zero' Reprises Umberto Eco's Fascination With 'Losers'
Italian author Umberto Eco died yesterday at the age of 84. We recall last year's conversation between the author and Scott Simon.
Author Interviews
In 'Doubter's Almanac,' Troubled Math Genius Tries To Solve The Unsolvable
Author Ethan Canin says two odd talents contributed to his main character becoming a mathematician: He can always tell where he is on Earth and he can draw things perfectly.
More Died On This WWII Ship Than On The Titanic And Lusitania Combined
On its final voyage, Germany's Wilhelm Gustloff carried soldiers and thousands of civilians, many of them children. Young adult author Ruta Sepetys revisits the ship's 1945 sinking in Salt to the Sea.
Welcome To 'Koreatown,' A Cookbook To Tempt American Taste Buds
From LA to New York, Chef Deuki Hong and writer Matt Rodbard spent two years eating in Korean-American communities. Their new cookbook captures both well-known and obscure flavors of this cuisine.
'Strange Gods' Chronicles The History Of Secularism And Conversion
Journalist Susan Jacoby tells Fresh Air that more than half of Americans will change religion at least once in their adult life time. Her new book is Strange Gods: A Secular History of Conversion.
Columbine Shooter's Mother: I Carry Him 'Everywhere I Go, Always'
Sue Klebold says she wishes she'd asked her son Dylan "the kinds of questions that would've encouraged him to open up." Published 17 years after the massacre, her new memoir is A Mother's Reckoning.
'Narconomics': How The Drug Cartels Operate Like Wal-Mart And McDonald's
The cartels' business models are similar to those of big-box stores and franchises, says Tom Wainwright, former Mexico City bureau chief for The Economist. His new book is Narconomics.
'Breaking Wild' Explores Dark Spaces In Nature And In Ourselves
David Greene talks to author Diane Les Becquets about her new novel Breaking Wild which vividly evokes Colorado's rugged backcountry.
'Indentured' Explores Efforts To Fight Mistreatment Of College Athletes
College sports rake in billions, but the athletes' pay just covers college costs. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with author Joe Nocera about Indentured: The Inside Story of the Rebellion Against the NCAA.
Don't Be Fooled, 'The Vegetarian' Serves Up Appetites For Fright
In "The Vegetarian," a young woman is tormented by violent dreams that drive her to give up meat. Author Han Kang says that extremes of human behavior compelled her to write the book.