Author Interviews

Twee is an almost paradoxical combination of the hypermaterialistic and artisanal and crafted, says Marc Spitz, author of Twee: The Gentle Revolution in Music, Books, Television, Fashion and Film.

Books

Beyond The Bird On It: 'Twee Is About Shopping'

2:04pm December 22, 2014

by NPR Staff

Cutesy, homespun goods that combine old-fashioned and modern aesthetics are proliferating. But don't be mistaken: There's a powerful economic force behind it all, says author Marc Spitz.

Queue Listen Now

Books

Bridwell Created A Big Red Dog That Grew With Readers' Love

11:39am December 20, 2014

Norman Bridwell, the beloved creator of the classic children's book character, Clifford the Big Red Dog, died last week. NPR's Scott Simon remembers the author.

Queue Listen Now

Geoffrey Chaucer died in 1400 — but somehow, he's on Twitter now — and he's here to answer your holiday questions!

Books
Arts

Gentlefolk All, Survive Your Holidays With Help From Chaucer

7:03am December 20, 2014

by LeVostreGC

Who better to help you through the stresses and strains of a modern Christmas than a 14th-century English poet? Yes, Geoffrey Chaucer is online now, and he's here for all your holiday advice needs.

Books
Arts

How Author John Safran Lost A Year In Mississippi

7:51pm December 17, 2014

God'll Cut You Down is a new book based on the tangled true story about the murder of a white supremacist by a black hustler. NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with the book's author, John Safran.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

Between World Wars, Gay Culture Flourished In Berlin

1:32pm December 17, 2014

In Gay Berlin, Robert Beachy describes the rise of a gay subculture in the 1920s and '30s, how it contributed to our understanding of gay identity and how it was eradicated by the Nazis.

Queue Listen Now

25 Years Ago, 'Darkness Visible' Broke Ground Detailing Depression

11:29am December 17, 2014

Renee Montagne talks to writer Andrew Solomon, who has chronicled his own battle with depression, about how William Styron's work opened up discussions of mental illness.

Queue Listen Now

The comic book superhero Priya survived a rape and now fights violence against women.

India's New Comic Book Hero Fights Rape, Rides On The Back Of A Tiger

6:46pm December 16, 2014

by Rhitu Chatterjee

Her name is Priya and she is the star of a new graphic novel in India. After she is gang-raped, her family and neighbors shun her — but then a Hindu goddess grants her special powers.

Pages from El Deafo by Cece Bell. Click here to enlarge.

Books
Arts

'El Deafo': How A Girl Turned Her Disability Into A Superpower

1:59pm December 15, 2014

by NPR Staff

Navigating elementary school is already hard enough — try adding in a bulky metal hearing aid. Cece Bell's new young adult graphic memoir captures the experience in a poignant and humorous way.

Queue Listen Now

How 'Putin's Kleptocracy' Made His Friends Rich

6:40pm December 13, 2014

Karen Dawisha's new book Putin's Kleptocracy: Who Owns Russia shows how Russian president Vladimir Putin has enabled his cronies to become enormously wealthy under his kleptocratic rule.

Queue Listen Now

Scott Saul is an associate professor of English at the University of California, Berkeley and author of Freedom is Freedom Ain't: Jazz and the Making of the Sixties.

Books
Arts

Richard Pryor, A Comedy Pioneer Who Was 'Always Whittling On Dynamite'

3:14pm December 11, 2014

Scott Saul's new book, Becoming Richard Pryor, describes how Pryor went from being raised by a grandmother, who was a bootlegger and madam, to being a transformative figure in entertainment.

Queue Listen Now