Author Interviews

John Darnielle's first novel was about a teenage boy in a psychiatric institution who is obsessed with heavy metal.

As A Lyricist And Novelist, The Mountain Goats' Lead Man Writes About Pain

10:50am November 17, 2014

John Darnielle's novel, Wolf in White Van, is about a man who survives a trauma. The songwriter tells Fresh Air about his difficult childhood and finding shelter in music and the Incredible Hulk.

Queue Listen Now

Daum has written several other books, including Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived In That House, and is also a columnist for the Los Angeles Times.

Books
Arts

For One Essayist, 'The Unspeakable' Isn't Off-Limits

10:20pm November 16, 2014

by NPR Staff

Meghan Daum's new collection looks at life in that awkward stage of adulthood that comes before you'd call yourself middle-aged. "Are we in the twilight of youth?" she asks. "That sounds not good."

Queue Listen Now

During a 1938 vacation to his hometown, Glenn Kurtz's grandfather filmed the townspeople of Nasielsk, a Jewish community in Poland, just before World War II.

Books
Arts

Family Film Offers Glimpse Of 'Three Minutes In Poland' Before Holocaust

12:25pm November 16, 2014

by NPR Staff

In 1938, Glenn Kurtz's grandfather went on vacation and filmed a few minutes of footage of his Polish hometown. Seventy years later, his grandson set out to find the people who appeared in that film.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

The King Of Housewives Dishes Pop Culture's Delightful Dirt

12:25pm November 16, 2014

Pop culture juggernaut Andy Cohen has written a new memoir, The Andy Cohen Diaries. He speaks to NPR's Rachel Martin about why celebrity fascinates him and how he went from journalism to reality TV.

Queue Listen Now

Books
Arts

Shriver Finds Wisdom Among The Intellectually Disabled

10:21am November 15, 2014

Timothy Shriver's new memoir is a look at the inspirational people he met as chairman of the Special Olympics. NPR's Scott Simon talks to Shriver about his book, Fully Alive.

Queue Listen Now

Richard Ford, 70, says he "went through life thinking that when you got to be in your 60s that basically you weren't good for much."

Books
Arts

Author Richard Ford Says 'Let Me Be Frank' About Aging And Dying

9:11am November 13, 2014

The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer's new book centers on Frank Bascombe, a 68-year-old man dealing with his aging body, a dying friend and his ex-wife, who has Parkinson's.

Queue Listen Now

In Father's Biography, George W. Bush Says He Didn't Inherit Iraq

11:48am November 12, 2014

George W. Bush also uses the new book to reflect on his own legacy. On Wednesday's Morning Edition you can hear his thoughts about his decisions on Iraq and the current situation there.

Queue Listen Now

Former President George W. Bush (right) and his father, former President George H.W. Bush, wave as they leave a family wedding in Washington, D.C., in May 2006.

43 On 41: A President Traces The Life Of His Father

9:16am November 12, 2014

Former President George W. Bush sits down with host David Greene to discuss his new book, 41, a biography of his father and fellow former President George H.W. Bush.

Queue Listen Now

George W. Bush's Book Reflects On Moscow, Ukraine's Revolution

8:09am November 12, 2014

by David Greene

Former President George W. Bush discusses how his father dealt with the fall of the Soviet Union, and how his own policies toward former Soviet republics affected the U.S. relationship with Moscow.

Queue Listen Now

Bush 41 And 43 Share Common Enemy: Saddam Hussein

8:09am November 12, 2014

Former President George W. Bush discusses with NPR's David Greene how both he and his father, former President George H.W. Bush, waged war against Saddam Hussein, and the state of Iraq today.

Queue Listen Now