Lessons for living a happy life, according to science
NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Dr. Robert Waldinger, one of the authors of The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study on Happiness.
Author Interviews
Darrin Bell's graphic memoir 'The Talk' references a shared experience among Black parents
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial Darrin Bell about his graphic memoir, "The Talk." The title refers to talks about racism Black parents often give their kids.
Luis Alberto Urrea on his new novel 'Good Night, Irene
NPR's Scott Simon talks with Luis Alberto Urrea about his new novel, "Good Night, Irene." It's based on his own mother's experiences working for the Red Cross in Europe during World War II.
Henry Hoke on 'Open Throat', his novel inspired by Los Angeles's mountain lion P-22
Henry Hoke's new novel "Open Throat" follows the perspective of a hungry mountain lion. NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Hoke, who was inspired by the real life story of the cat "P-22" in Los Angeles.
Mary Trump, E. Jean Carroll and Jennifer Taub launch romance novel on Substack
Love works in mysterious ways. The unlikely trio has teamed up on a story called The Italian Lesson. "An American woman goes to a hill town in Tuscany, opens a café, meets this hunk," Trump says.
NASA is sending an Ada Limón poem to Jupiter's moon Europa — and maybe your name too?
U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón has written a poem that will fly on NASA's Europa Clipper, which will explore one of Jupiter's moons. And you can add your name to the poem.
A novelist's time in the MMA cage informed his book on memory loss and identity
John Vercher trained in mixed martial arts as a young man. His novel, After the Lights Go Out, centers on a veteran MMA fighter who struggles to remember things. Originally broadcast June 28, 2022.
Poet Kwame Alexander reflects on 'Why Fathers Cry at Night'
"I'm not a grown man — I'm a growing man," Alexander says. His new memoir started as a book of love poems, but ended up being a collection of essays and poems about love, divorce and raising children.
Former FBI Director James Comey has a new title: crime novelist
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly speaks with former FBI Director James Comey about his new thriller Central Park West.
Why our allergies are getting worse —and what to do about it
From excessive hygiene to low-fiber diets, author Theresa MacPhail explores the deep-rooted causes of rising allergy rates in her new book Allergic.