Author Interviews

Books
Arts

What Wakes B.J. Novak Up In The Middle Of The Night?

7:58am January 31, 2014

by Lynn Neary

B.J. Novak is a triple threat. He got his start in show business as a standup comedian which led to a job on the hit comedy series The Office. Novak had a regular part on the show but he was also one of the writers. Now he has put his writing talent to work on a book of stories: One More Thing.

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A boat skims through the melting ice in the Ilulissat fjord in August 2008, on the western coast of Greenland.

Entrepreneurs Looking For 'Windfall' Cash In On Climate Change

2:48pm January 28, 2014

A new book explores the ways melting Arctic ice yield new shipping channels, new oil and gas resources — and potential profits. Journalist McKenzie Funk delves into the "booming business of global warming" in Windfall.

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'Pope And Mussolini' Tells The 'Secret History' Of Fascism And The Church

1:45pm January 27, 2014

It's commonly thought that the Catholic Church fought heroically against the fascists in Italy. But in The Pope and Mussolini, historian David Kertzer says the church actually lent organizational strength and moral legitimacy to Mussolini's regime.

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Books

An Admitted 'Ham' Shares Slices Of Show-Biz Life

12:14pm January 25, 2014

Sixteen short stories of a triumphant, tragic, and most of all, hilarious life in show business make up Sam Harris' new memoir, Ham: Slices of a Life. NPR's Jacki Lyden speaks to Harris about his rise to fame after winning the first season of the 1980's hit TV show Star Search.

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Ann Patchett is an award-winning novelist and memoirist. Her other books include Truth & Beauty, The Magician's Assistant and Run.

Books
Arts

Patchett: In Bad Relationships, 'There Comes A Day When You Gotta Go'

4:58pm January 23, 2014

Ann Patchett got married and divorced young. When she met the man who would eventually become her second husband she said: "I'll be true, I'll be faithful, I'll see you every day ... but I don't want to get married and I don't want to live together." Her new book is This Is The Story of a Happy Marriage.

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Books
Arts

Skeptic Takes A Tour Of Self-Help's 'Promise Land'

3:29pm January 22, 2014

Despite being the daughter of a child psychologist and self-help author, Jessica Lamb-Shapiro has spent most of her life recoiling from the self-help industry. But eventually, her curiosity got the best of her. She tells Fresh Air about self-help's high- and low-brow iterations and the ways the industry helped her address her fears.

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For World Superpowers, The Negotiating Table Often Had A Net

7:44pm January 20, 2014

Melissa Block talks with Nicholas Griffin about his book, Ping-Pong Diplomacy, which explores the importance of the tabletop game in Chinese political history and foreign policy.

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Demonstrators march down Constitution Avenue during the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963.

Books
Arts

The Politics Of Passing 1964's Civil Rights Act

6:35pm January 20, 2014

The act, among other things, ended the era of legal segregation in public accommodations, like restaurants and hotels. This year marks the 50th anniversary of its passage. Author Todd Purdum joins Fresh Air to talk about the legislative and political battles that surrounded it.

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detail from cover of Forgiving the Angel

Books
Arts

Living, And 'Forgiving,' In A Brilliant Writer's Orbit

11:35am January 18, 2014

by NPR Staff

Jay Cantor is a hard author to nail down. He's written about topics as wide-ranging as Che Guevara and Krazy Kat. His latest work expands his range even more, fictionalizing the lives of four of Franz Kafka's friends and lovers. It's called Forgiving the Angel, and Cantor tells NPR's Lynn Neary it's a book born out of gratitude.

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A Strange Composition: Classical Music Meets Bioterror In 'Orfeo'

8:33pm January 17, 2014

by NPR Staff

Richard Powers' new novel tells the story of an avant-garde classical composer who finds himself dabbling in DNA. He "gets obsessed with finding music inside of living things," Powers explains, and, as a fugitive, ends up leading officials on a low-speed chase.

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