Author Interviews

Franklin D. Roosevelt smiled upon hearing that he was leading the 1928 contest for governor of New York, more than six years after he contracted polio.

Books
Arts

Roosevelt's Polio Wasn't A Secret: He Used It To His 'Advantage'

4:07pm November 25, 2013

In The Man He Became, historian James Tobin says, despite misimpressions to the contrary, Americans of Franklin Roosevelt's day were well-aware of his disability — it was an important part of the personal narrative that helped him win the presidency.

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Israeli soldiers work from a Gaza Strip watchtower.

'Promised Land' Wrestles With Israel's Brutal Contradictions

9:01am November 24, 2013

by NPR Staff

Journalist Ari Shavit says Israel must find a way to reconcile its democratic values with the reality of everyday life there. His new book draws from interviews with hundreds of Israelis — both Jews and Arabs — as well as his military experience and Zionist family history.

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An Inside Look That Strips The Face Paint Off The NFL

8:44pm November 23, 2013

by Mike Pesca

Writer Nicholas Dawidoff spent a year living with the New York Jets and came away with a respect for players and coaches that not all fans will like. NPR's Mike Pesca says Dawidoff's new book, Collision Low Crossers: A Year Inside the Turbulent World of NFL Football, demystifies the game as it entrances.

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In a new memoir, Anjelica Huston recounts her childhood in Ireland, her teen years in London and her coming of age in New York.

Books
Arts

Anjelica Huston Tells Her 'Story' Of Growing Up With A Director Dad

2:40pm November 20, 2013

The actor's new memoir, A Story Lately Told, ends just as her Hollywood career is taking off. It covers her early life growing up in Ireland, the daughter of Maltese Falcon director John Huston. The two first collaborated on 1969's Walk With Love And Death, a project that proved disastrous for their relationship.

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Books
Arts

Fresh Air Remembers 'Golden Notebook' Author Doris Lessing

1:24pm November 19, 2013

Lessing's 1962 book was regarded as among the most important feminist novels of its time. She died Sunday. Fresh Air's Terry Gross interviewed Lessing in 1988 and 1992.

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Music & Culture

The Soulful, Swinging Sounds Of Stax: A Look Back

11:22am November 16, 2013

by NPR Staff

Robert Gordon's new book explores the tragedy and triumphs of one of the most unlikely soul labels, an integrated business that produced hits such as Sam and Dave's "Hold On, I'm Coming" and Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness."

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Sports

Pro Wrestling Mythology Plays Out In 'Squared Circle'

11:22am November 16, 2013

Professional wrestling is a big show, full of big characters with elaborate back stories delivering crushing blows in the ring. But, says David Shoemaker, it's also full of real athleticism and pain. Guest host Don Gonyea talks with Shoemaker, also known as "The Masked Man," about his new book, The Squared Circle: Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling.

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Adam Minter has also written for The Atlantic, Foreign Policy and The Wall Street Journal. Junkyard Planet is his first book.

Christmas Lights Make Slippers In Global 'Junkyard' Economy

7:01pm November 13, 2013

The Chinese town of Shijiao is known for recycling discarded Christmas tree lights for their copper and wire insulation, which are then used to support growing economies and make slipper soles, respectively. In Junkyard Planet, Adam Minter explores the business of recycling what developed nations throw away.

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In 'Fire And Forget,' Vets Turned Writers Tell Their War Stories

7:43pm November 11, 2013

Roy Scranton and Jacob Siegel edited and contributed to the collection of short stories by veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They tell Fresh Air about how soldiers cope with the fear of death, and why many soldiers feel conflicted about sharing their experience with a larger audience.

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Detail from Plate 11 of Joe Sacco's The Great War: July 1, 1916: The First Day of the Battle of the Somme. On July 1st, at precisely 7:30 a.m., the attack commences.

Books
Arts

A Panorama Of Devastation: Drawing Of WWI Battle Spans 24 Feet

6:58pm November 10, 2013

by Lynn Neary

Joe Sacco has made a career of tackling difficult subjects through imagery. He's a journalist and cartoonist who has reported on the Middle East and Bosnia — in both written and comic form. In his latest book, The Great War, Sacco turns to history, producing a 24-foot-long depiction of the horrifying first day of the Battle of the Somme.

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