Author Interviews

Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield has spent a total of six months in space. In his new book, he writes that getting to space took only "8 minutes and 42 seconds. Give or take a few thousand days of training."

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Astronaut Chris Hadfield Brings Lessons From Space Down To Earth

2:30pm October 31, 2013

The former International Space Station commander achieved Internet stardom with his in-space rendition of David Bowie's "Space Oddity." After three missions and a total of six months in space he shares what he's learned in a new book, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth.

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The Sandman: Overture explores the back story of the central character, Orpheus, to explain how he wound up in captivity at the start of The Sandman.

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Recurring Dream: Morpheus Returns In Gaiman's 'Sandman' Prequel

10:54am October 31, 2013

by NPR Staff

The last issue of Neil Gaiman's Sandman comics came out a decade ago. Now, the author returns to Dream's world with a prequel series, The Sandman: Overture. Gaiman speaks with NPR's Steve Inskeep about the freedom of starting something new and why he, like all writers, is a Sandman himself.

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In Memoir, Linda Ronstadt Describes Her 'Simple Dreams'

10:37am October 30, 2013

Last month, Ronstadt revealed that she has Parkinson's disease and can no longer sing. Her new memoir, Simple Dreams, reflects on a long career. In this conversation with Fresh Air's Terry Gross, she offers frank insights on sex, drugs, and why "competition was for horse races."

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Johnny Cash: The Life delves more deeply into Cash's dark side than the 2005 film Walk the Line.

Biography Doesn't Hold Back On Darkest Years Of 'The Man In Black'

7:49am October 30, 2013

by NPR Staff

Through all the pain and redemption, "Johnny Cash was a good man," author Robert Hilburn tells NPR's David Greene. Hilburn's new biography of the late country singer is titled Johnny Cash: The Life.

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Botched Investigation Fuels Kennedy Conspiracy Theories

3:11pm October 28, 2013

It's been 50 years since President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and polls show that a majority of Americans still believe Kennedy was the victim of a conspiracy, not a lone assassin. Philip Shenon, author of A Cruel and Shocking Act, explores what keeps these conspiracy theories alive.

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'We Walk In Circles,' Pursuing Dreams And Finding Creativity

5:59pm October 27, 2013

by NPR Staff

Daniel Alarcon's new novel is set in an unnamed, war-scarred Latin American country. The protagonist, Nelson, is an aspiring playwright — though he doesn't pursue his dreams with much diligence. Alarcon discusses his own views on working as an artist and his creative process.

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Drawing Rock 'N' Roll And Sympathy Into Frankenstein's World

8:01pm October 26, 2013

by NPR Staff

In his graphic novel adaptation of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein, illustrator Gris Grimly says he wants to make the story more accessible. "The first time I tried to read Frankenstein, I didn't get through it," he says.

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'Wheelmen' Exposes Doping Culture And The Armstrong 'Conspiracy'

5:33pm October 24, 2013

Wall Street Journal reporters Reed Albergotti and Vanessa O'Connell say that champion cyclist Lance Armstrong was at the center of "the greatest sports conspiracy ever." Their book chronicles everything from group blood transfusions on the team bus to extensive efforts to silence and intimidate those who might expose the abuse.

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'Blockbusters': Go Big Or Go Home, Says Harvard Professor

11:54am October 24, 2013

by NPR Staff

Anita Elberse's new book, Blockbusters, examines the strategy behind making and marketing megahits. She tells NPR's Renee Montagne that content companies — publishers, movie studios and the like — can create blockbusters by dedicating most of their budgets to a select few likely winners.

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How to Fail at Almost Everything, by Scott Adams

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Scott Adams Explains 'How To Fail At Almost Everything' (Except Dilbert)

3:37pm October 22, 2013

by NPR Staff

Adams managed to turn his failure at office work into a gigantic success — a syndicated comic strip about a hapless, cubicle-bound engineer. In his new book, How To Fail At Almost Everything And Still Win Big, Adams offers some sage advice such as: "Goals are for losers."

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