Author Interviews

Books

'The Sense of Wonder' combines the author's love of basketball and Korean dramas

5:10am January 19, 2023

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Korean-American author Matthew Salesses about his new novel which draws from his own experience of trying to fit in, while feeling like an outsider.

'Master Slave Husband Wife,' details a couple's journey from slavery to freedom

5:08am January 18, 2023

NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with Ilyon Woo about her new book — Master Slave Husband Wife — which details the account of Ellen and William Craft escaping slavery.

The U.S. faces 'unprecedented uncertainty' regarding abortion law, legal scholar says

1:44pm January 17, 2023

by Terry Gross

Roe author Mary Ziegler has chronicled the legal, political and cultural battles around abortion, and says the debate is far from over: "We're at the very beginning of something very confusing."

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Books

Author George M. Johnson on the need to tell all people's stories

5:09am January 17, 2023

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to George M. Johnson about the memoir, All Boys Aren't Blue, which has become one of the most banned books in the U.S. (Story aired on Morning Edition on Oct. 25, 2022.)

Encore: Brandon Kyle Goodman embraces their authentic self in 'You Gotta Be You'

5:46pm January 16, 2023

NPR's Ailsa Chang chats with Brandon Kyle Goodman about their book You Gotta Be You: How to Embrace This Messy Life and Step Into Who You Really Are.

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Books
Arts

Want to understand the U.S.? This historian says the South holds the key

12:27pm January 16, 2023

by Dave Davies

Imani Perry says the South can be seen as an "origin point" for the way the nation operates. Her book South to America traces the steps of an enslaved ancestor. Originally broadcast Jan. 25, 2022.

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Books

Jessica Johns on her novel 'Bad Cree'

8:02am January 15, 2023

by Ayesha Rascoe

Vivid nightmares become too real: NPR's Ayesha Rascoe talks with Jessica Johns about her novel, "Bad Cree." It's about a young woman dealing with the loss of her sister and with supernatural forces.

National

Here's who really wins and loses in American lotteries

6:36pm January 14, 2023

Jonathan Cohen, author of "For a Dollar and a Dream: State Lotteries in Modern America," talks with host Michel Martin about the Mega Millions Jackpot and the U.S. lottery system as a whole.

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'Beaverland' author deep dives into how beavers shaped America

5:28pm January 14, 2023

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with environmental journalist Leila Philip about her new book, Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America.

Books

John Hendrickson on his new memoir 'Life on Delay'

7:58am January 14, 2023

by Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon talks with writer John Hendrickson. His new memoir, "Life on Delay," details his struggle with stuttering.