Book News & Features

6 Novelists Withdraw From Event Honoring 'Charlie Hebdo' For Free Speech

3:40pm April 27, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

Peter Carey and Rachel Kushner are among those who are withdrawing in protest from the PEN American Center's annual gala. Kushner says she is uncomfortable with Charlie Hebdo's "cultural intolerance."

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Arts

'Orhan's Inheritance' Is The Weight Of History

10:59am April 18, 2015

by Lynn Neary

Aline Ohanesian's debut novel attempts to make sense of the events of 100 years ago, when the Ottoman Empire began forcing Armenians out of their homes in Turkey, leaving more than a million dead.

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German writer GÃ¼nter Grass, seen here in 2006, died at a clinic in LÃ¼beck, Germany. He was 87.

Günter Grass, Nobel-Winning Author Of 'The Tin Drum,' Dies At 87

4:02pm April 13, 2015

by Krishnadev Calamur

Grass was one of Germany's leading intellectuals after World War II, but admitted in 2006 that he had served in the Waffen SS. News of his death was announced by his publisher.

Musicians Kevin Drew, Damon Fox, Courtney Love and Andy Kim perform onstage during the 60th anniversary celebration of Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" Tuesday at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles.

I Saw The All-Stars Of Our Generation Honor Allen Ginsberg's 'Howl'

3:05pm April 13, 2015

by Mandalit DelBarco

This year marks the 60th anniversary of Ginsberg's once-controversial poem. A group of musicians and actors put on a show in Los Angeles this week in celebration of Ginsberg and his iconic poem.

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Books

In 'William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace,' Jar Jar Binks Plays the Fool

7:30pm April 10, 2015

Jar Jar Binks is one of the most reviled Star Wars characters. But in the hands of Ian Doescher, author of William Shakespeare's The Phantom of Menace: Star Wars Part the First.

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Arts

Meditating On Maisie Dobbs, Our Favorite Intuitive Detective Psychologist

2:35pm April 10, 2015

by Bobbi Dumas

This trip in the Time Machine, we're looking back at Jacqueline Winspear's well-loved Maisie Dobbs books. Reviewer Bobbi Dumas says there are interesting times ahead for the nurse-turned-sleuth.

The celebrated poet Maya Angelou crafted a number of lines that have resonated with her readers â but the one on this stamp, it turns out, isn't one of them.

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Arts

USPS Picks Perfect Line For Maya Angelou Stamp — If Only It Were Hers

6:10pm April 09, 2015

by Colin Dwyer

A limited-edition stamp from the U.S. Postal Service, which was intended to honor the late poet, bears a quote that was actually written by a different author.

With the launch of its e-bookstore on Wednesday, Oyster is, well, turning the page on its business model. And so far, the big publishers are open to the change.

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The 'Netflix Of Books' Hopes To Open Up The E-Book Market

5:49pm April 08, 2015

by Colin Dwyer

Oyster, the subscription e-book service, says it is opening up a retail component and has the Big Five publishers on board. The move sets up Oyster to challenge Amazon.

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Arts

'So That Happened': Confessions Of A Duck-Man

10:00am April 06, 2015

by Eric Deggans

Actor Jon Cryer's new memoir details his life in show business, including, of course, co-star Charlie Sheen's meltdown. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says Cryer's a smart guy who's often been overlooked.

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Brattling After The Pacifire: 'That Should Be A Word'

11:19am April 05, 2015

by NPR Staff

Kinnovator, Fidgital, Bangst. This isn't gibberish. It's the language of Lizzie Skurnick. NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Skurnick about her new book, That Should Be a Word.

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