Book News & Features

Empty storefronts line the streets of Northern Cambria, Pa., Jennifer Haigh's hometown.

'Heat And Light' Digs For The Soul Of Coal Country

6:44pm May 04, 2016

by Lynn Neary

Jennifer Haigh grew up in small town Pennsylvania, where jobs disappeared when coal mines closed. Her new novel explores the changes that mining — and now fracking — has brought to nearby communities.

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Cairo's Tahrir Square (seen here in January) isn't actually a square — it's a traffic circle. And today, years after it was the site of anti-government demonstrations, it's a beautifully manicured, sterile space.

From Tahrir To Tiananmen, 'City Squares' Can't Escape Their History

12:07pm May 02, 2016

by Lynn Neary

Governments have tried to erase the evidence of some squares' troubled pasts, but that doesn't mean they've been forgotten. A new book gathers writers' thoughts about famous squares around the world.

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"Manly health!" Whitman wrote in the New York Atlas. "Is there not a kind of charm -- a fascinating magic in the words?" The poet is seen here in an engraving that appeared in several editions of Leaves of Grass.

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Song Of My Self-Help: Follow Walt Whitman's 'Manly Health' Tips (Or Maybe Don't)

6:49am April 30, 2016

by NPR Staff

In 1858, the poet published a series of advice columns — titled "Manly Health and Training" — in which he recommends wearing a beard, taking a cold bath every morning and avoiding condiments.

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Activist, Professor, Historian — Now A Poetry Pulitzer Prize Winner

9:36am April 23, 2016

Peter Balakian is the author of "Ozone Journal," winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. Scott Simon talks with Balakian about how the collection has changed since he began writing decades ago.

George Plimpton Reissues Books That Took Us Inside The Game

9:36am April 23, 2016

Seven of the the late George Plimpton's sports books are being re-released. NPR's Scott Simon talks with sportscaster Bob Costas about the collection.

Chilean writer and poet Pablo Neruda, after being awarded the 1971 Nobel Prize in Literature.

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'The Lost Neruda' Can Now Be Found In 'Then Come Back'

6:42pm April 19, 2016

by Jasmine Garsd

In 2014, archivists were combing through Pablo Neruda's files when they came upon some unknown works. These writings have been translated into English and are now being published in a new collection.

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You Can Go Home Again: The Transformative Joy Of Rereading

10:00am April 17, 2016

by Juan Vidal

Returning to a book you've read before can feel like getting a drink with an old friend. But even though the book's the same, you yourself may have changed — and that's what makes rereading so rich.

Following in the footsteps of authors like Charles Dickens, Julian Fellowes will release Belgravia as a serial.

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'Downton' Creator Brings Drama On The Installment Plan In 'Belgravia'

12:23pm April 14, 2016

by NPR Staff

Julian Fellowes' new novel is a twist on the form Charles Dickens made famous: the serial. Belgravia, the story of an ambitious family in 19th century England, will be released in chapters via an app.

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Robert McCloskey was still a young artist when he brought a crate of ducks back to his studio apartment to do some sketches. Since then, the plucky Mallard family (Jack, Lack, Mack, et al.) has charmed its way into our hearts.

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Make Way For Celebration: These Ducklings Are Turning 75

4:00pm April 12, 2016

by Lynn Neary

Robert McCloskey was a young artist when he brought a crate of ducks back to his studio apartment. Since then, the plucky Mallard family (Jack, Lack, Mack, et al.) has charmed its way into our hearts.

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Beverly Cleary, shown during a story hour in the park, was a children's librarian before she became an author. "Boys particularly asked: Where were the books about kids like us? And there weren't any at that time," she recalls.

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Beverly Cleary Is Turning 100, But She Has Always Thought Like A Kid

6:36pm April 11, 2016

by Melissa Jaeger-Miller

Before she became an author, Beverly Cleary was a children's librarian. She says young readers often asked for books "about kids like us." There weren't any, so she decided to write them herself.

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