Books

She Persisted: Harriet Tubman, by Andrea Davis Pinkney

Books
Arts

'She Persisted,' Now In Chapter Book Form, Brings History To Life

10:00am January 30, 2021

by Juanita Giles

Chelsea Clinton has turned her She Persisted series of picture books into a new series of chapter books, written by prominent kids' authors. The new books really take readers inside historical lives.

Books

Cherie Jones' Debut Novel Sees Characters In Paradise Put Through Hell

7:54am January 30, 2021

NPR's Scott Simon speak with author Cherie Jones about her new novel, HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSE.

Amanda Gorman, the country's first National Youth Poet Laureate, recited her poetry at President Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20.

Amanda Gorman — And Poetry — Will Be Part Of Super Bowl LV

1:08pm January 29, 2021

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

Fresh from her burst into the literary stratosphere after her appearance at President Biden's inauguration, poet Amanda Gorman will recite a new poem during the Super Bowl LV pre-show next Sunday.

Soul City: Race, Equality, and the Lost Dream of an American Utopia, by Thomas Healy

In 'Soul City,' One Man Envisions A Place Where Black People Have Power, Opportunity

7:10am January 29, 2021

by Michael Schaub

Author Thomas Healy chronicles how, in 1969, Floyd McKissick went about building a city from scratch, only to have his dreams dashed by a combination of prejudice and bureaucracy.

Books

'My Year Abroad' Is A Fun Excursion — Just A Little Light On Substance

2:37pm January 28, 2021

by Maureen Corrigan

Chang-rae Lee's new novel follows an aimless college student on his year overseas, taking readers from the New Jersey suburbs into some of the more luxurious reaches of Asian megacities.

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Journalist Jon Fasman says local police departments are increasingly using powerful surveillance tools — with little oversight.

Surveillance And Local Police: How Technology Is Evolving Faster Than Regulation

8:30am January 28, 2021

by Dave Davies

Journalist Jon Fasman says local police are frequently able to access very powerful surveillance tools with little oversight. He writes about the threat to privacy in We See It All.

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Vera Gissing, shown above at age 6, was one of 669 children from Prague whom Nicholas Winton helped save in the lead-up to World War II.

Books
Arts

He Saved 669 Children From Nazis — A New Book Tells His Story To Kids

6:04pm January 27, 2021

by Elizabeth Blair

In Nicky & Vera, Peter Sís chronicles the work of Nicholas Winton, who helped hundreds of kids escape Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia in 1939.

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Books

Janice Nimura On Telling The Story Of The First Women Medical Doctors

4:18pm January 27, 2021

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Janice Nimura about her new book, The Doctors Blackwell, which tells the story of two of the first women medical doctors, sisters Elizabeth and Emily Blackwell.

Joan Didion attends The American Theatre Wing's 2012 Annual Gala at The Plaza Hotel on Sept. 24, 2012 in New York City.

Books
Arts

Joan Didion's 'Let Me Tell You What I Mean' Offers Plenty Of 'Journalistic Gold'

9:37am January 27, 2021

by Heller McAlpin

What's particularly salient in this book of previously uncollected essays is Didion's trademark farsightedness — especially striking decades later. But it does leave one wishing to hear from her now.

Books

'We Need To Hang Out' Aims To Remedy Struggles Some People Have To Connect

8:10am January 27, 2021

Studies have shown men have trouble maintaining close friendships, and that has detrimental effects. NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Boston Globe reporter Billy Baker about his book: We Need to Hang Out.

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