Books

Books
Arts

'Kill Switch' Examines The Racist History Of The Senate Filibuster

3:15pm January 12, 2021

by Terry Gross

Adam Jentleson traces the history of the filibuster, which started as a tool of Southern senators upholding slavery and then later became a mechanism to block civil rights legislation.

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'Concrete Rose' Is Angie Thomas' Follow-Up To 'The Hate U Give'

7:42am January 12, 2021

NPR's Noel King talks to young adult author Angie Thomas about her book: Concrete Rose. It goes back in time to tell the story of the parents of Starr Carter, the teenage girl in The Hate U Give.

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Arts

There's Not A Single Off Note In 'That Old Country Music'

7:00am January 12, 2021

by Michael Schaub

In his new story collection, Kevin Barry proves to be a master at evoking the landscapes of both western Ireland and the human heart; he seems to have an innate sense of why people do what they do.

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Arts

Glimmers Of Hope: A 2021 Poetry Preview, Part 1

2:09pm January 11, 2021

This year, critic Craig Morgan Teicher says American poetry has become too big for just one person to cover, so he's invited five colleagues to bring their own perspectives to our 2021 poetry preview.

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Arts

'The Liar's Dictionary' Is A Clever Delight For Language Lovers

1:40pm January 11, 2021

by John Powers

Eley Williams tells the story of two word-mad characters who work for the same dictionary publisher 120 years apart. This novel is perfect for anyone who loves puns, crosswords and witty writing.

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Daniel Loedel Releases Dark New Novel

12:16pm January 10, 2021

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with author Daniel Loedel about his his new novel, Hades, Argentina.

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Author Alyssa Cole Talks Romance And Politics

8:44am January 10, 2021

Writer Alyssa Cole, whose romance books feature Black characters, tells NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro that her novels aren't just inclusive, they are also inherently political.

After the Rain, by Nnedi Okorafor, adapted by John Jennings and David Brame

Books
Arts

To Adapt 'After The Rain,' Artists Cross All Kinds Of Boundaries

7:00am January 10, 2021

by Etelka Lehoczky

A new graphic novel adaptation of Nnedi Okorafor's story "After the Rain" sets straightforward art against scattered, skewed panels to produce a sense of primal struggle between order and chaos.

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Arts

'Ambitious Girl' Reminds Kids: Your Dreams Are Not A Drawback

5:34pm January 09, 2021

by Michel Martin

When now Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was "accused" of being "too ambitious" on the campaign trail, it spurred her niece, activist and author Meena Harris, into action.

Journalist Neil Sheehan, pictured at the time as a reporter for UPI, died recently at the age of 84.

Books

Opinion: Remembering Journalist And Friend Neil Sheehan

2:09pm January 09, 2021

by Scott Simon

NPR's Scott Simon reflects on the life and work of famed reporter Neil Sheehan who obtained the Pentagon Papers. Sheehan died this week at the age of 84.

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