Books

When his wife and young daughter were killed in a car accident in 1972, Joe Biden struggled to acknowledge his grief publicly. "He didn't want to become a symbol of human vulnerability," Evan Osnos says. "But it was thrust upon him and he had to decide wh

Biography Traces Political Mistakes And Personal Scars That Shaped Joe Biden

4:00pm October 27, 2020

by Terry Gross

The New Yorker's Evan Osnos writes about the candidate's enduring quest to become president. He says Joe Biden has a different mindset today than he once had: "He's a man who is at peace."

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Di Prima's Memoirs of a Beatnik was a highly sexualized fictional account of the poet's time with the Beats.

Books
Arts

Diane di Prima, Beat Poet And Activist, Dead At 86

12:04pm October 27, 2020

by Andrew Limbong

Di Prima wrote over 40 books of poetry and memoir, including her collection the radical and political Revolutionary Letters,

Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art, Rebecca Wragg Sykes

'Kindred' Dismantles Simplistic Views Of Neanderthals

10:12am October 27, 2020

by Barbara J. King

Rebecca Wragg Sykes describes evidence showing that as innovative tool- and fire-makers, Neanderthals adapted to changing climates, adopted symbolic cultural practices and expressed profound emotions.

What Were We Thinking: A Brief Intellectual History of the Trump Era, Carlos Lozada

Washington Post Critic Says 'Trump Has Unwittingly Enabled' Discussions Of Race

9:15am October 27, 2020

by Steve Inskeep

Carlos Lozada tells NPR: "It's ironic that a president with such a negative force for race relations" and women's rights has presided over a period where both groups feel more empowered to speak out.

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Books

Ex-Federal Prosecutor Speaks Out About Trump's Justice Department

5:03am October 27, 2020

by Carrie Johnson

A former prosecutor on special counsel Robert Mueller's team explores options for bringing President Trump, his family members and associates to justice whenever Trump leaves office.

Chef Marcus Samuelsson's new book is called The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food. "Dressing has always been part of an African identity, but also a sad journey in American history," Samuelsson says. "As Black men, we had to dress up. ... If

Books
Arts

Marcus Samuelsson: Erasing Black Culinary History Ignores 'The Soul Of American Food'

1:14pm October 26, 2020

by Dave Davies

"We've been programmed to say great stuff comes from Europe and not from Africa," Samuelsson says. The chef's new book, The Rise, is a celebration of Black excellence in the culinary world.

American Utopia, David Byrne amd Maira Kalman

'American Utopia' Book Argues For The Reincarnation Of Hope In The American Project

10:27am October 26, 2020

by Lily Meyer

The work is much more like reading a book-length poem than reading a play, though few poems or poetry collections come filled with charming illustrations of trees, dancers, and party-hatted dogs.

Books

Harold McGee Goes On A Sniffing Expedition For New Book, 'Nose Dive'

7:52am October 25, 2020

NPR's Lulu Garcia Navarro speaks with author Harold McGee about his new book, Nose Dive: A Field Guide to the World's Smells.

Books
Arts

'To Hold Up The Sky' Asks A Simple Question: What If ... ?

7:00am October 25, 2020

by Jason Sheehan

Cixin Liu's latest collection — made up of several decades' worth of stories — showcases a science fiction that harks back to the earliest days of the genre, before grimdark or galactic empires.

Young woman with a raised fist protests in the street.

New Book Examines How The First Amendment Sits At The Forefront In An Election Year

5:25am October 25, 2020

by Michel Martin

Right now, we have "an entire government apparatus designed to foster falsehoods," says editor Ellis Cose, who has written a new book, The Short Life and Curious Death of Free Speech in America.

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