Books

Books
Arts

Phil Klay's New 'Missionaries' Is An Ambitious Novel Of Ideas

10:00am October 08, 2020

by Lily Meyer

Klay won acclaim for his debut story collection Redeployment, about the experiences of soldiers. His long awaited novel looks at how America has developed and exported the idea of a war on terror.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab

Books
Arts

'Addie LaRue' Is Invisible — But Memorable

7:00am October 08, 2020

by Caitlyn Paxson

Addie LaRue was born in France 400 years ago — but nobody remembers that. She made a supernatural deal for immortality at the cost of permanent anonymity, so she tries to leave a mark however she can.

Books

Literature Prize Will Be The 4th Nobel Announced This Week

6:08am October 08, 2020

by Neda Ulaby

The Nobel Prize in Literature will be announced Thursday morning. We look at potential winners, and what the Swedish Academy will have to do to overcome past controversies.

Queue Listen Now

Matt Cline, a student at Brown University, plays with a Rubik's Cube at his frat house on Oct. 2, 2007.

Books
Arts

Rubik's Cube Inventor Writes A New Book: It's Full Of Twists And Turns

6:08am October 08, 2020

by David Greene

Hungarian architect Ernő Rubik invented his fun (and frustrating) colorful cube in 1974. He tells that story, and talks about creativity, curiosity, play and puzzles, in Cubed: The Puzzle of Us All.

Queue Listen Now

Books

In New Book, Roman Mars Celebrates Little Bits Of Design That Are Left Unnoticed

4:52pm October 07, 2020

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with 99% Invisible podcast host Roman Mars about his new book, The 99% Invisible City, and the importance of noticing how the way people live shapes everyday design.

A member of the White House cleaning staff sanitizes the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room on October 5.

'It Is Reckless.' Trump Placing White House Staff At Risk Of COVID-19, Author Says

3:34pm October 07, 2020

by Christianna Silva

The White House has outlined steps it's taking to protect staff, but Kate Andersen Brower, author of The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House, says there is ample cause for concern.

Queue Listen Now

Rulaam Alam is also the author of the novels Rich and Pretty and That Kind of Mother.

Books
Arts

In 'Leave The World Behind,' 2 Families Face The Unknown Together

12:46pm October 07, 2020

by Dave Davies

Two families — one Black, one white — find themselves riding out a mysterious disaster in a luxury vacation home. Rumaan Alam's novel is about race, class, trust, bias — and how we respond to crisis.

Let My People Vote: My Battle to Restore the Civil Rights of Returning Citizens, by Desmond Meade

'Let My People Vote' Tells Of One Man's Journey To Getting 1.4 Million Back A Voice

8:34am October 07, 2020

by Martha Anne Toll

Desmond Meade rose from addiction, homelessness, and prison to run a campaign to re-enfranchise more than one million Florida voters; it's a tale of hope, persistence, and the power of organizing.

'Undaunted': Former CIA Director On Things He's Proud Of And Things He Regrets

5:06pm October 06, 2020

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with former CIA Director John Brennan about his memoir, Undaunted.

Queue Listen Now

The MacArthur 'Genius Grant' winners for 2020.

Amidst Global Troubles, MacArthur 'Genius Grant' Winners 'Provoke And Inspire'

4:11pm October 06, 2020

by Petra Mayer

This year's MacArthur Fellows — recipients of what's commonly called the Genius Grant — include artists, scientists, dancers and more. They'll each receive a no-strings-attached $625,000 award.