Books

What Is the Grass: Walt Whitman in My Life, Mark Doty

Books
Arts

A Story Of Hero Worship And Connection Runs Through 'What Is The Grass?'

8:00am April 16, 2020

by Martha Anne Toll

Acclaimed poet Mark Doty's memoir is not only an exaltation of America's troubadour, Walt Whitman, but also a celebration of gay manhood, queerness, and the power and elasticity of poetry.

'In Deep' Challenges President Trump's Notion Of A Deep-State Conspiracy

2:04pm April 15, 2020

by Terry Gross

Author David Rohde refutes Trump's claims about a "deep state" — and argues that the president is the one creating a parallel shadow government filled with like-minded loyalists.

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Becoming Wild: How Animal Cultures Raise Families, Create Beauty, and Achieve Peace, Carl Safina

Books
Arts

In 'Becoming Wild,' Carl Safina Takes Us Inside The Cultures Of Animals

4:59am April 15, 2020

by Barbara J. King

Combining the knowledge of a seasoned scientist and the skills of a good storyteller, the ecologist-author invites us to leave our cultural worlds and enter some animal ones to see just how they work.

Notes from an Apocalypse: A Personal Journey to the End of the World and Back, by Mark O'Connell

Books
Arts

In 'Notes From An Apocalypse,' The End Of The World Is A State Of Mind

10:10am April 14, 2020

by Annalisa Quinn

In charming, anxious, tender essays, writer Mark O'Connell examines his own apocalyptic frame of mind by taking "a series of perverse pilgrimages" to subcultures preparing for the end of the world.

A portrait of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright hangs in the State Department's Treaty Room, in Washington, D.C, on Feb. 27, 2020.

Human Moments, Nuggets Of Reflection Are True Treasures In New Albright Memoir

6:59am April 14, 2020

by Caitlyn Kim

"I was intent on making the next stage of my life even more interesting than the last," former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright writes in Hell And Other Destinations.

Books

With Her Parents Divorcing, A Child Makes 'The List Of Things That Will Not Change'

4:40pm April 13, 2020

After Bea's parents divorce, her dad marries his boyfriend, and Bea is excited to "gain a sister." Rebecca Stead speaks with NPR's Ailsa Chang about her book The List of Things That Will Not Change.

A woman on a private plane holds champagne.

From Private Helicopters To Concierge Doctors, Inequality Is A 'Big Business'

2:03pm April 13, 2020

by Dave Davies

Nelson Schwartz, author of The Velvet Rope Economy, says special privileges for the super-rich are dividing America: "The result is less sympathy, less empathy and a sort of a harder-edge society."

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Feeling Cooped Up? Let Your Mind Fly Free With 'What It's Like To Be A Bird'

12:00pm April 13, 2020

by Craig LeMoult

People sheltering-in-place due to the coronavirus pandemic may want to know more about the lives of the birds they see outside their window. Illustrator David Allen Sibley's new book might help.

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The Women in Black, by Madeleine St. John

Books
Arts

Need A Mental Escape? These Books Offer Solace In Troubled Times

11:40am April 13, 2020

by Maureen Corrigan

With much of the world on lockdown due to the pandemic, critic Maureen Corrigan turns to books for companionship. Her recommended reads span fiction, nonfiction and poetry — some old, some new.

Books

David Allen Sibley Takes You Bird-Watching Amid Coronavirus Shutdowns

7:20am April 12, 2020

by Craig LeMoult

The author of "The Sibley Guide to Birds" has a new book aimed at people who want to know more about the lives of the birds they see out their windows.