The novel 'Chilean Poet' touches on and pulls apart the numerous varietals of love
Scott Simon talks with Alejandro Zambra about his new novel, "Chilean Poet," which follows the lives and loves of two would-be poets in Santiago.
Books
Grandma's garden of magical rocks is 'Where Wonder Grows'
A grandmother brings her granddaughters to her special garden, where they learn about their connection to nature and tell stories about magical rocks, seashells, crystals and meteorites.
Sarah Manguso considers deprivations and predations in her novel 'Very Cold People'
Manguso made a name for herself in minutely observed memoirs. Now she uses fiction to write about what it is to feel poor, poorly nurtured, and inadequately loved in a class-conscious town.
Rom-com movies have evolved. But they still need these 3 simple elements
We're diving into the wonderful world of rom-coms — tackling everything from what the definition should be, why they were great (and sometimes not so great), and what a modern one looks like.
Remembering activist Todd Gitlin, who helped lead the '60s antiwar movement
Gitlin was part of the tumultuous student protest movement of the 1960s, and continued his commitment to social change through teaching and writing. He died on Feb. 5. Originally broadcast in 1987.
A reissue helps revive Joseph Hansen's series about a tough, gay detective
In 1970, Hansen began a 12-novel series about Dave Brandstetter, an insurance investigator who happens to be gay. Reading now, it's clear that Hansen was one of the great crime writers of his time.
Whitney Houston's legacy lives on 10 years after her death
NPR's Adrian Florido talks with music critic Gerrick Kennedy, who has spent a lot of time researching and thinking about Whitney Houston's lasting legacy, about his book: Didn't We Almost Have it All.
'Cost of Living' considers the real price of the U.S. health care system
Emily Maloney's essay collection is an indictment of the exorbitant costs of staying alive in America, and the weight of being hounded by a debt that reduces your life to dollars and cents.
How the Method transformed film — and made acting more human
Method acting is more than mining personal experiences to play a character — or physically transforming for a role. Author Isaac Butler traces the history of the technique in The Method.
Iceland's first lady on the 'Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland's Extraordinary Women'
NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Eliza Reed, the first lady of Iceland, about her new book and why her country is a great place to be a woman.