Books

Books

'African Town' traces the history of the last slave ship sent to the U.S.

8:15am January 02, 2022

by Eyder Peralta

Eyder Peralta talks with Charles Waters and Irene Latham about their book, "African Town." It's about the community established by the Africans on the last slave ship to the U.S.

Queue Listen Now

Almost a year after Jan. 6, two journalists release their book 'The Steal'

8:06am January 01, 2022

by David Gura

David Gura speaks with journalists Mark Bowden and Matthew Teague about their new book "The Steal: The Attempt to Overturn the 2020 Election and the People Who Stopped It."

Queue Listen Now

Alexander SkarsgÃ¥rd stars as Amleth and Anya Taylor-Joy as Olga in director Robert Eggers' Viking epic The Northman.

Books
Arts

What's making us happy: What to watch, read and listen to this weekend

3:01pm December 31, 2021

Each week, the guests and hosts on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour share what's bringing them joy. This week: the trailer for The Northman, the novel The School for Good Mothers and more.

Same-sex marriage supporters wear "Just married" shirts while celebrating the U.S Supreme Court ruling regarding same-sex marriage on June 26, 2015 in San Francisco.

The story of marriage equality is more complicated — and costly — than you remember

5:00am December 31, 2021

by Danielle Kurtzleben

Sasha Issenberg, author of The Engagement, a history of marriage equality, says he doesn't see the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges being overturned anytime soon.

Queue Listen Now

The top Fresh Air web stories of 2021 reflect the show's status as a place where artists, authors and journalists speak to the moment.

You won't want to miss the 10 most popular 'Fresh Air' stories of 2021

11:40am December 30, 2021

From Dr. Anthony Fauci to Sacha Baron Cohen, the year's most popular Fresh Air web pages reflect the show's strength as a place where artists, authors and journalists speak to the moment.

Books

Andrew Harding's latest book is 'These Are Not Gentle People'

7:07am December 30, 2021

NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with BBC correspondent Andrew Harding about his true crime literary thriller. It's about a double murder almost six years ago in a rural area of South Africa.

Queue Listen Now

Author and cultural critic bell hooks poses for a portrait on December 16, 1996.

Books
Arts

Here's what bell hooks' friends and colleagues want you to remember about her

2:19pm December 29, 2021

by Jireh Deng

Since hooks' passing on December 15, social media has flooded with reflections on her public impact as an author and scholar. Here, her friends remember what she was like in private.

Books

Graphic novel 'Tunnels,' about archaeology in Israel, excavates human motivations

5:00am December 28, 2021

by Etelka Lehoczky

Through her work, Israeli comics artist Rutu Modan suggests that only cartoon characters can possibly reflect the cartoonish levels of greed and self-deceit revealed as her tale unspools.

One of many bookshelves in the home of Marie-Pascale Traylor, the artist and former preschool teacher behind the "My Old Books" Instagram account and Etsy shop. She collects vintage children's books and helps people reconnect with their long-lost favorite

Books
Arts

Still looking for that picture book you loved as a kid? Try asking Instagram

12:34pm December 27, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

Some people spend years or longer trying to track down favorite books from childhood. An Instagram account called My Old Books uses crowdsourcing to make the connection.

Stacey Abrams discusses running again for Ga. governor and her new children's book

7:46am December 27, 2021

NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Stacey Abrams about her second bid to be Georgia's governor, and the lessons about drawing strength from failure in her new children's book: Stacey's Extraordinary Words.

Queue Listen Now