Books

Fiona Hill, the National Security Council's former senior director for Europe and Russia, testifies before the House Intelligence Committee in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill Nov. 21, 2019 in Washington, DC.

Fiona Hill explores why it's tough to get ahead in 'There Is Nothing For You Here'

7:46am October 04, 2021

by Caitlyn Kim

Fiona Hill had a star turn in front of Congress during Trump's first impeachment inquiry. Now she examines why opportunities are fleeting and how it affects the country's social and political fabric.

The Last House on Needless Street, by Catriona Ward

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Arts

In this creepy house, no one's who you think they are — not even the cat

4:00am October 03, 2021

by Gabino Iglesias

As soon as you open Catriona Ward's new The Last House on Needless Street, you'll know something's very wrong — it's a great read for people who want a book to yank the rug right out from under them.

Books

'What Storm, What Thunder' brings to life voices from Haiti's 2010 earthquake

8:02am October 02, 2021

NPR's Scott Simon talks with author Miriam J. A. Chancy about her latest novel "What Storm, What Thunder," centered around the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

Books

Sarah Ruhl reflects on chance, illness and parenthood in new memoir

8:02am October 02, 2021

NPR's Scott Simon speaks to playwright and author Sarah Ruhl about her new book, "Smile: The Story of a Face."

Michelle Zauner (L) of Japanese Breakfast performs with drummer Craig Hendrix at the Intersect music festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds on December 07, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

You Are What You Cook

6:00am October 02, 2021

by Alyssa Jeong Perry

In her memoir, Crying In H Mart, released earlier this year, author and musician Michelle Zauner explores how cooking helped her understand her identity as a Korean American after her mother's death.

Queue Listen Now

Cover composite: Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth, by Wole Soyinka

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Arts

Wole Soyinka's long-awaited third novel isn't his best work

5:00am October 02, 2021

by Keishel Williams

The great writer and playwright hasn't published a novel since 1973 — but fans who've been waiting may be disappointed by this dense, florid tale of murder and corruption in an imaginary Nigeria.

The new children's nonfiction series I, Witness aims to help young readers grasp world events that might otherwise feel abstract. The books feature first-person accounts co-edited and curated by Dave Eggers.

Books
Arts

'I, Witness' makes world events visceral for young readers

9:21am October 01, 2021

by Elizabeth Blair

A new, nonfiction book series for kids ages 9 to 12 is written by young people who've experienced trauma, including living through Hurricane Maria and facing discrimination and arrest after 9/11.

Books
Arts

These Poems' Sensual Details Explore The Friction Between Integrity And Desire

1:15pm September 30, 2021

by Jeevika Verma

Natasha Rao gets to know herself by examining how she clings to her past in her debut poetry collection Latitude.

Some books that have been banned at schools in the U.S.

Books
Arts

During Banned Books Week, Readers Explore What It Means To Challenge Texts

11:10am September 30, 2021

by Elizabeth Blair

Libraries, schools, authors and readers are celebrating Banned Books Week. Among the Top 10 most challenged books in the U.S. are The Hate U Give and To Kill A Mockingbird.

A Calling for Charlie Barnes, by Joshua Ferris

Books
Arts

No One's Telling The Truth In Joshua Ferris' New Novel — Or Are They?

4:26pm September 29, 2021

by Michael Schaub

Charlie Barnes, the figure at the center of Ferris' A Calling for Charlie Barnes, is 68 and on his fifth marriage, and after a self-diagnosed cancer scare, he wants his son to write his life story.