Books

SCOTUS On Cellphones And The Privacy Of Poetry

4:26pm September 03, 2014

by Craig Morgan Teicher

To put a literary spin on the Supreme Court's recent decision to limit warrantless cellphone searches, author Craig Morgan Teicher turns to A.R. Ammons' book of poetry, Tape for the Turn of the Year.

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'10:04': A Strange, Spectacular Novel Connecting Several Plotlines

2:27pm September 03, 2014

by Maureen Corrigan

Ben Lerner's new novel is about a writer who gets an advance for a second work of fiction, is diagnosed with an aortic heart valve problem and agrees to be the sperm donor for a close friend.

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A Sri Lankan beachgoer walks during sunset in Colombo on Jan. 30, 2014.

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Arts

'A Thousand Mirrors' Shows Two Views Of One Long, Brutal War

7:19pm August 31, 2014

by NPR Staff

In her new novel, Island of a Thousand Mirrors, Sri Lankan-American author Nayomi Munaweera shows the decades-long Sri Lankan civil war from the perspective of two girls who witness the horror.

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Singer Ian Curtis on stage in 1980 with Joy Division, whose song "Transmission" is among those explored in Greil Marcus' book The History of Rock 'N' Roll in Ten Songs.

The Other Rock History

3:54pm August 31, 2014

by NPR Staff

What makes an essential rock song? Music journalist Greil Marcus argues that it's not the stature of the performer, but the degree to which a song tells the story of rock 'n' roll itself.

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San Francisco on fire in the aftermath of the 1906 earthquake.

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In An Earthquake, History Fuels One Writer's Anxiety

8:40pm August 29, 2014

by Gustavo Arellano

An earthquake in Napa Valley this week brought back old fears for author Gustavo Arellano. In his anxiety he's revisiting the book A Crack in the Edge of the World.

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John Waters Hitchhikes Across America, And Lives To Write About It

1:14pm August 29, 2014

The 68-year-old film director hitchhiked from Baltimore to San Francisco for his book Carsick. He says hitchhiking is "the worst beauty regimen ever." Originally broadcast June 10.

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Florida-Grown Fiction: Hiaasen Satirizes The Sunshine State

1:14pm August 29, 2014

Novelist and Miami Herald columnist Carl Hiaasen writes with passion about the state he loves. His book, Bad Monkey, is an offbeat murder mystery set in Key West. Originally broadcast June 13, 2013.

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What's A Writer Gotta Do To Get A Little Health Care Around Here?

10:10pm August 28, 2014

by Domingo Martinez

When you're making plans to become a famous author, just remember that you're going to want health care — especially when 40 rolls around and your body is no longer made of rubber.

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Christ In Context: 'Zealot' Explores The Life Of Jesus

2:48pm August 27, 2014

Reza Aslan converted to Christianity when he was a teenager, but became more interested in Jesus than as a Messiah. His book, Zealot, considers Jesus in the context of the time and place he lived in.

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In 1879, Explorers Set Sail To Solve Arctic Mystery, Once And For All

11:25am August 25, 2014

by NPR Staff

In the Kingdom of Ice tells the story of a "grand and terrible" 19th-century expedition into uncharted Arctic waters. Of the 33 men who set out, only 13 made it home after a truly harrowing voyage.

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