Books

Books
Arts

Inaugural Poet Recalls A Closeted Childhood Of Cultural Tension

8:13pm September 28, 2014

by NPR Staff

Richard Blanco, who read "One Today" at Obama's inauguration in 2013, explores the collision of sexual, artistic and cultural identity in his new memoir about his childhood in Miami.

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Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg has directed Stereo, Crimes of the Future, Fast Company, The Brood, The Dead Zone, The Fly, Naked Lunch, M. Butterfly, Crash, A History of Violence, A Dangerous Method and many more.

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Virtual Reality, Corporeality Collide In Cronenberg's First Novel

7:03pm September 28, 2014

by NPR Staff

Director David Cronenberg's debut work of fiction is not for the faint of heart. Consumed follows two journalists as they chase stories of cannibalism, backroom surgeries, self-mutilation and murder.

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From Glass To Artificial Light: The Innovations That Got Us To 'Now'

3:21pm September 28, 2014

NPR's Linda Wertheimer speaks to Stephen Johnson about his new book and TV series, How We Got to Now. He looks at six innovations that he thinks shaped the modern world.

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'Guests' Is A Story Of Mystery, Manners And Dramatic Love

3:21pm September 28, 2014

NPR's Linda Wertheimer talks to novelist Sarah Waters about her latest book, The Paying Guests. It's a historical novel and a lesbian love story, with a courtroom drama mixed in.

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Paul Theroux is known for both his fiction and travel writing. His books include The Great Railway Bazaar and The Old Patagonian Express.

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Writer Paul Theroux: The Short Story Is 'Diabolically Hard To Master'

12:21pm September 27, 2014

by NPR Staff

"It's only 10 or 15 pages," he says, "but still you got to get it right." Theroux's new collection, Mr. Bones, tells stories of the odd person out.

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The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank regularly makes banned book lists, but not because it details the terror of hiding from Nazi occupiers.

Books

Banned Books Remind Us Of The Power Of The Written Word

11:07am September 27, 2014

by Scott Simon

Pick up a banned book. Look for the scenes and language that once made people blush. Do those sections still have the power to make you gasp?

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Arts

'Love Is The Drug' For A Teen Caught In A Dystopian D.C.

7:03am September 27, 2014

by Genevieve Valentine

Alaya Dawn Johnson's latest is about senior at a Washington, D.C. prep school in the midst of a global pandemic. This book offers a chilling glimpse of a dystopia that could be just around the corner.

As The Ebola Outbreak Worsens, A Book About Compassion

6:59pm September 26, 2014

by Alaya Dawn Johnson

This week, the CDC predicted there could be tens of thousands of Ebola cases if the disease is not controlled soon. Author Alaya Dawn Johnson turns to a favorite novel for wisdom amid this epidemic.

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Derek Boogaard of the Minnesota Wild (left) and Wade Brookbank of the Vancouver Canucks exchange punches during a fight in the first period of a November 2005 game in Vancouver, Canada.

'Boy On Ice' Explores The Emotional And Physical Toll Of Dropping The Gloves

5:51pm September 26, 2014

by NPR Staff

In 2011, 28-year-old Derek Boogaard — one of the NHL's most fearsome fighters — was found dead of an accidental overdose of painkillers and alcohol. He also showed signs of serious brain injury.

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Arts

What's Mittens Thinking? Make 'Sense' Of Your Pet's Behavior

4:32pm September 26, 2014

Animal behaviorist John Bradshaw's books Cat Sense and Dog Sense detail what cat and dog owners should expect from their animals. Cat Sense originally aired Sept. 5, 2013. Dog Sense originally aired May 26, 2011.

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