Books

Books
Arts

This Tightly Choreographed Tale Of Ambition And Ballet Will 'Astonish'

2:08pm April 01, 2014

by Maureen Corrigan

Maggie Shipstead tells the story of a disciplined dancer who can't make it into the spotlight. Critic Maureen Corrigan says Shipstead is "Edith Wharton with a millennial generation edge."

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Post Arab Spring, Where Do Islamist Parties Stand?

8:23am April 01, 2014

Steve Inskeep talks with author Shadi Hamid about his new book, Temptations of Power: Islamists and Illiberal Democracy in a New Middle East.

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Marijuana plants grow at a farm near Medellin. Tony Dokoupil's father made hundreds of thousands of dollars smuggling marijuana into the U.S. from Colombia.

Son Of A Secret Smuggler Digs Up The Truth About His Dad

3:47pm March 31, 2014

Tony Dokoupil's father was once busted for distributing enough marijuana "to roll a joint for every college-age person in America." In The Last Pirate, Dokoupil reflects on his dad's time as a dealer.

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'Lovesongs' Examines What It Means To Come Home

11:27am March 29, 2014

A new novel, Shotgun Lovesongs, interlaces the stories of friends who keep returning to each other, to grasp hold of where they are in the world. NPR's Scott Simon talks with author Nickolas Butler.

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Arts

An Ode To Our Newest Neighbor: Biden, The Pink Dwarf Planet

6:34pm March 28, 2014

In honor of the newly discovered planet, 2012 VP113, aka Biden, author Jason Sheehan recommends First Light by Richard Preston and Andy Weir suggests the short story "Flatlander," by Larry Niven.

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In 'Storied Life,' Characters Come With A Reading List

6:34pm March 28, 2014

by NPR Staff

At its heart, Gabrielle Zevin's new novel is a love letter to the joys of reading. Each chapter starts with the title of a book or short story, essentially introducing characters by what they read.

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Arts

Book Review: 'How To Dance As The Roof Caves In'

6:25pm March 27, 2014

by Tess Taylor

Poet Tess Taylor reviews Nick Lantz's third poetry collection, How to Dance As The Roof Caves In.

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It Was The Best Of Sentences ...

2:41pm March 27, 2014

by NPR Staff

Editors at The American Scholar magazine picked the 10 best sentences from fiction and nonfiction, with authors ranging from Toni Morrison to James Joyce.

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In Karen Russell's World, Sleep Is For The Lucky Few

10:14am March 27, 2014

by Alex Gilvarry

Karen Russell has set her latest story in a terrible future where insomnia has become a national crisis. Sleep Donation is a digital download from a new publisher called Atavist Books.

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A U.S. Marine walks during a security patrol on May 13, 2007, in Iraq's Anbar province

Books
Arts

'Redeployment' Explores Iraq War's Physical And Psychic Costs

8:13pm March 26, 2014

by John Powers

In his short story collection, former Marine Phil Klay takes his experience in Iraq and clarifies it, lucidly tracing the moral, political and psychological curlicues of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

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