Books

All the Things We Never Knew, by Liara Tamani

Books
Arts

'I Want Teens To Recognize Their Own Power': Questions For Liara Tamani

7:00am June 13, 2020

by Petra Mayer

Tamani's new young adult novel follows two high school basketball stars who fall in love at first sight — but then have to deal with their own issues and secrets to build a lasting relationship.

Robert Gates is interviewed for "The Spymasters" on Dec. 15, 2014.

Former Defense Secretary Gates: Pushing Away Peaceful Protesters Was 'A Bad Mistake'

1:44pm June 12, 2020

by Rachel Martin

Gates also told NPR on Thursday that it's time to change the names of Confederate bases. "There comes a moment when things become possible and people ought to seize a moment when it presents itself."

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Arts

'Fresh Air' Listens Back To James Baldwin And Documentary Filmmaker Raoul Peck

1:25pm June 12, 2020

by Terry Gross

In 1986, Terry Gross interviewed Baldwin, one of the most influential black writers of the civil rights era. Then, in 2017, she spoke to Peck, director of I Am Not Your Negro, about Baldwin.

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How Taking A Stand For Justice Can Threaten The Careers Of Black Athletes

1:25pm June 12, 2020

by Dave Davies

Howard Bryant, author of The Heritage, discusses the history of social protest among African American athletes, including Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali. Originally broadcast Jan. 13, 2018.

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Books
Arts

'You Exist Too Much' Exists In A Constant State Of Discontent

7:00am June 11, 2020

by Gabino Iglesias

Zaina Arafat's powerful new novel follows a queer Palestinian American woman from adolescence to adulthood, a journey dogged by constant longings for home, for identity, for belonging.

Books
Arts

'Broken People' Author Sam Lansky Discusses Intimacy, Loneliness In Gay Community

6:26am June 11, 2020

NPR's Noel King talks to author Sam Lansky about his novel, Broken People. Set in Los Angeles, it weaves together themes of isolation, body image and addiction among gay men.

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Books

Tomasz Jedrowski's Debut Novel Tells Teenage Love Story In '80s Poland

4:11pm June 10, 2020

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with author Tomasz Jedrowski about his debut novel, Swimming in the Dark, a coming-of-age story based in communist Poland.

J.K. Rowling signs copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in 2007. Many fans say they feel alienated and hurt by her recent comments.

Books
Arts

Opinion: Harry Potter's Magic Fades When His Creator Tweets

1:10pm June 10, 2020

by Mallory Yu

Author J.K. Rowling has been criticized after a series of tweets that many read as transphobic. Rowling's insistence that "sex is real" and immutable has saddened her trans and genderqueer fans.

White Fragility author Robin DiAngelo says the question white people should be asking themselves is not have I been shaped by race, but how have I been shaped by race? Above, protesters demonstrate in New York on June 1.

Books
Arts

'There Is No Neutral': 'Nice White People' Can Still Be Complicit In A Racist Society

8:47am June 10, 2020

by Ari Shapiro

White Fragility author Robin DiAngelo says that the status quo in the United States is racism, and for white people, that's comfortable. "We've got to start making it uncomfortable," she says.

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Arts

For June, 3 Romances Where Sisterhood Is The Secret Ingredient

7:00am June 10, 2020

by Maya Rodale

Obviously, the the romantic relationship is at the center of any romance novel — but this month, we're bringing you three books where relationships between female friends are almost as important.