Books

Nine-year-old Tani Adewumi was hoping to defend his title this weekend at the New York State Scholastic Chess Championship. The tournament was canceled due to Coronavirus. When Tani won the primary school division in 2019, he was living with his family in

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Arts

This Young Chess Champion Is 'Not Scared Of Anything On That Board'

4:18pm March 12, 2020

by Elizabeth Blair

Tani Adewumi's family fled Nigeria after being threatened by Boko Haram. They were living in a homeless shelter when Tani won the primary division at the New York State Scholastic Chess Championship.

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Recollections of My Nonexistence: A Memoir, by Rebecca Solnit

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In 'Recollections Of My Nonexistence,' Rebecca Solnit Once Again Tackles Gender Bias

12:33pm March 12, 2020

by Annalisa Quinn

"[P]erhaps the best thing creative work can do is to compost into the soil so that, unremembered, it becomes the food of a new era, or rather, devoured, digested, the very consciousness of that era."

Too Busy? Make Time To 'Do Nothing'

5:00am March 12, 2020

by David Greene

As many Americans start thinking about what a self-quarantine might look like, author Celeste Headlee has some advice: Put down your phone. Her book explains how we're "overdoing and underliving."

Books

A Native American Woman's Search For Truth In 'Yellow Bird'

5:18pm March 11, 2020

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with journalist Sierra Crane Murdoch about her new book Yellow Bird. It follows the story of a Native American woman and her quest to find a missing oil worker.

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Books

Remembering Barbara Neely, A Pioneer In Crime Fiction

4:27pm March 11, 2020

Author Barbara Neely died last week at 78. Neely was a trailblazer for black women in crime fiction, and her books used the mystery genre to call attention to issues of race, class and gender.

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Arts

'Writers & Lovers' Captures The Cost Of Following A Dream That May Not Pay Off

1:22pm March 11, 2020

by Maureen Corrigan

Lily King's new novel centers on a woman who's spent six years working on her own novel. It's a story of ambition — and what happens when the markers of adult achievement are slow to materialize.

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'MBS' Traces The Rise Of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman

1:21pm March 11, 2020

by Dave Davies

New York Times reporter Ben Hubbard says Saudi Arabia's leader is full of contradictions: He ended a ban on women driving, but his agents also carried out the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

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Arts

'New Waves' Asks: How Can We Form True Friendships In An Online World?

10:36am March 11, 2020

by Ari Shapiro

In journalist Kevin Nguyen's first novel, characters build relationships with each other online that translate to the real world — with mixed results.

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Books

Half-Eaten Cookie Found In Old Manuscript At Cambridge University

7:08am March 11, 2020

A librarian opened up a rare book from the 16th century and found a chocolate chip cookie. The library says that it's happy to provide bookmarks, and tweeted: "Please don't use baked goods."

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My Dark Vanessa, by Kate Elizabeth Russell

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Arts

'My Dark Vanessa' Looks Back At The Devastation Of A Predatory Affair

7:01am March 11, 2020

by Heller McAlpin

Kate Elizabeth Russell's new novel centers on a woman coming to terms with a relationship she had with a predatory teacher when she was 15. It's overworked and overlong, but still packs a punch.