Books

Chief Justice John Roberts attends the 37th Kennedy Center Honors at the Kennedy Center on Dec. 7, 2014, in Washington, DC.

In 'The Chief,' An Enigmatic, Conservative John Roberts Walks A Political Tightrope

11:54am March 22, 2019

by Nina Totenberg

Reporter Joan Biskupic portrays the chief justice as a dedicated conservative who now "has the court he's always wanted" — and she says the law "will likely be what he says it is."

Books
Arts

'High Heel' Muses On Beauty, Power — And Stilettos

8:33pm March 21, 2019

by Mary Louise Kelly

When she worked at the U.N., Summer Brennan wore high heels almost every day — even when they made her fall. Her new book High Heel is an exploration of modern womanhood through the history of heels.

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Books
Arts

'The True Queen' Casts A Pleasant Spell

10:00am March 21, 2019

by Genevieve Valentine

Zen Cho's followup to her Regency fantasy of manners Sorceror to the Crown builds solidly on the world she's invented, mixing historical froth with real substance.

Books
Arts

A Summer Of Second Chances In 'Small Town Hearts'

7:00am March 21, 2019

by Alethea Kontis

Lillie Vale's new young adult novel follows Babe Vogel, who's perfectly happy in her small town life, even though her friends have mostly moved on — until a "summer boy" arrives to complicate things.

Books

Delbanco Writes About Americans' Complicity With Slavery In His Latest Book

6:47am March 21, 2019

Steve Inskeep talks with Andrew Delbanco about slavery and reparations. Delbanco is the author of, The War Before the War.

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The 2019 Whiting Award recipients (clockwise from top left): poet Kayleb Rae Candrilli, poet Tyree Daye, novelist Hernan Diaz, playwright Michael R. Jackson, fiction writer Terese Marie Mailhot, nonfiction writer Nadia Owusu, playwright Lauren Yee, poet V

Books
Arts

'The Future Of Literature': Whiting Awards Celebrate 10 Emerging Writers

7:35pm March 20, 2019

by Colin Dwyer

The novelists, poets and playwrights won Wednesday partly for their work so far, but also for the promise they've shown. If previous winners are an indication, it's a promise they're likely to keep.

An illustration depicting Johannes Gutenberg taking the first proof off his printing press.

'The Lost Gutenberg' Traces One Bible's 500-Year Journey

12:01pm March 20, 2019

by Gabino Iglesias

The depth of Margaret Leslie Davis' research on the tome's history cannot be understated — her writing is straightforward and, at times, heartbreaking, but outstanding reporting lies at the core.

In 'Horizon,' Considering All That Is Connected

9:34am March 20, 2019

by Genevieve Valentine

Barry Lopez's new book is a biography and a portrait of some of the world's most delicate places, but at heart it's a contemplation of the belief that the way forward is compassionately, and together.

The writer Lawrence Ferlinghetti, pictured here in Berlin in 2004, will turn 100 years old this weekend.

Books
Arts

A Lost 'Little Boy' Nears 100: Poet And Publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti

5:03am March 20, 2019

by Tom Vitale

The Beat Generation icon and owner of City Lights bookstore and press in San Francisco is still writing. He celebrates his centennial March 24, and his new autobiographical novel is out now.

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Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump walk on the South Lawn of the White House to board Marine One on their way to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland on June 1, 2018.

'Kushner, Inc.' Adds Little To The Canon On Jared And Ivanka

5:37pm March 19, 2019

by Annalisa Quinn

Other journalists have previously reported many of the serious claims presented in Vicky Ward's book; her own yields generally feel meager, wrapping even the smallest scoops in a fog of insinuation.