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In Satirical 'Severance,' A Stricken Country Works Itself To Death

6:16pm August 10, 2018

by Ari Shapiro

When a disease wipes out most of the U.S. population, Candace Chen is the last one left at the office. Ling Ma began work on the apocalyptic novel right before she got laid off from her own job.

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David Sedaris On The Life-Altering And Mundane Pages Of His Old Diaries

1:29pm August 10, 2018

by Terry Gross

Sedaris' Theft by Finding is a collection of excerpts from those diaries. In it, he revisits major turning points, including how he met his longtime boyfriend. Originally broadcast May 31, 2017.

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'Lies My Teacher Told Me,' And How American History Can Be Used As A Weapon

10:41am August 09, 2018

by Anya Kamenetz

James Loewen's 1995 book explained how history textbooks got the story of America wrong. Now, in a new edition, Loewen champions critical thinking in the age of fake news.

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Arts

Spooky And Off-Kilter, 'Come Again' Shows Nate Powell's Virtuosity

7:35am August 09, 2018

by Etelka Lehoczky

Powell is known for his work on John Lewis' autobiography March -- but his new graphic novel goes in a different direction, digging into family secrets and supernatural horrors in an Ozarks commune.

What 1 Journalist Learned From Researching The Causes Of The Opioid Epidemic

5:59pm August 08, 2018

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with journalist Beth Macy about her new book Dopesick, after she spent the last three years digging into the causes of the opioid epidemic, from rampant overprescribing of painkillers to stigma of heroin addiction in white suburban communities.

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'American Hate' Profiles Survivors, But Also Brings Hope

11:10am August 08, 2018

by Martha Anne Toll

Amid the ugly realities of contemporary America, Arjun Singh Sethi's collection of stories affirms our courage and inspiration, opening a roadmap to reconciliation through the stories of victims.

The Marvellous Equations of the Dread, by Marcia Douglas

'Marvellous Equations' Pulses With Rhythmic Power

10:22am August 08, 2018

by Juan Vidal

Marcia Douglas's new book imagines a resurrected Bob Marley, living in a clock tower and conversing with spirits — but Douglas also honors and elevates the voices of the women in Marley's orbit.

'Into The Hands Of The Soldiers' Explores How The U.S. Contributed To Chaos In Egypt

4:15pm August 07, 2018

by Terry Gross

New York Times correspondent David Kirkpatrick says the Obama White House watched Arab democracy fall, and now the Trump administration is embracing Egypt's autocratic president.

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A.T. Cross Co. custom-made pens, designed for President Donald Trump, feature his signature and presidential seals.

In 'Everything Trump Touches Dies,' Few Are Spared

2:51pm August 07, 2018

by Tim Mak

Rick Wilson's book is the story of a Republican Party whose shift toward Trumpism left him furious — and a rant against those who have disappointed him — conveyed with biting, over-the-top writing.

Books
Arts

Bonding Over Bog Bodies In 'Meet Me At The Museum'

8:18am August 07, 2018

by Heller McAlpin

Anne Youngson's debut novel is the charmer of the summer. Told in epistolary form, it follows a dissatisfied farmer's wife and a lonely museum curator who find it's never too late for a fresh start.