Books

Hunter S. Thompson's Widow Opens Doors To His 'War Room'

4:31pm August 31, 2017

by Claire Woodcock

Years after his death, gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson's legend lives on. His widow takes Aspen Public Radio's Claire Woodcock on a visit to The War Room in his home, where Thompson spent 16 hours a day locked in, writing such pieces as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

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Jesmyn Ward poses for a portrait near DeLisle Bayou in DeLisle, Miss. Ward, 40, has chosen to return to DeLisle and raise her children there, despite her profound ambivalence about what the town represents.

Books
Arts

Writing Mississippi: Jesmyn Ward Salvages Stories Of The Silenced

4:31pm August 31, 2017

by Melissa Block

The author's books are set in the poor, black Mississippi community where she grew up, a place where, she says, "the past bears very heavily on the present."

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After Years Of Waiting, Forsyth County Central Library Opens To The Public

4:30pm August 31, 2017

by Bethany Chafin

The Central Library in downtown Winston-Salem is finally open to the public.

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An illustration of beard lichens, a plant mentioned in writings by author J.R.R. Tolkien. It appears in The Children of Húrin, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Books

Tolkien's Plant Passion Moves Botanist To Create Guide To Middle Earth

2:47pm August 31, 2017

by David Fuchs

Botanist Walter Judd has created a book that tests the limits of The Lord of the Rings fandom. It's an examination of the many plants and trees that J.R.R. Tolkien used in his novels.

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Terry Pratchett, pictured in 2008 in London.

In Fitting Postscript, Terry Pratchett Had His Unfinished Works Steamrolled

4:39pm August 30, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

The late Discworld author didn't want anyone else polishing his unfinished books and publishing them after his death. So he asked for them to be crushed — and his estate manager dutifully complied.

Books
Arts

Celebrating 30 Years Of 'Fresh Air': Pulitzer Prize-Winning Novelist John Updike

2:38pm August 30, 2017

Over the course of his decades-long career, Updike authored more than 25 novels, including the Rabbit series. He also penned short stories, poems, essays and a memoir. Originally broadcast in 1989.

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The Ladies-In-Waiting By Javier Olivares and Santiago García

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Arts

Mirrors And Neck Ruffs: A Graphic Novel Takes On Velázquez

7:00am August 30, 2017

by Etelka Lehoczky

Writer Santiago García and artist Javier Olivares examine Diego Velázquez' painting Las Meninas and its influence down the centuries with a heady — and sometimes heavy — mix of comics and high art.

Books
Arts

'My Absolute Darling' Is Hard To Read, Harder To Put Down

7:00am August 29, 2017

by Michael Schaub

Gabriel Tallent's devastating debut novel about a young girl and her abusive but charismatic father has memorable characters, the pacing of a thriller, and still manages to work in some light moments.

The Consequences Of Anti-Vaccination In 'Keep You Safe'

7:58am August 27, 2017

Host A Martinez talks with Melissa Hill about her new novel, Keep You Safe, a story which takes on the heated topic of childhood vaccinations and the tragic repercussions of a parent's decision.

'Ghost Of The Innocent Man': A Story Of 24 Years Of Wrongful Imprisonment

7:58am August 27, 2017

A Martinez interviews Willie Grimes, who spent 24 years in prison, wrongly accused of rape, and Benjamin Rachlin, who chronicles his fight for exoneration in Ghost of the Innocent Man.