Books

Books

How did a family achieve the American dream — only to see it unravel?

5:14am August 23, 2023

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Indian American writer Prachi Gupta about how chasing the American dream destroyed her relationship with her parents. Her new book is: They Called Us Exceptional.

The book 'In the Upper Country' looks at the Underground Railroad's history in Canada

6:37pm August 22, 2023

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with author Kai Thomas about his debut novel In the Upper Country and exploring the Underground Railroad's little-known history in a community of free Black people in Canada.

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Drew Gilpin Faust served as president of Harvard from 2007 until 2018. She is currently the Arthur Kingsley Porter University Professor.

Books
Arts

Harvard's Drew Gilpin Faust says history should make us uncomfortable

1:47pm August 22, 2023

by Terry Gross

Growing up in the South, Faust rejected the narrative she was fed about slavery and the Civil War. She writes about her journey to activism and becoming the president of Harvard in Necessary Trouble.

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Books

The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris threaten riverside booksellers' livelihood

12:05pm August 22, 2023

by Rebecca Rosman

Book stalls along the Seine River have been a beloved Paris tradition for centuries. A plan to remove them before next summer's Olympic Games has not been well received.

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Books
Arts

'Unearthing' couples the natural world with the meaning of family

5:00am August 22, 2023

by Kristen Martin

Kyo Maclear presents a unique take on the paternity mystery memoir, one that eschews a predetermined narrative arc for a wide-ranging exploration of what it means to be a family.

Kate Zernike's book explores the long battle for gender equality at MIT

6:31pm August 21, 2023

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with author Kate Zernike about her book The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science.

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Kate Zernike is a national reporter for the New York Times.

This book dissects the years-long battle for gender equality at MIT

4:27pm August 21, 2023

by Manuela López Restrepo

The few female scientists at MIT in the late 20th century found themselves faced with hurdles related to their gender rather than their research. So they did what scientists do: they quantified it.

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Books

The best spooky reads for summer, according to a horror writer

9:18am August 20, 2023

by Ayesha Rascoe

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe asks horror writer Joe Hill for some spine-tingling summer reading recommendations.

Ancient Night, written by David Bowles and illustrated by David Álvarez

Books
Arts

Rabbit and Opossum come to life in 'Ancient Night' — a new twist on an old legend

8:09am August 19, 2023

by Samantha Balaban

David Álvarez's twist on traditional myths from Mesoamerica is about rivalry, jealousy and making amends. What started as a wordless picture book now has text by author David Bowles.

Books
Arts

3 works in translation tell tales of standing up to right wrongs

7:00am August 19, 2023

by Lily Meyer

Itamar Vieira Junior's Crooked Plow, Miroslav Krleža's On the Edge of Reason, and Maru Ayase's The Forest Brims Over all emerge from acts of rebellion.