Books

Dark at the Crossing, by Elliot Ackerman

Books
Arts

A Failed Revolution And A Failed Marriage In 'Dark At The Crossing'

2:27pm January 21, 2017

by NPR Staff

Elliot Ackerman's new novel Dark at the Crossing follows an Iraqi man who tries to cross into Syria to fight Bashar al-Assad, but gets caught up with a charismatic Syrian exile and his troubled wife.

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Arts

'Human Acts' Tries To Reconcile Bloody Human Impulses

12:00pm January 21, 2017

by Annalisa Quinn

In Han Kang's sharp, almost painfully sensitive new novel, set during and after South Korea's 1980 Gwangju student uprising, people spill blood — but they also brave death to donate it.

Books
Arts

Not My Job: Author Daniel Handler Gets Quizzed On Baggage Handlers

10:32am January 21, 2017

Lemony Snicket, aka Daniel Handler, is the author behind "A Series of Unfortunate Events" and "All the Wrong Questions." He'll answer three questions about the people who handle our luggage.

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Books

Artists Produce Great Works — And Great Romances

8:46am January 21, 2017

Catherine Lacey and Forsyth Harmon talk with Scott Simon about some of the 20th century's greatest artists and their love lives. Their new book is called The Art of the Affair.

Trump's Inauguration Sets Up Uncertain Future For Conservative Movement

4:28pm January 20, 2017

NPR's Robert Siegel talks to Sam Tanenhaus, author of The Death of Conservatism, about what Donald Trump's inauguration means for the future of the conservative movement.

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Arts

Novelist Zadie Smith On Historical Nostalgia And The Nature Of Talent

2:44pm January 20, 2017

Smith's latest book, Swing Time, tells the story of two girls who dream of being dancers, but only one has the talent to do so. Originally broadcast Nov. 21, 2016.

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'Martians Abroad' Is An Optimistic Glance Into Humanity's Future

7:00am January 19, 2017

by Jason Heller

Carrie Vaughn — known for her Kitty Norville urban fantasies — ventures offworld with Martians Abroad, a high-school adventure that pays fun, thoughtful homage to Robert Heinlein's "juveniles."

Books
Arts

Why Being Bored Isn't Necessarily A Bad Thing

6:01am January 19, 2017

by Andrew Limbong

In her book, How to Be Bored, Eva Hoffman says we should embrace those moments when we'd otherwise be looking for stimulation. Her book is part of a self-help series called The School Of Life.

Muslim NYPD Chaplain On Faith, Fear And Getting Stopped By Airport Security

2:41pm January 18, 2017

Imam Khalid Latif is one of the people profiled in The Secret Life of Muslims, a digital series about Islamophobia. He is also the first Muslim chaplain at New York University.

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Arts

In 'Homesick,' Ottessa Moshfegh Makes The Unlikable Understandable

1:00pm January 18, 2017

by Michael Schaub

The characters in Ottessa Moshfegh's new collection are cold, unfiltered, frequently pathetic — all suffering from unease and nameless longing, made understandable by each perfectly-built story.