Books

How To Tell A Story Through Emails

8:02am January 15, 2017

Hey Harry, Hey Matilda is a funny and sometimes icky story of twins. It's told through the twins' emails and unfolds around a lie. Author Rachel Hulin tells Lulu Garcia-Navarro about her new novel.

Zhou Youguang sits at home in Beijing, in 2015. Born when a Qing dynasty emperor was on the throne, he went on to help invent the Pinyin writing system used for transliterating the Chinese alphabet.

Zhou Youguang, Architect Of A Bridge Between Languages, Dies At 111

5:07pm January 14, 2017

by Colin Dwyer

In the 1950s, the linguist — then an "amateur" — helped create a system to Romanize Chinese writing. Zhou's system helped boost literacy and diminished the linguistic divide between East and West.

Books

The Author Of 'The Exorcist,' William Peter Blatty, Dies At 89

10:58am January 14, 2017

The author of the novel The Exorcist, William Peter Blatty, has died at the age of 89. Scott Simon spoke with him in 2011 about the novel — and he said he never meant for it to be so scary.

Books
Arts

A Century-Old Poet Looks Back — And Fearlessly Forward — In 'Purgatory'

8:08am January 14, 2017

by NPR Staff

Henry Morgenthau III had a long and eventful life even before he started writing poetry in his 90s. Now, at age 100, he's promoting his first poetry collection, called A Sunday in Purgatory.

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Arts

Veronica Roth's 'Carve The Mark' Is A Fantasy Inspired By Chronic Pain

8:08am January 14, 2017

by NPR Staff

The Divergent author's new series takes place in a world where everyone has a gift that reflects their personality. One character has what Roth describes as "a supernatural form of chronic pain."

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Arts

In 'Cold Eye,' A Small Story That Packs A Big Punch

7:00am January 14, 2017

by Jason Sheehan

The second installment of Laura Anne Gilman's gritty, mythmaking Devil's West series follows Isobel, the Devil's Left Hand, as she learns the extent of her powers and battles an ancient, angry spirit.

William Peter Blatty, Author Of 'The Exorcist,' Dies At 89

11:20pm January 13, 2017

by The Associated Press

The novelist died from cancer on Thursday. Blatty was best known for writing the best-selling 1971 horror fiction about a 12-year-old girl, possessed by the devil, before the 1973 film became a hit.

Pasta puttanesca is perhaps the most well-known dish among Lemony Snicket fans, although Count Olaf would have preferred roast beef.

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Arts

Ring In 'Lemony Snicket' On Netflix With A Series Of Unfortunate Recipes

7:37pm January 13, 2017

by Kristen Hartke

In the children's books, food is practically a supporting character. So why not welcome the poor Baudelaire orphans with a delightfully miserable repast while binge-watching the new show?

In his new memoir, writer Greg Hens explores his relationship with cigarettes.

In 'Nicotine,' A Longtime Smoker Confronts His Old Habit

4:41pm January 13, 2017

by NPR Staff

Writer Gregor Hens doesn't smoke anymore, but he still thinks about it every day. He says he started writing his memoir as a way to deal with the longing.

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Books
Arts

The Man Behind Lemony Snicket Talks About Writing For Kids And His Childhood Fears

1:23pm January 13, 2017

Lemony Snicket, AKA Daniel Handler, wrote the children's book series, A Series of Unfortunate Events. Handler spoke to Terry Gross in 2001 and in 2012, when he brought his accordion to the studio.

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