Books

Books
Arts

Kidnapped, Then Forced Into The Sideshow: The True Story Of The Muse Brothers

1:27pm October 18, 2016

Journalist Beth Macy talks about George and Willie Muse, black albino brothers who were born in the Jim Crow South and were forced to become circus freaks. Her new book, Truevine, retells their story.

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Mary Oliver has received many honors for her poetry, including the Pulitzer Prize and The National Book Award.

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Arts

Mary Oliver Issues A Full-Throated Spiritual Autobiography In 'Upstream'

1:27pm October 18, 2016

by Maureen Corrigan

Oliver's latest collection of essays reflect the author's passion for nature and literature. Critic Maureen Corrigan says Upstream presents a portrait of a visionary poet — and a "tough old broad."

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Author Tim Wu says that much of the content on the Internet is created by businesses that are on a "quest for clicks."

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Arts

How Free Web Content Traps People In An Abyss Of Ads And Clickbait

4:02pm October 17, 2016

Author and law professor Tim Wu says much of the "free" content on the Web comes at a price to users, who are subjected to ads that are targeted specifically at them and increasingly hard to ignore.

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Books

'Truevine' Tells The Tale Of 2 Black Albino Brothers Forced To Work For The Circus

7:25am October 17, 2016

by Lynn Neary

For years, black children around Roanoke, Va., heard the cautionary tale of Willie and George Muse, African American albino brothers who were kidnapped and forced to perform in a series of circuses.

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Books

'Nobody's Son': A Memoir Of Childhood, Emigration And A Mother's Love

7:28am October 16, 2016

NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks to author Mark Slouka's about his new memoir "Nobody's Son." It chronicles his family's life in 1940s Czechoslovakia, their emigration to Pennsylavnia, and his difficult relationship with his mother.

'Really Bad Chess': A Game That Introduces An Element Of Luck

7:28am October 16, 2016

Zach Gage is an artist and game maker who was frustrated by chess. So he made his own IOS version — Really Bad Chess — in which players get a random assortment of pieces instead of the typical lineup.

Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood (Raquel Zaldivar/NPR)

Books
Arts

In 'Hag-Seed,' A Gentle Guide To Shakespeare's Stormy Island

7:00am October 16, 2016

by Liza Graham

Margaret Atwood's retelling of The Tempest follows the exiled director of a Shakespeare festival, now reduced to putting on shows with convicts at an isolated rural prison.

Bob Dylan performed on the Late Show with David Letterman in 2015.

A Nobel In Literature For Bob Dylan, Whose Words Transcend Form

9:37pm October 15, 2016

by Scott Simon

When Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for Literature, many were surprised. But many novelists cheered, and performers of all kinds — from William Shatner to Kesha — have been inspired by Dylan's words.

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'Worst President Ever': One Author Says This Title Goes To James Buchanan

7:57am October 15, 2016

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with writer Robert Strauss about his new book, "Worst. President. Ever." Strauss looks at James Buchanan's time in office and argues he led the country to demise.

'Love For Sale': A History Of Pop Music That's As Personal As It Gets

7:57am October 15, 2016

NPR's Scott Simon talks to music critic David Hajdu about his new book, "Love For Sale," in which he chronicles the 100-plus year history of American pop music.