Books

Books

'New Yorker' Cartoonist And TV Producer Writes 'Honest Portrait' Of His Parents

1:31pm April 29, 2016

Bruce Eric Kaplan's illustrated memoir I Was A Child describes his life in New Jersey in the '60s and '70s. He says the book is a way of keeping his parents alive. Originally broadcast April 2, 2015.

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Books

Remembering Harry Wu, 'Troublemaker' For The Chinese Communist Party

1:31pm April 29, 2016

Wu, who survived 19 years in Chinese labor camps, died Tuesday. Born in China, Wu had lived in the United States since 1985 and was an active proponent of human rights. Originally broadcast in 1994.

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Arts

Pop Culture Happy Hour: 'Silicon Valley' And 'Bob's Burgers'

11:14am April 29, 2016

by Linda Holmes

This week, the roundtable discusses the HBO comedy Silicon Valley and Stephen Thompson sits down with Bob's Burgers creator Loren Bouchard.

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Arts

Mother And Daughter Come Together At The Card Table In 'The Bridge Ladies'

4:20pm April 28, 2016

by Maureen Corrigan

Betsy Lerner writes about joining her 83-year-old mother's weekly bridge club in her new book, which critic Maureen Corrigan calls a "smart and colorful memoir."

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Arts

3 Generations Of Trauma Haunt 'Ladivine'

10:34am April 28, 2016

by Jean Zimmerman

Marie NDiaye's unflinching new novel handles heavyweight emotions — guilt, shame, grief, cruelty — with sharp-edged writing and clear-eyed courage. It's an intense read, but an engrossing one.

Questlove's previous books include Mo' Meta Blues and Soul Train. He also teaches a class about classic albums at New York University.

Questlove On Prince, Doo-Wop And The Food Equivalent Of The 'Mona Lisa'

2:26pm April 27, 2016

In his new book, somethingtofoodabout, The Roots' drummer discusses the artistry involved in creating a great meal. "I'm more obsessed with the journey ... than the destination," Questlove says.

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Arts

'Plain Houses' Is A Spellbinding Story Of Witchcraft And Disobedience

7:00am April 27, 2016

by Carmen Maria Machado

Julia Franks' debut novel is set in Depression-era North Carolina, where young farm wife Irenie is sneaking off to the woods for moments away from her husband — who's convinced his wife is a witch.

Books
Arts

'Sleeping Giants' Kicks Off A New Series In Style

4:01pm April 26, 2016

by Jason Heller

Sylvain Neuvel's debut begins with a young girl who falls into a hole in the ground and is found soon after, sitting on a 20-foot-long mechanical hand. And that's just the (finger) tip of the iceberg.

In high school, Meryl Streep was one of the "cheeries."

Books
Arts

Meryl Streep's First Acting Gig: Becoming Pretty And Popular In High School

10:52am April 26, 2016

by Susan Stamberg

In a new biography called Her Again, author Michael Schulman says that at 14, Streep decided to reinvent herself — and before she was an Oscar winner, she was homecoming queen.

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'Alter Egos' Dissects Hillary Clinton's Tenure As Obama's Secretary Of State

1:51pm April 25, 2016

Mark Landler of The New York Times discusses Clinton and Obama's contrasting views on America's role in the world. Clinton, Landler says, was often the hawk, more willing to intervene with force.

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