Capturing An Unknowable Writer In 'Love Song'
Author Tracy Daugherty's new biography of Joan Didion is an honest attempt to construct a coherent narrative about her — but critic Michael Schaub says it doesn't completely work.
Books
Novelist Kamel Daoud, Finding Dignity In The Absurd
His new novel, The Meursault Investigation, reworks Albert Camus' The Stranger from the point of view of the murdered Arab's brother. He says Camus' vision of the absurd gave him back his dignity
'Sad Puppies' Fail To Stuff Ballot Box At Hugo Awards
The "sad puppies" — a group of disgruntled, mostly white male science fiction authors — struck out at the Hugo Awards over the weekend after trying to stuff the ballot box.
'A Manual For Cleaning Women' Showcases A Gritty, One-Of-A-Kind Voice
A posthumously published collection of stories steers recognition to Lucia Berlin, whose fictional narrators are the sort who have seen it all and aren't afraid to tell you about their crappy day.
'I Regret Everything': Toni Morrison Looks Back On Her Personal Life
"It's not profound regret," Morrison tells Fresh Air. "It's just a wiping up of tiny little messes that you didn't recognize as mess when they were going on." Originally broadcast April 20, 2015.
'Science Of Mom': Scientist Sorts Through Studies So Parents Don't Have To
Alice Callahan uses her background in nutritional biology and fetal physiology to help new parents tell fact from fiction in her new book The Science of Mom. She gives tips to NPR's Rachel Martin.
Up From The Ashes, A Public Library In Sri Lanka Welcomes New Readers
The Jaffna library once held irreplaceable, ancient manuscripts, lost when it was torched in 1981. Fully restored, the beloved landmark today is filled with readers.
Amid A Hubbub At The Hugos, 'Puppies' See Little Success
At science fiction's Hugo Awards, voters largely rejected a slate of nominees pushed by a group called the Sad Puppies. In an unusual end to the controversy, a few categories didn't even get a winner.
'Eileen' Is Dark, Damaged Fun
Ottessa Moshfegh's new novel follows a defiantly, triumphantly off-putting young woman who dreams of escaping her grim New England existence. Critic Jean Zimmerman calls it "pleasingly perverse."
Everyone's Likely To Be Sad At This Year's Hugos
The Hugo Awards celebrate the best in science fiction and fantasy, but this year they're fraught with controversy after a self-identified conservative coalition organized to dominate the nominations.