Books

Books
Arts

In 'The Buried Giant,' Exhausted Medieval Travelers 'Can't Go On,' But So 'Go On'

2:09pm March 05, 2015

by Maureen Corrigan

Kazuo Ishiguro's latest recalls the plays and novels of Samuel Beckett. It's a masterful blend of fantasy, Arthurian romance, myth, legend and postmodern absurdity — and it's unforgettable.

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Montana's Almost Crowded Now, Thanks To The Colorful Characters Of 'Crow Fair'

7:03am March 05, 2015

by Alan Cheuse

Thomas McGuane's new story collection gives us a large cast of Big Sky dreamers, schemers and down-and-outs. Reviewer Alan Cheuse says it's a fascinating portrait of the state — with bonus bears.

A 'Girl In A Band': Kim Gordon On Life After Sonic Youth

2:20pm March 04, 2015

Gordon co-founded Sonic Youth with Thurston Moore. When their marriage broke up in 2011, so did the band. Gordon talks about rebuilding her life, writing her memoir and her new band Body/Head.

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Claudia Rankine was nominated for a National Book Award for Citizen.

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Arts

Black Bodies In White Words, Or: Why We Need Claudia Rankine

12:55pm March 04, 2015

by Syreeta McFadden

Writer and photographer Syreeta McFadden says that when she's challenged to prove the existence of everyday racism, she directs friends, allies and enemies to Claudia Rankine's powerful Citizen.

Books
Arts

A Vivid Portrait Of Tudor Turmoil In 'Lamentation'

10:03am March 04, 2015

by Nishant Dahiya

The sixth volume of C.J. Sansom's Shardlake mysteries is set during the last days of England's King Henry VIII, as a potentially explosive religious manuscript written by his queen has gone missing.

The Vatican Bank is "essentially an offshore bank in the middle of a foreign country," says Gerald Posner. Above is an aerial view of St. Peter's basilica in Vatican City.

From Laundering To Profiteering, A Multitude Of Sins At The Vatican Bank

9:27am March 04, 2015

by NPR Staff

In God's Bankers Gerald Posner explores the history of money, power and the church. During World War II, he says, the Vatican made money off of the life insurance policies of Jews sent to death camps.

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A Life Examined — And Examined And Examined In 'Ongoingness'

8:09pm March 03, 2015

by Heller McAlpin

Writer Sarah Manguso has been a compulsive diarist since childhood; her new memoir documents the ways motherhood has changed her writing. Critic Heller McAlpin says it's full of lovely observations.

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Arts

'The Devil's Detective' Is A Grim Tour Through A Noirish Hell

7:38pm March 03, 2015

by Jason Heller

Hell is actually a bureaucracy in Simon Kurt Unsworth's debut novel. Reviewer Jason Heller says the tale of a demonic murder investigation starts strong but gets mired in the details of infernal life.

Charles Darrow sold Monopoly to Parker Bros. in the 1930s.

Books
Arts

Ever Cheat At Monopoly? So Did Its Creator: He Stole The Idea From A Woman

5:00pm March 03, 2015

by NPR Staff

The game Charles Darrow sold in the 1930s bore a striking resemblance to a game Lizzie Magie patented in 1904. In The Monopolists, Mary Pilon tells Monopoly's origin story.

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Kevin Carey's writing has appeared in The New York Times, Slate and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Prepare For 'The End Of College': Here's What Free Higher Ed Looks Like

4:58pm March 03, 2015

In his new book, Kevin Carey envisions a future in which online education programs solve two of colleges' biggest problems: costs and admissions.

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