Books

Sen. Doug Jones Discusses His Memoir 'Bending Toward Justice'

5:09pm March 01, 2019

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., about his new memoir, Bending Toward Justice, which recounts his prosecution of the Birmingham church bombing perpetrators.

Mama celebrates her 50th birthday on May 3, 2007, with fruit and vegetables at the Burgers Zoo in Arnhem, Holland.

'Mama's Last Hug' Makes Case That Humans Are Not Alone In Experiencing Emotions

10:14am March 01, 2019

by Barbara J. King

In his new book, primate behavior researcher Frans de Waal writes that "emotions are everywhere in the animal kingdom, from fish to birds to insects and even in brainy mollusks such as the octopus."

Books
Arts

'Dead Men's Trousers' Takes The Trainspotting Crew For A Last, Too-Long Ride

7:00am March 01, 2019

by Jason Sheehan

Irvine Welsh catches up with Renton, Begbie, Sick Boy and Spud — now middle aged and gone their separate ways — for what he says is the last installment in the Trainspotting saga.

Books
Arts

Women Show The Faces Of War In 'The Huntress'

10:00am February 28, 2019

by Bethanne Patrick

Kate Quinn's new thriller puts women's experiences front and center in the story of a former Soviet "Night Witch" pilot chasing down an escaped Nazi known as The Huntress in the years after the war.

We Set the Dark on Fire, by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Books
Arts

'We Set The Dark On Fire' Burns Bright

7:00am February 28, 2019

by Caitlyn Paxson

Tehlor Kay Mejia's debut novel We Set the Dark on Fire is set at a posh girls' school in a dystopian world where the students are being trained for lives as political consorts to powerful men.

Lost Children Archive, by Valeria Luiselli

Books

A New Novel Reminds Readers, These 'Lost Children' Belong To Us All

2:02pm February 27, 2019

by Maureen Corrigan

Valeria Luiselli's Lost Children Archive centers on a family's tense road trip to the Southwestern U.S. border. Critic Maureen Corrigan says it's an epic and elegant work.

Books

New Americans Grapple With Identity And Country In 'The Good Immigrant'

12:26pm February 27, 2019

by Joel Rose

The debate over immigration has exposed real differences in how Americans understand America. In a new essay collection, 26 writers and artists reflect on a polarized country.

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Chimene Suleyman is a co-editor of The Good Immigrant.

In 'The Good Immigrant,' New Americans Grapple With Their Polarized Country

12:24pm February 27, 2019

by Joel Rose

Co-editor Chimene Suleyman says she doesn't want to wait for other people to decide who's a good immigrant. She wants immigrants to answer that question for themselves.

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Books
Arts

When 'Everything' Is Changing, Stories Have A Role To Play

10:00am February 27, 2019

by Jason Sheehan

The editors of this new anthology — drawn from a story contest run by Arizona State University — argue that stories are as necessary as policy and technology in the fight against climate change.

Dr. Seuss Books Can Be Racist, But Students Keep Reading Them

6:58pm February 26, 2019

A recent study found that Dr. Seuss books can be pretty racist. It's highlighted a growing debate: Should schools teach classic books that may be problematic or trade them for socially conscious ones?