In 'Varina,' A Confederate Contemplates Her Complicity
Charles Frazier was done writing about the Civil War after his award-winning novel Cold Mountain. Then he discovered the true story of the first lady of the Confederacy.
Books
Nobel Prize Judges Face Crisis 'Worse Than One Can Imagine' After Resignations
Three members of the Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobel Prize in literature, protested its response to a simmering scandal by resigning their permanent roles. Now, the group is in a tough spot.
How Rodgers And Hammerstein Revolutionized Broadway
Todd Purdum's new book, Something Wonderful, is about the creative partnership and strained personal relationship behind such hit shows as Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific and The Sound of Music.
The Billion-Dollar Romance Fiction Industry Has A Diversity Problem
No black author has ever won its top prize. NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks about the issue with Alisha Rai, author of the Forbidden Hearts series.
'No One Meant To Be In My Office': A Divorce Lawyer's Tips On Staying Together
James Sexton has seen the demise of more than a thousand marriages — which inspired him to write a new book on how to keep it together. His advice? Keep communicating, and be painfully honest.
Feminist Health Guide 'Our Bodies, Ourselves' Will Stop Publishing
The groundbreaking book was first released in the early 1970s. It gave women frank information about then-taboo topics like masturbation, birth control and female sexual anatomy.
Birds Open Bottles And Catfish Hunt Pigeons When 'Darwin Comes To Town'
Evolutionary biologist Menno Schilthuizen's new book is a breezy (sometimes too breezy) account of the ways animals have adapted to city life, and the staggering impact humans have had on evolution.
'This Guy Had Really Done A Great Job Before I Started': Jo Nesbo's 'Macbeth'
The Norwegian crime novelist says he tries to avoid other people's ideas. Then he was offered the chance to adapt one of Shakespeare's masterpieces.
'The Recovering' Chronicles Addiction In Lush, Caressing Detail
Author Leslie Jamison's new memoir of her years of alcoholism walks in the paths of drunken icons like Raymond Carver and John Cheever, describing the effects of intoxicants with gorgeous, exact care.
Meg Wolitzer's 'Female Persuasion' Honors The Women Who Helped Her On Her Way
Wolitzer's new novel tells the story of two women: an 18-year-old college freshman and the famous feminist who befriends and inspires her.