Books

'The Annotated African American Folktales,' By Henry Louis Gates and Maria Tatar

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Arts

'Annotated African American Folktales' Reclaims Stories Passed Down From Slavery

2:29am November 11, 2017

by Robert Siegel

The new anthology, edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Maria Tatar, aims to make century-old stories — of flying Africans, quizzical animals and even Uncle Remus — available to new generations.

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'Hue 1968' Revisits An American 'Turning Point' In The War In Vietnam

2:44pm November 10, 2017

Author Mark Bowden says the capture of Hue, Vietnam, was part of a wave of well-planned Communist attacks that helped turn U.S. public opinion against the war. Originally broadcast June 12, 2017.

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Joe Ide: Creating A Complicated Hero From the Hood

6:00am November 10, 2017

Joe Ide and his brothers hung out almost exclusively with the neighborhood kids in South Los Angeles. Years later, the city's old haunts and characters worked their way into his books.

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In 'Wonder Valley,' There's More Than One Los Angeles

5:41am November 10, 2017

by David Greene

Ivy Pochoda's latest was informed by creative writing classes she teaches on L.A.'s Skid Row. "My L.A. experience, it was a little bit different, and I think the book sort of reflects that," she says.

Books

Author Beverly Gray Looks Back On 50 Years Of 'The Graduate' In Her Latest Book

4:50pm November 09, 2017

NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Hollywood writer Beverly Gray about her new book, Seduced by Mrs. Robinson: How The Graduate Became the Touchstone of a Generation. The book offers behind-the-scene details of the 1967 film, The Graduate and looks at its lasting impact on the industry.

One of Cipe Pineles' many illustrated recipes in the newly published cookbook, Leave Me Alone With the Recipes: The Life, Art & Cookbook of Cipe Pineles.

A Rare Find: Trailblazing Female Designer's Unpublished Family Cookbook

4:03pm November 09, 2017

by Greta Jochem

Magazine art director Cipe Pineles helped pave the way for creative women in publishing. She also illustrated her mother's Eastern European recipes, but for 70 years the manuscript lay undiscovered.

Hamilton's Battalion, by Courtney Milan, Alyssa Cole and Rose Lerner

Books
Arts

For November, A Romance Trio For 'Hamilton' Fans (And The Rest Of You, Too)

2:52pm November 09, 2017

by Maya Rodale

Even if you haven't seen the musical, you can keep warm this November with a delightful trio of novellas set in and around the battalion commanded by Alexander Hamilton at the siege of Yorktown.

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Arts

Once An Underground Currency, Bitcoin Emerges As 'A New Way To Track Information'

2:22pm November 09, 2017

by Terry Gross

The digital currency's value has gone from zero to $120 billion in nine years. Digital Gold author Nathaniel Popper says major banks are looking into the possibilities of its decentralized network.

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Books

Joe Ide Uses His South Central LA Days To Form Protagonist 'I.Q.'

8:16am November 09, 2017

by Karen Grigsby Bates

The second book in Ide's detective series again centers on Isaiah Quintabe. I.Q. travels back and forth to Las Vegas, where he's trying to find some gambling-addicted homefolks before the mob does.

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'This Mortal Coil' Will Get You All Twisted Up

7:00am November 09, 2017

by Amal El-Mohtar

Emily Suvada's debut novel — a high-tech young adult dystopia — is bursting with ideas (and exploding viruses). And while it might seem like a conventional thriller, it's got a twist to reckon with.