Books

Richard F. Outcault's goofy, nightshirt-wearing, smart-alecky tyke became the breakout star of the newspaper strip Hogan's Alley, which debuted in 1895.

Books
Arts

The Old School: Classic Strips That Continue To Shape Comics

10:00am July 13, 2017

by Glen Weldon

When we asked readers to name their favorite comics, many classic, hugely influential newspaper strips got nudged out of the running. We thought we'd give them a shout-out.

American Fire: Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land, by Monica Hesse.

Books
Arts

Truth Is A Fragmentary Thing In 'American Fire'

7:00am July 13, 2017

by Ilana Masad

The rural Virginia county of Accomack was plagued by arson in the winter of 2012. The arsonist was caught, and in American Fire, Monica Hesse tries to tease out the elusive truth of why he did it.

Books
Arts

'Goodbye, Vitamin' Is Sweet — But Not Sugarcoated

5:38pm July 12, 2017

by Heller McAlpin

Rachel Khong's first novel is a heartwarming account of family devotion and dementia — which sounds sickly, but her offbeat sensibility and flair for wordplay keep the story from becoming saccharine.

Thoreau was born 200 years ago, on July 12, 1817. He died of tuberculosis at age 44.

Books
Arts

If Thoreau Were Alive, He'd Be 'Shouting From The Rafters,' Biographer Says

5:34pm July 12, 2017

by Tom Vitale

Henry David Thoreau, author of Walden and Civil Disobedience, was born 200 years ago in 1817. Biographer Kevin Dann says the philosopher's ideas about individual sovereignty remain relevant today.

Queue Listen Now

Bad Machinery: The Case of the Team Spirit

Books
Arts

Let's Get Graphic: 100 Favorite Comics And Graphic Novels

5:06pm July 12, 2017

We asked readers to name their favorite comics and graphic novels, and we got thousands of answers. Now, with the help of our expert panel, we've curated a list to keep you flipping pages all summer.

Books

The Hello Girls: America's First Women Soldiers And Their Fight For Recognition

2:49pm July 12, 2017

The women of the U.S. Army Signal Corps were heroes in World War I. But when they returned home, they soon learned that the government that had recruited them for this mission didn't even consider them veterans.

Books
Arts

The Negative Zone: What Didn't Make Our Final List

12:00pm July 12, 2017

by Petra Mayer

In a list of 100 favorite comics and graphic novels, inevitably some people's favorites will get left out — some because they don't stand the test of time, some because there's just no room.

Books
Arts

'Refuge' Captures Divide Between Father And Daughter Through Lens Of Immigration

6:33pm July 11, 2017

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with Dina Nayeri about her new novel, Refuge, which tells the story of an elderly man in Iran and his adult daughter in Amsterdam.

Queue Listen Now

Eloise's dog, Weenie, wasn't always a pug, as evidenced by this 1954 Hilary Knight drawing.

Books
Arts

'Eloise At The Museum' Tells The Story Behind The Beloved Mischief-Maker

4:33pm July 11, 2017

by Jeff Lunden

The 6-year-old children's book character struck a chord when she debuted in the 1950s. Now a new exhibition shines a light on how Eloise came to be.

G. Willow Wilson writes the Hugo Award-winning Ms. Marvel.

Books
Arts

Summer Comics Poll: Meet Our Expert Panelists!

4:24pm July 11, 2017

by Petra Mayer

While we prep our awesome reader poll of great comics and graphic novels for all ages and tastes, we thought we'd introduce you to the panel of expert judges who helped curate the final list of 100.