Books

Books
Arts

Friend Or Fiend? 'Pit Bull' Explores The History Of America's Most Feared Dog

1:37pm May 10, 2016

Author Bronwen Dickey says the idea of pit bulls as predators is based on myth and misinformation. In the early Hollywood era, Dickey says, the dogs were often chosen to appear in comedies.

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Kindergarten students read before class starts at Walker-Jones Education Campus in Washington, D.C.

Through The Looking Glass: How Children's Books Have Grown Up

12:53pm May 10, 2016

by Byrd Pinkerton

Literature for kids hasn't always been focused on the magical and whimsical. We take a three-century tour through the history of children's books in the classroom.

David Prowse as Darth Vader in Star Wars. As you probably know, but many 5-year-olds don't.

Books
Arts

When Storytime Blows Kids' Minds: The Power Of The Plot Twist

11:07am May 10, 2016

by Barrie Hardymon

One of the profound pleasures of reading to children, says Barrie Hardymon, is the thrill of sharing a story's secrets for the first time.

Books
Arts

'The Noise Of Time' Can't Drown Out Shostakovich

10:00am May 10, 2016

by Heller McAlpin

Julian Barnes' slim but powerful new novel chronicles the difficulties composer Dmitri Shostakovich suffered under repressive Soviet regimes, and mourns what is lost when tyrants try to control art.

Books
Arts

Richard Russo Returns To North Bath, NY, In 'Everybody's Fool'

1:33pm May 09, 2016

The Pulitzer-Prize winning author of Empire Falls says his characters are inspired by his parents' working-class World War II generation. Russo's new novel is set in a small town in upstate New York.

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Robert Worth's 'A Rage For Order' Takes On Troubled Middle East

8:19am May 08, 2016

Robert Worth was in Cairo in February 2011 when news spread that president Hosni Mubarak had resigned. He tells Melissa Block about that moment and shares other personal stories about the Arab Spring.

On this Mother's Day, here's a bit of wisdom: "Having a child is usually just a long patience."

Books
Arts

'Eleven Hours' Follows Two Soon-To-Be Moms In The Course Of One Labor

7:57am May 08, 2016

by NPR Staff

Pamela Erens' new book tells the story of a woman in labor and the nurse who helps her through it.

Customers shop at Barnes and Noble in Rockefeller Center May 1, 2003 in New York City in an era before eBooks rose in popularity.

Books
Arts

Barnes & Noble Founder Retires, Leaving His Imprint On Bookstore's History

9:51pm May 07, 2016

As Founder and Chairman of Barnes & Noble, Leonard Riggio steered it through the proliferation of free information in the Internet age. As he retires, he tells NPR's Lynn Neary about his long career.

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Zarqa Nawaz's Little Mosque on the Prairie ran on the CBC from 2007 to 2012.

'Little Mosque' Creator Zarqa Nawaz On Mixing Comedy And Religion

8:44am May 07, 2016

by NPR Staff

The writer/filmmaker uses humor to help people understand Islam, but it took years for some mosque members to come around to her jokes. Nawaz's new memoir is called Laughing All The Way to the Mosque.

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Books
Arts

Chris Cleve's WWII Novel Draws From Family's Bravery

7:59am May 07, 2016

NPR's Lynn Neary asks Chris Cleve about his new novel "Everyone Brave if Forgiven." He wanted to write about Randolph Churchill's World War II experiences but discovered surprising inspiration.