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The libertine Falstaff sits with a woman on his lap and a tankard in his hand in an illustrated scene from one of William Shakespeare's Henry IV plays.

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50 Shades Of Shakespeare: How The Bard Used Food As Racy Code

3:31pm April 19, 2016

by Anne Bramley

The eggplant and peach emoji are standard code for racy thoughts these days, but food has been used for sexual innuendo for centuries. Shakespeare was a pro. (Happy Shakespeare Week!)

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David Duchovny On Baseball And How 'X-Files' Made Him A Better Writer

1:23pm April 19, 2016

The co-star of the X-Files discusses his novel, Bucky F*cking Dent, about a son reuniting with his absentee father. Duchovny earned a master's degree in literature before starting his TV career.

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A Thrilling TV Adaptation Of John Le Carré's 'Night Manager'

1:23pm April 19, 2016

by John Powers

Le Carré's 1993 novel comes to life in a six-part AMC series. John Powers says the show, which jets from Egyptian streets to posh Alpine lodges, is one of the most enjoyable thrillers he's seen on TV.

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One Life Changes Forever On 'Mothering Sunday'

7:00am April 19, 2016

by Heller McAlpin

Graham Swift's slim, incantatory new novel centers around young Jane, a maid on a rural estate, and the day in 1924 that unexpectedly alters the trajectory of her life.

James Brown performs at the Philharmonie in Cologne, Germany in 2003.

The Lonely Side Of James Brown

5:58am April 19, 2016

by NPR Staff

When James McBride, a National Book Award winner for his fiction, decided to write an entire book about James Brown, he wanted to push beyond the hype and racism he says haunts Brown's legacy.

Source: Martin Droeshout/Wikipedia; Illustration by Meredith Rizzo/NPR

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In Shakespeare's Plays, Mealtimes Were A Recipe For Drama

8:25pm April 18, 2016

by Anne Bramley

It's difficult to name a play in which Shakespeare doesn't cook up a bit of conflict around the table. The juiciest plot twists often happened when characters gathered for a meal.

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'It Takes A Lot Of Bravery To Be Kind,' Says Kids' Author Kate DiCamillo

6:06pm April 18, 2016

by NPR Staff

DiCamillo says Raymie Nightingale, the 10-year-old protagonist at the heart of her latest novel, is a lot like she was as a child: "Very introverted, watching, worrying, wondering, but also hopeful."

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You Can Go Home Again: The Transformative Joy Of Rereading

10:00am April 17, 2016

by Juan Vidal

Returning to a book you've read before can feel like getting a drink with an old friend. But even though the book's the same, you yourself may have changed — and that's what makes rereading so rich.

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What If 'Pride And Prejudice' Was Set In Cincinnati?

8:28am April 17, 2016

by NPR Staff

In Eligible, Curtis Sittenfeld's retelling of the classic, Mr. Bingley is a reality TV star and Jane Bennet is a yoga teacher.

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Horrors Pile Up Quietly In 'The Other Slavery'

6:18am April 17, 2016

by Genevieve Valentine

Andrés Reséndez' new book is a careful and scholarly examination of the enslavement of indigenous people in the Americas. It lays bare a shameful chapter of history, with a clear line to the present.