Sex Advice Columnist Dan Savage Still Fresh After 20 Years
The gay activist, journalist, and sex advice columnist talks about the evolution of readers' questions, and dispels the notion of "normalcy" when it comes to dating.
Books
Pulling Back The Curtain On DARPA, The Pentagon's 'Brain'
From stealth technology to GPS to vaccines, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency — or DARPA — has developed some of the most consequential weapons and technology through the ages. Annie Jacobsen, author of the new book "The Pentagon's Brain," talks with Steve Inskeep about the agency's storied past and its intriguing future.
In Sophomore Year, Kirkus Prize Features An Eclectic Mix Of Finalists
The literary award, launched last year by Kirkus Reviews, lists Ta-Nehisi Coates, Helen Macdonald and Hanya Yanagihara among 18 finalists across three categories. The prize carries a purse of $50,000.
Journalist Discusses The Rise Of ISIS And Its Future In Syria And Iraq
Joby Warrick, author of Black Flags, traces the Islamic State's development from an al-Qaida-related insurgency in Iraq to a successful jihadist movement that now holds territory in Syria and Iraq.
House Calls To The Homeless: A Doctor Treats Boston's Most Isolated Patients
James O'Connell refers to himself as a "street doctor." Since 1985, he has cared for homeless patients, sometimes making visits on park benches or in alleys. His memoir is Stories from the Shadows.
'Zeroes' Is A Superhero Story — About Teenage Losers
In this new collaborative YA novel, three authors — Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti — each take charge of two characters, teenagers with offbeat and troublesome superpowers.
'Gold Fame Citrus' Holds Fear In A Handful Of Dust
Claire Vaye Watkins' first novel is a frighteningly believable near-future dystopia; drought has ruined the West, and two holdouts among the wreckage find their lives changed by a strange child.
'Last Song' Is A Beautifully Orchestrated Fantasy Debut
Ilana C. Myer creates a lush, shadowed fantasy world in Last Song Before Night, with a sprawling cast and an epic quest to restore the long-lost magic once summoned by music.
Memories Of A Maybe Angel In 'Don't Suck, Don't Die'
Musicians Kristin Hersh and Vic Chesnutt were friends and tour buddies for years before his death from an overdose in 2009; Don't Suck is Hersh's haunting memoir of her lost friend and his pain.
A Nurse Reflects On The Privilege Of Caring For Dying Patients
Palliative care nurse Theresa Brown provides in-home, end-of-life care to patients. "It's incredible the love that people evoke" at the end of their lives, she says. Brown's new book is The Shift.