Books

Books
Arts

'Not Funny' Proves Potent On A Tough Subject

3:10pm September 11, 2015

by Etelka Lehoczky

Leah Hayes' new graphic novel presents, in simple terms and unassuming pinkish illustrations, the story of two women who decide to get abortions, the choices they make and the steps they go through.

This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by Jonathan Evison

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Arts

With A Touch Of Snark, 'Harriet Chance' Lays Its Protagonist Bare

3:03pm September 11, 2015

by Jason Sheehan

The heroine of Jonathan Evison's new novel is 78 years old, chronically drunk and talks to the ghost of her dead husband. Critic Jason Sheehan says the book portrays "darkness with a forced smile."

Books

As A Lyricist And Novelist, The Mountain Goats' Lead Man Writes About Pain

1:25pm September 11, 2015

Songwriter John Darnielle talks with Fresh Air about his difficult childhood, finding refuge in music and his novel, Wolf in White Van. Originally broadcast Sept. 17, 2014

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Stephen King poses for the cameras during his promotional tour for the novel Doctor Sleep in 2013. Now, just imagine him in a suit and tie, with a medal around his neck.

A Medal For A King — And For Many Of America's Greatest Living Artists

11:10pm September 10, 2015

by Colin Dwyer

The 2014 National Medals of Arts and the National Humanities Medals was awarded in tandem Thursday to 21 of the most renowned U.S. artists and patrons. Among the winners was Stephen King.

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Arts

'Lost Child' Wraps Up Ferrante's Neapolitan Series With 'Perfect Devastation'

6:55pm September 10, 2015

by Maureen Corrigan

Elena Ferrante's edgy "Neapolitan Novels" chronicle a decades-long friendship between two Italian women. Maureen Corrigan says the fourth and final novel, The Story of the Lost Child, is spectacular.

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Arts

A Gargantuan Error: Quixotic Is Not The Only Word From A Book Character

6:41pm September 10, 2015

NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with Bruce Conforth, professor of American culture at the University of Michigan, about words that have entered colloquial language after originating as book characters.

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Arts

A Master Class In Journalism From A 1930s-Era Workaholic

4:01pm September 10, 2015

by Juan Vidal

Joseph Roth was an Austrian reporter whose writing provided a vivid portrait of pre-WWII Europe. Critic Juan Vidal says this newly translated collection of his work shows his intelligence and humor.

The Tattered Cover Book Store has served the Denver, Colo., area for more than 40 years. Now, longtime owner Joyce Meskis is preparing to retire and plans to sell to two publishing industry veterans.

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Arts

Denver's Tattered Cover Bookstore Is Focused On Succession, Not Just Survival

3:14pm September 10, 2015

by Scott Horsley

Known for its vast selection and knowledgeable sales staff, it's a Denver institution. Now, after 40 years, the store's longtime owner is making preparations to pass the reins to a new generation.

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America's Forgotten History Of Mexican-American 'Repatriation'

1:11pm September 10, 2015

With a scarcity of jobs during the Depression, more than a million people of Mexican descent were sent to Mexico. Author Francisco Balderrama estimates that 60 percent were American citizens.

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Margo Jefferson is a writing professor at Columbia University. In 1994, she won a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism for her work at The New York Times.

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Arts

Privilege And Pressure: A Memoir Of Growing Up Black And Elite In 'Negroland'

10:59am September 10, 2015

In her memoir, Negroland, Margo Jefferson describes growing up black and affluent in 1950s Chicago. Jefferson tells Fresh Air it was a world of sophistication — and snobbery.

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