A Place That Can't Exist Again: Blondie's New York
Chris Stein's photos in Me, Blondie and the Advent of Punk Rock document a city that is barely recognizable today.
Books
Black And Female In Jim Crow Era, A Reporter In 'Jam! On the Vine'
The new novel follows a black journalist in Kansas City in the aftermath of the Civil War. NPR's Rachel Martin speaks with LaShonda Katrice Barnett about her book.
Stories That Must Be Told In 'My Documents'
Chilean writer Alejandro Zambra's new story collection shows off his exacting eye, comic timing and powers of description; critic Juan Vidal says the narratives flow like a glass of cool water.
We Went From Hunter-Gatherers To Space Explorers, But Are We Happier?
In his book Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari packs the history of humanity into 400 pages. "In some areas we've done amazingly well," the historian says. "In other areas we've done amazingly bad."
Reforming Prisoners Through Poetry
For the last 40 years, poet Richard Shelton has been helping prisoners in Arizona reclaim their humanity. NPR's Arun Rath talks with Shelton about his work.
'Alphabetical' Tells The Story Behind Every Letter, A To Z
There are 26 letters in the English alphabet. But how did they get there, and why do they look the way they do? Michael Rosen looks for answers in his new book Alphabetical.
From 'Game Of Thrones' Pitch Letter: No One Is Safe
A 22-year-old book proposal from George R.R. Martin to his publisher gives host Scott Simon a window into the early plotlines of the Game of Thrones fantasy series.
For Black History Month, Letters To Reveal And Inspire
February is Black History Month — but it's also a month to celebrate the lost art of letter writing. K. Tempest Bradford examines the overlap, and recommends some good historical letter collections.
NPR Bestsellers: Week Of February 5, 2015
The lists are compiled from weekly surveys of close to 500 independent bookstores nationwide.
NPR Bestsellers: Paperback Fiction, Week Of February 5, 2015
In Jo Nesbo's The Son, heroin-addicted Sonny Lofthus breaks out of prison after learning the truth about his father's suicide. It appears at No. 11.