Podcast Episodes
Back to Search
A new book examines millennial nostalgia and the economic consequences of Y2K
Twenty-five years into the new millennium, Y2K aesthetics and millennial nostalgia are still alive and well in Colette Shade's new book, Y2K: How the 2000s Became Everything (Essays on the Future Tha…
Published on 11 months, 2 weeks ago
'A Kwanzaa Keepsake and Cookbook' is an updated exploration of Kwanzaa's traditions
A Kwanzaa Keepsake and Cookbook was first published in 1995, a few decades after the seven-day festival was created in 1966. Written by culinary historian and author Jessica B. Harris, the book explo…
Published on 11 months, 2 weeks ago
'King: A Life' and 'A Day in the Life of Abed Salama' are Pulitzer Prize winners
Today, we revisit conversations with two 2024 Pulitzer Prize-winning authors. First, King: A Life, the biography by Jonathan Eig, provides a fresh perspective on the life of one of America's most imp…
Published on 11 months, 2 weeks ago
In 'All Fours,' Miranda July tackles love, sex and reinvention in middle age
Writer and filmmaker Miranda July says the popular imagination sort of drops off once a woman gets married and has kids. Her new novel All Fours turns that on its head – it's a story about an artist …
Published on 11 months, 2 weeks ago
Salman Rushdie's memoir 'Knife' recounts his attack and recovery
In 2022, the author Salman Rushdie was onstage at a public event when a man ran up and stabbed him. His new memoir, Knife, delves into that moment when Rushdie thought he was going to die — and every…
Published on 11 months, 2 weeks ago
Kaveh Akbar's novel 'Martyr!' is a journey of identity, addiction and poetry
Halfway through today's episode, author Kaveh Akbar tells NPR's Scott Simon that his life is a summation of "private joys amidst collective grief and private grief amidst collective joy." It's a cont…
Published on 11 months, 3 weeks ago
Percival Everett centers a new voice in 'James,' a retelling of 'Huckleberry Finn'
Percival Everett is a prolific author – his 2001 book Erasure was recently adapted into the Oscar-winning film American Fiction. But his latest book, James, expands on a story readers around the worl…
Published on 11 months, 3 weeks ago
BONUS: A biography and a memoir reexamine Jimmy Carter's extraordinary life
Former president Jimmy Carter has died. He was 100 years old. In today's episode, two books examine Carter's career in the White House and beyond. First, NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with historian Kai…
Published on 11 months, 3 weeks ago
'Gather Me' and 'Subculture Vulture' are memoirs told through books and subcultures
Memoirs from authors Glory Edim and Moshe Kasher narrate their lives through cultural objects: books and subcultures. First, Edim, the founder of the Well-Read Black Girl book club, grew up as the ch…
Published on 11 months, 3 weeks ago
'The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol' is a mythical take on the Jewish holiday
Nate Gadol is a spirit with the power to make anything last for as long as it's needed, whether oil, chocolate, or a flower. Gadol's special gift is at the center of The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol,…
Published on 11 months, 3 weeks ago