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'Clutch' follows a college friend group trying to maintain their bond in midlife
The new novel Clutch follows five women who have known each other since college as they navigate the challenges of midlife. Author Emily Nemens recen…
1 month, 4 weeks ago
Brush up on American history with 'Common Sense' and 'We the People'
In preparation for the U.S. Semiquincentennial this summer, we’re featuring two key texts in American history. First, Professor Nora Slonimsky joins …
2 months ago
In 'Eradication,' a grieving man sets off to a remote island to save the world
Adi is a man grieving the death of his young son and the end of his marriage. Following these losses, he comes across a strange job listing, which br…
2 months ago
Gisèle Pelicot’s 'A Hymn to Life' is both a memoir and an act of ultimate defiance
Content warning: this episode contains discussions of sexual abuse.
In 2024, Gisèle Pelicot waived her right to anonymity as the victim during her own…
2 months ago
'Crux' is a novel about rock climbing, but risk exists far beyond the mountain’s edge
Rock climbing is a great sport for thrill-seekers. In Gabriel Tallent’s Crux, main characters Dan and Tamma fit the bill perfectly. At just 17 years …
2 months ago
After 100 years of Mount Rushmore, its biographer says the landmark is incomplete
Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the first drilling at Mount Rushmore, the iconic American landmark in South Dakota. But Matthew Davis, autho…
2 months ago
'Football' and 'Everybody Loses' examine changes to America’s most popular sport
The Super Bowl is over, but the NFL season is set to ramp up again in just a few months. Today’s episode features two nonfiction books that delve in…
2 months, 1 week ago
A new book focuses on a queer, Black, WWII-era translator who risked safety for love
About a decade ago, professor and historian Ethelene Whitmire was presenting research on the experiences of African Americans living in Denmark. At t…
2 months, 1 week ago
George Saunders' 'Vigil' is a ghostly novel about an oil tycoon in his final hours
In his latest novel, George Saunders continues to explore his interest in death and the afterlife. Vigil tells the story of an oil tycoon and climate…
2 months, 1 week ago
Gov. Josh Shapiro emphasizes civic engagement in new memoir 'Where We Keep the Light'
Gov. Josh Shapiro has plenty of dark experiences that he could recount in his new memoir, Where We Keep the Light. In his first term as Pennsylvania’…
2 months, 1 week ago