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Novels by Sigrid Nunez and Michael Cunningham tackle the pandemic
Today's episode finds two renowned authors who found solace in writing characters navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. First, NPR's Leila Fadel spoke with Sigrid Nunez about The Vulnerables, which follo…
Published on 2 years ago
Patricia Evangelista's memoir revisits the aftermath of the Philippines' war on drugs
Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista traces the aftermath of the Philippines' war on drugs. After Rodrigo Duterte was elected in 2016, thousands of people were killed in extrajudicial kil…
Published on 2 years ago
Norman Lear's memoir recalls a life and career that shaped American television
TV writer and producer, Norman Lear, died this week. He was 101 years old. In today's episode, we revisit Lear's 2014 interview with NPR's Arun Rath about his memoir, Even This I Get to Experience. F…
Published on 2 years ago
In 'The New Naturals,' Gabriel Bump explores grief after the loss of a daughter
The New Naturals follows a couple's journey from grieving their infant daughter to an underground utopia. In today's episode, literature professor Gabriel Bump tells NPR's Ayesha Rascoe how his own p…
Published on 2 years ago
In 'Oath and Honor,' Liz Cheney analyzes Trump's effect on the Republican party
When former Wyoming representative Liz Cheney criticized Donald Trump's presidency, she says she didn't know the Republican party would turn on her. But after losing her leadership role in the party …
Published on 2 years ago
Nathan Thrall's book revisits a tragic bus accident in Jerusalem
Today's episode is a true story that takes place in Jerusalem. In 2012, a bus collided with a semi trailer. Six Palestinian kindergarteners and a teacher burned to death. Abed Salama,, who is the fa…
Published on 2 years ago
'The Queen of Dirt Island' captures the bond between women in an Irish family
Donal Ryan's novel, The Queen of Dirt Island, centers its women characters. He tells NPR's Mary Louise Kelly that making the men peripheral wasn't his goal – "it just kind of happened." In today's ep…
Published on 2 years ago
Two National Book Awards finalists take on climate extremes
Today's episode features interviews with two authors whose works are 2023 National Book Awards finalists — one fiction, one nonfiction. Both broach the topic of climate realities, though their books …
Published on 2 years ago
How Indian migrant workers escaped human trafficking in Mississippi
Today's episode is a true story that reads like a novel. In 2006, author and labor organizer Saket Soni received a call from an Indian migrant worker. He was one of hundreds of men hired by Signal In…
Published on 2 years ago
Patricia Park's new YA novel captures the complexities of race and adolescence
Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim follows a Korean-Argentinian teen's journey to understanding who she is. Through the comfort of her multicultural home in Queens to the hallwa…
Published on 2 years ago