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In 'Miles Morales Suspended,' Spider-Man grapples with racism and saving the world
Miles Morales, the beloved protagonist of Jason Reynolds' Spider-Man novel, is back. And this time, he's dealing with in-school suspension for challenging his history teacher at an elite Brooklyn pri…
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
'Soil' weaves together a poet's experience of gardening, race and community
For poet Camille Dungy, environmental justice, community interdependence and political engagement go hand in hand. She explores those relationships in her new book, Soil: The Story of a Black Mother'…
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
Bangles cofounder Susanna Hoffs' first novel follows a one-hit wonder, 10 years later
The protagonist of Susanna Hoffs' debut novel, Jane Start, probably listens to Dionne Warwick to hype herself up in the morning. Start is 33 and living with her parents – her days of pop stardom, for…
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
Two books dive into the history of minimalist music and the origins of the saxophone
Today's episode is all about music history. First, musicologists Kerry O'Brien and William Robin tell NPR's Noah Caldwell about their new book, On Minimalism, and how the genre was born out of 1960s …
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
Madhur Jaffrey celebrates 50 years of 'An Invitation to Indian Cooking'
Today's episode comes to you straight from Madhur Jaffrey's kitchen. NPR's Michel Martin pays the celebrated chef and actor a visit in her New York home, where she discusses how she first learned to …
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
Poet Hanif Abdurraqib reflects on the ways grief has shaped his spirituality
In his new book, A Little Devil in America, poet Hanif Abdurraqib writes about music in such a way that NPR's Rachel Martin wanted to focus a conversation about spiritual transcendence related to it.…
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
'Monsters' examines fandom and how we consume art by morally compromised people
In the midst of the #MeToo movement in 2017, Claire Dederer posed a difficult question in The Paris Review: "What Do We Do With the Art of Monstrous Men?" From that viral essay comes her new book, Mo…
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
'The Collector' follows a fictional spy's quest to track down a real stolen painting
Johannes Vermeer's 1664 masterpiece "The Concert" was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990. That real - still unsolved - case is at the heart of Daniel Silva's new thriller, The Co…
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
Two children's books show the comfort kids can find in darkness
Today's episode is all about young readers and the ways they interact with complicated emotions. First, NPR's Julie Depenbrock speaks with Jon Klassen about his new book, The Skull, inspired by a fol…
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago
In her memoir, designer Aurora James examines representation and equality in fashion
Aurora James is the designer behind the fashion brand Brother Vellies and the 15% pledge, an initiative that encourages major retailers to stock more work by Black-owned businesses on their shelves. …
Published on 2 years, 4 months ago