Podcast Episodes
Back to Search
Author Azar Nafisi says books can help you really live
Author Azar Nafisi has written a love letter to literature and reading in Read Dangerously: The Subversive Power of Literature in Troubled Times. She does this in a series of letters to her late fath…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
In 'Romantic Comedy,' Curtis Sittenfeld flips the gendered tropes
From Notting Hill to the real-life relationships of several SNL writers with Hollywood starlets – to even the new Barbie movie tagline ("She's everything. He's just Ken.") – there's a recurring story…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
'The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi' calls a mother and former pirate back to the sea
Amina Al-Sirafi, the protagonist of Shannon Chakraborty's new novel, commanded the Indian Ocean as one of its most notorious pirates during the 12th century. But when the story kicks off, Al-Sirafi i…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
Two novels find siblings confronting the evils around them
Today's episode is all about the complexities of sibling relationships, especially when the family is surrounded by hostile circumstances. First, NPR's Miles Parks speaks with Ari Tison about her new…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
In 'Empireland,' Sathnam Sanghera takes a closer look at the UK's imperialist history
Sathnam Sanghera's new book, Empireland, focuses on how British imperialism shaped the trajectory of that country's history. But as he emphasizes in his opening chapter, the U.S. – much like the rest…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
Colleen Oakley's new roadtrip novel takes inspiration from 'Thelma and Louise'
Tanner and Louise have a 63 year age difference and pretty opposite personalities: Tanner is a former college athlete, hitting what she thinks is rock bottom after dropping out. Louise is the eccentr…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
In 'A Living Remedy,' Nicole Chung reflects on anger, grief and failed systems
Nicole Chung's first memoir, All You Can Ever Know, recounts her story growing up adopted – a young Asian American woman in a predominantly white town in Oregon — and her journey to retrace her roots…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
Lizzie Stark traces the history and cultural impact of the 'Egg'
The egg can be found anywhere from a breakfast plate to an Easter basket to a science museum. As author Lizzie Stark details in her new book, Egg: A Dozen Ovatures, the egg is not just an intrinsic p…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
Two books trace enslaved people's journey to freedom in the 19th century
Today's episode features two books examining the sacrifices made by enslaved people in the U.S. First, NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with author Ilyan Woo about Master, Slave, Husband, Wife. It's a true…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago
In 'The Survivalists,' doomsday prepping becomes a way to regain control
Comedy writer Kashana Cauley grew up watching the film Conspiracy Theory, starring Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts, with her parents. She says that's likely her earliest entryway into a world she explor…
Published on 2 years, 8 months ago