The New York Times columnist says the stroke forced him to choose: He could focus on what had been lost, or on what remained. His memoir is The Beauty of Dusk. Originally broadcast March 22, 2022.
Emma Straub's new novel is a charmer that unleashes the magic of time travel to sweeten its exploration of some heavy themes like mortality, the march of time, and how small choices can alter a life.
NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Emma Straub about her new novel, This Time Tomorrow, in which the central character is turning 40 — but wakes up and is age 16 again.
In his book The Women's House of Detention, Hugh Ryan writes about the New York City prison and the role it played in the gay rights movement of the '60s, including the 1969 Stonewall Uprising.
NPR's Rachel Martin talks to actress Selma Blair about her book. She recounts her bizarre upbringing, her battles with depression and alcoholism and her battle with multiple sclerosis.
Ayesha Rascoe speaks with author Anne Heltzel about her gothic horror novel, "Just Like Mother," where a young woman reunites with her cousin after escaping a cult.
An old story about the undead is getting a new life, of sorts: Bram Stoker's blood-thirsty vampire has found fresh victims with "Dracula Daily," delivered in small — ahem — digestible chunks.
Scott Simon talks with Candice Millard about 19th century British exploration and her new book, "River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile."
Scott Simon talks to writer and director George Stevens Jr. about his life, growing up in Hollywood, and even Elizabeth Taylor, in his memoir, "My Place In The Sun."
In their latest works, Azar Nafisi, Elena Ferrante, and Anna Quindlen vigorously assert that reading and writing can pull us out of our mess. In their hands, reading and writing are worth celebrating.
NPR's Adrian Florido talks with Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa about their new book, His Name is George Floyd: One Man's Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice.
Author Scott Hershovitz sets out to prove that philosophy, like inquisitive, rowdy children, can offer illuminating insights — even when addressing complex subjects related to misbehavior.
Hernan Diaz's novel is constantly pulling a fast one on the reader. It opens with the saga of a Wall Street tycoon, but soon another narrative comes to upend the truth of everything that came before.
Obama's attorney general says that when it comes to voting rights, the Supreme Court has increasingly become "an impediment to justice." Holder's new book is Our Unfinished March.
Novelist Ann Hood, whose Fly Girlpaints a picture of her time as a flight attendant, was a beneficiary of the fight by the women profiled in Nell McShane Wulfhart's book to be treated professionally.
Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson and The Olympians series, has issued a forceful response to criticisms of the decision to hire a person of color, Leah Jeffries, to play Annabeth Chase on TV.
Mark Rozzo talks about his latest book Everybody Thought We Were Crazy. It offers a look into the relationship between Dennis Hopper and Brooke Hayward and their impact on 1960s Los Angeles.
Celebrated comic book artist George Pérez died on May 6. He was known for his rich and detailed work on the Avengers and Justice League — and for reinventing Wonder Woman on the page.
The 2022 Pulitzer Prizes in fiction, poetry, drama and other categories in arts and letters were announced in New York along with awards for journalism.
Pérez died on Friday at age 67. In a career that spanned over four decades, Pérez's meticulous pencil was behind some of the biggest comic book heroes.
Mothercoin, by Elizabeth Cummins Muñoz, takes an intimate look at the lives of immigrant nannies in Houston, and how their work in private homes affects their relationship with their own children.
Scott Simon interviews writer and heavy construction worker Bud Smith about his new novel, "Teenager," in which a young couple in love hit the road on a wild road trip.
