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Al Franken, Giant of the Senate

Politics

Sen. Al Franken On Comedy, Trump And The 'Curdling' Of Washington

Fresh Air

As a former SNL cast member, Franken tends to see humor in politics. Despite this, he says his gut reaction to the Trump administration isn't levity: "This guy is outside the norm in many ways."

Sen. Al Franken On Comedy, Trump And The 'Curdling' Of Washington

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An Illustrated Guide To Master The Elements Of Cooking — Without Recipes
Courtesy of Wendy MacNaughton

The Salt

An Illustrated Guide To Master The Elements Of Cooking — Without Recipes

In her new cookbook, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, Samin Nosrat says the key to good food is learning to balance those elements when cooking — and to trust your instincts.

An Illustrated Guide To Master The Elements Of Cooking — Without Recipes

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Sen. Al Franken Embraces 'The Funny' Again In New Book

Sen. Al Franken, shown during the Peabody Awards ceremony in New York City on May 20, talks about running for office in his new book. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Peabody hide caption

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Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Peabody

Politics

Sen. Al Franken Embraces 'The Funny' Again In New Book

The Minnesota Democrat recounts his journey from Saturday Night Live to the Senate — and explains why comedy works in confirmation hearings: "Comedians kind of get to the point in an effective way."

Sen. Al Franken Embraces 'The Funny' Again In New Book

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Mike Tyson's New Book Is A Memorial To The Man Who Made Him A Champion

Mike Tyson and Cus D'Amato in training. "I'm not a creator," D'Amato once said. "What I do is discover and uncover." Ken Regan/Camera 5 /Courtesy of Blue Rider Press & Plume hide caption

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Ken Regan/Camera 5 /Courtesy of Blue Rider Press & Plume

Author Interviews

Mike Tyson's New Book Is A Memorial To The Man Who Made Him A Champion

Tyson says trainer Cus D'Amato is the reason he had such a legendary career. "We had a lot of dreams, hopes. ... Being champ of the world, that's all that we ever thought about."

Mike Tyson's New Book Is A Memorial To The Man Who Made Him A Champion

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'The Jersey Brothers' Highlights The Enduring Legacy Of World War II

Sally Mott Freeman's book, The Jersey Brothers, recounts the story of three men swept up by Word War II. The youngest brother gets captured in the Philippines, and the two others struggle to bring him home. NPR explores why stories of World War II remain so compelling to us today.

'The Jersey Brothers' Highlights The Enduring Legacy Of World War II

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Author Interviews

'The Body And The Blood' Follows Exodus Of Christians In The Middle East

NPR's Robert Siegel interviews Charles Sennott, author of The Body and the Blood: The Middle East's Vanishing Christians and the Possibility for Peace, and the executive director of The GroundTruth Project. Sennott talks about the history of Christian communities in the Middle East, and how so many of them are leaving the region.

'The Body And The Blood' Follows Exodus Of Christians In The Middle East

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Author Interviews

'Destined For War' Explores How To Avoid Unnecessary Future Conflicts

NPR's Robert Siegel interviews Graham Allison, author of Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides's Trap?, about honoring the dead by avoiding unnecessary wars.

'Destined For War' Explores How To Avoid Unnecessary Future Conflicts

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Remembering The Great Poet Gwendolyn Brooks At 100

Gwendolyn Brooks poses with her first book of poems, A Street in Bronzeville. AP hide caption

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AP

Code Switch

Remembering The Great Poet Gwendolyn Brooks At 100

A new biography celebrates the life and legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks, who wrote about ordinary black life using extraordinary language.

Remembering The Great Poet Gwendolyn Brooks At 100

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Author Interviews

'The Reminders' Is A Story About Memory

What does it mean to be remembered? It's the question at the heart of The Reminders, the debut novel from actor, musician, and now author Val Emmich. He joins NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro.

'The Reminders' Is A Story About Memory

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Shtum

Author Interviews

In 'Shtum,' A Portrait Of Autism Drawn From Real Life

Jem Lester's debut novel follows three generations of men who can't communicate — a grandfather, a father and a profoundly autistic little boy. Lester says he modeled the boy on his own son.

In 'Shtum,' A Portrait Of Autism Drawn From Real Life

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Remembrances

Denis Johnson, Author Who Wrote 'Jesus' Son,' Dies At 67

Denis Johnson was best known for his 1992 short story collection Jesus' Son. He won the 2007 National Book Award for the novel, Tree of Smoke. Johnson died Thursday at age 67.

Denis Johnson, Author Who Wrote 'Jesus' Son,' Dies At 67

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