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Chefs Von Diaz, Mayukh Sen, Reem Assil and Priya Krishna. NPR hide caption

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Writer Margaret Atwood attends the 2019 NYWIFT Muse Awards at the New York Hilton Midtown on December 10, 2019 in New York City. Lars Niki/Getty Images for New York Women hide caption

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Lars Niki/Getty Images for New York Women

In her new stories, Atwood has characters modeled after herself and her partner

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Barnes & Noble opened this new store in Pikesville, Md., as it began its biggest expansion in years. Alina Selyukh/NPR hide caption

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Alina Selyukh/NPR

How Barnes & Noble turned a page, expanding for the first time in years

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Pennsylvania state troopers deploy in Baltimore, Md, on May 1, 2015, following the release of a report on the death of Freddie Gray. Gray, 25, died April 19, 2015 from a severe spinal cord injury he received while in police custody. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

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Police are 'shielded' from repercussions of their abuse. A law professor examines why

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Cover art of Raghavan Iyer's new book "On The Curry Trail: Chasing the Flavor That Seduced the World" Courtesy of Workman Publishing hide caption

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Courtesy of Workman Publishing

Iconic Indian-American Chef Reflects On His Life And The Healing Power Of Food

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Viking

Rebecca Makkai's smart, prep school murder novel is self-aware about the 'ick' factor

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The Greenville Fire Department was destroyed by the Dixie Fire on August 9, 2021 in Greenville, California. Some residents never returned after the wildfire devastated the town. David Odisho/Getty Images hide caption

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One Uprooted Life At A Time, Climate Change Drives An American Migration

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In his letter to Sarah Feldman, Bill Carver said that he hoped this copy of The Medieval Book would help her shape her new library collection after all her books were destroyed in a flood. Sarah Feldman hide caption

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Sarah Feldman

Scott Adams, creator of the comic strip Dilbert, poses for a portrait with the Dilbert character in his studio in Dublin, Calif., Oct. 26, 2006. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP hide caption

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Fear, Florida, and The 1619 Project

How should U.S history be told, and who gets to tell it? Debate over these questions has raged for years – but nowhere is it more pronounced right now than in Florida. This week, Brittany Luse chats with NPR's Giulia Heyward to get the download on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' recent efforts to ban AP African American studies in his state. Then, Brittany sits down with Dorothy Roberts, a legal scholar and sociologist at the University of Pennsylvania, and Leslie Alexander, a historian at Rutgers University. In line with their work on The 1619 Project – now a Hulu documentary series –they make the case that slavery led to some of our biggest political fissures today, and discuss why it's important for all Americans to understand those connections.

Fear, Florida, and The 1619 Project

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Roald Dahl's U.K. publisher has responded to the backlash by keeping his language intact in a new collection. Ronald Dumont/Getty Images hide caption

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Ronald Dumont/Getty Images

Roald Dahl's publisher responds to backlash by keeping 'classic' texts in print

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The 95th annual Academy Awards will be held on March 12. Kevin Winter/Getty Images hide caption

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Kevin Winter/Getty Images

'Oscar Wars' spotlights bias, blind spots and backstage battles in the Academy

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Ross Gay on inciting joy while dining with sorrow

Looking for joy? Then it might be worth exploring your sorrow, complications and mess. In his latest collection of essays, Inciting Joy, poet Ross Gay reconsiders the breadth of joy, arguing that it can be found – and even strengthened – in life's hardest moments, when we must rely on one another. This week, host Brittany Luse sits down with Gay to discuss the complexity of joy, the beauty of grace and creating meaning in life.

Ross Gay on inciting joy while dining with sorrow

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