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Ocean Vuong doesn’t erase pain from beauty
NPR

Wild Card with Rachel Martin

Ocean Vuong doesn’t erase pain from beauty

The more Ocean Vuong writes, the more he sees his craft as less of a skill and more a condition. He feels compelled to pay attention to the small details around him and turn those details into a story. But he tells Rachel that he actually hopes a day comes when he can stop writing. Vuong’s latest book is “The Emperor of Gladness.”

Ocean Vuong doesn’t erase pain from beauty

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Virginia Giuffre, seen here on Aug. 27, 2019, emerged as a key accuser of Jeffrey Epstein, saying he orchestrated years of sexual abuse of her and other girls and young women. Giuffre died earlier this year; her publisher says her memoir will come out in October.

Virginia Giuffre, seen here on Aug. 27, 2019, emerged as a key accuser of Jeffrey Epstein, saying he orchestrated years of sexual abuse of her and other girls and young women. Giuffre died earlier this year; her publisher says her memoir will come out in October. Bebeto Matthews/AP hide caption

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Bebeto Matthews/AP

Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre's memoir will be published months after her death

Virginia Giuffre was one of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's most outspoken accusers. Six months after her death, Giuffre's book detailing her life will be published.

Squelch squerch! Stumble trip! Tiptoe! — 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'
S&S Children’s Publishing

Picture This

Squelch squerch! Stumble trip! Tiptoe! — 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt'

Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury revisit their classic story of a family going on a bear hunt (encountering many obstacles along the way) — and preview their new one, Oh Dear, Look What I Got!

PICTURE THIS: WE'RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT

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Famed YA author Louis Sachar is out with his first novel for adults.

Famed YA author Louis Sachar is out with his first novel for adults. Alex Labry/Ace hide caption

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Alex Labry/Ace

Did you love 'Holes' growing up? Good news, Louis Sachar is still writing for you

The author of the YA novel Holes and the Wayside School series has written his first novel for adults. It's a fairy tale involving a princess and potions – but one focused squarely on growing old.

Did you love ‘Holes’ growing up? Good news, Louis Sachar is still writing for you

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Pariah, by Dan Fesperman; The Dancing Face, by Mike Phillips
Knopf; Melville House

Review

Book Reviews

Two genre novels offer entertainment -- and plenty of wry social commentary

Dan Fesperman's spy caper Pariah follows a disgraced comic-politician who's recruited by the CIA. The Dancing Face, by Mike Phillips, is a crime caper that confronts the spoils of colonialism.

Two genre novels offer entertainment -- and plenty of wry social commentary

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Women, Seated by Zhang Yueran

Women, Seated by Zhang Yueran Riverhead Books hide caption

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Riverhead Books

Chinese literature is tough to find in English. One editor hopes to change that

The novel Women Seated is a thriller about a nanny for a rich family and a kidnapping gone awry. It's the first in a new effort to redefine the types of Chinese literature get translated into English.

Journalist Han Zhang hopes to get more Chinese literature translated into English

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Author Interviews

Novelist Thomas Mallon looks back on the early years of the AIDS epidemic

In 2023, Mallon spoke about his novel, Up With the Sun, which is based on the life of a little-known actor who was gay and closeted. His new book is The Very Heart of it: New York Diaries, 1983-1994.

Novelist Thomas Mallon looks back on the early years of the AIDS epidemic

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A dogged reporter takes on a mysterious cabal in 'The Diary of Lies'
NPR

Review

Book Reviews

A dogged reporter takes on a mysterious cabal in 'The Diary of Lies'

Philip Miller's sinister thriller is set in a Great Britain that's lost its bearings. But even when she's terrified, fictional journalist Shona Sandison will always risk everything to get the story.

A dogged reporter takes on a mysterious cabal in 'The Diary of Lies'

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Actor Jeff Hiller has a new book called Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success. He's pictured above in Savannah, Ga., in November 2024.

Actor Jeff Hiller's new memoir is Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success. He's pictured above in Savannah, Ga., in November 2024. Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SCAD hide caption

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Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for SCAD

Television

A big break after age 40 is possible. Just ask Jeff Hiller of 'Somebody Somewhere'

Hiller spent years scraping by in Hollywood by taking on various small roles. Then he landed the role of Joel on Somebody Somewhere and everything changed. His new memoir is Actress of a Certain Age.

A big break after age 40 is possible. Just ask Jeff Hiller of 'Somebody Somewhere'

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Book cover of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
NPR

Review

Book Reviews

These 'Blondes' are turning 100, and they're still a lot of fun

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is about two flappers on the prowl for sugar daddies. First published in 1925, Anita Loos' cheeky comic novel has now been reissued in paperback.

These 'Blondes' are turning 100, and they're still a lot of fun

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The stacks at Boston Public Library, one of the oldest and largest public library systems in the country

The stacks at Boston Public Library, one of the oldest and largest public library systems in the country. Aram Boghosian for Boston Public Library
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Aram Boghosian for Boston Public Library

Culture

Boston Public Library aims to increase access to a vast historic archive using AI

The library is launching a project in collaboration with Harvard Law School and OpenAI this summer to digitize the materials and make them more fully searchable.

Boston Public Library aims to increase access to a vast historic archive using AI

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During an 'Island Storm,' two kids on an adventure ask — 'Do we try for more?'

Picture This

During an 'Island Storm,' two kids on an adventure ask — 'Do we try for more?'

A storm is coming and two siblings pull on their boots and head to the sea. The waves crash and the rain starts to fall, but they go on in this quintessential summer adventure story.

PICTURE THIS: ISLAND STORM

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