Author Interviews Susan Choi Draws 'Interest' from Headlines March 19, 2008 Susan Choi examines the "theatrical" component of innocence in her new book, A Person of Interest. It's a psychological thriller that chronicles a reclusive math professor's "improper" reaction to the murder of a popular colleague. Susan Choi reads from 'A Person of Interest' Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/88160199/88566854" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Susan Choi reads from 'A Person of Interest' Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/88160199/88566854" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Author Interviews Anne Enright Offers a Bleak Tale in 'The Gathering' March 11, 2008 Irish author Anne Enright heads for the familiar terrain of the dysfunctional family in The Gathering. Last fall, the novel was awarded Britain's highest literary honor, the Man Booker Prize. Anne Enright reads from 'The Gathering' Toggle more options Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/87941683/88069057" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Books Susan Jacoby Attacks 'American Unreason' March 4, 2008 In her new critique of contemporary culture, Susan Jacoby lambastes America's increasing preoccupation with "anti-intellectualism" and "junk thought." The Age of American Unreason is her eighth book. Susan Jacoby Reads from the Book Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/49328288/87864692" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Books James McBride Blends Fact With Fiction in 'Song' February 26, 2008 Best known for his memoir, The Color of Water, James McBride tackles the subject of slavery in the new novel Song Yet Sung. Set a decade before the Civil War, it is the story of a runaway slave who has visions of the future. James McBride Reads from the Book Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/19182838/19345691" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Books Dinaw Mengestu Captures Immigrant Life February 19, 2008 In The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, Dinaw Mengestu portrays the isolation and struggles of an Ethiopian immigrant in Washington, D.C. The award-winning book is Mengestu's first novel. Dinaw Mengestu Reads from the Book Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/18932579/19164871" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Books Russell Banks Explores Class Structure in 'Reserve' February 12, 2008 In a new noir thriller, Russell Banks abandons the gritty blue-collar subjects of his past works for the wealthy, patrician families living in New York's Adirondacks. The Depression-era tale is his 11th novel. Russell Banks Reads from the Book Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/18684235/18881409" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Books Sudhir Venkatesh Becomes 'Gang Leader for a Day' February 5, 2008 After infiltrating one of Chicago's most notorious gangs, sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh stayed for seven years, getting to know the dealers and pimps. His new book gives an insider's view of gang culture. Sudhir Venkatesh Reads from the Book Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/18593528/18669413" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Books Novelist Depicts a Nation's Birth in 'A Golden Age' January 29, 2008 A Golden Age tells the story of Bangladesh's 1971 war for independence through the eyes of a young widow fighting to keep her children safe. The novel is the first from writer Tahmima Anam. Tahmima Anam Reads from the Book Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/18323132/18494671" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Books Sue Miller Reads from 'The Senator's Wife' January 22, 2008 Politics and parallel lives serve as a backdrop for the complexities of marriage in Sue Miller's new novel. The Senator's Wife is the ninth work of fiction from the bestselling author. Sue Miller Reads from the Book Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/18129589/18298073" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Books Martha Raddatz Portrays a Platoon Under Fire January 15, 2008 In April 2004, the Iraqi insurgency shifted into high gear when U.S. troops in Sadr City came under a brutal surprise attack. Martha Raddatz examines that battle and the effects of war on the soldiers in her book, The Long Road Home. Martha Raddatz Discusses the Book Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/17979692/18091152" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Books Judith Jones Toasts a Culinary Life in 'Tenth Muse' January 8, 2008 For almost 50 years, editor Judith Jones has introduced Americans to numerous culinary talents, including Julia Child, Marcella Hazan and Claudia Roden. In her memoir, The Tenth Muse, she looks back on a life in food. Judith Jones Reads from the Book Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/17809903/17908396" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Books Alex Ross Listens to the 20th Century's 'Noise' January 1, 2008 In his new book, New Yorker critic Alex Ross dispels the notion of a classical music deathwatch. The Rest Is Noise explores the 20th century through the richness of its music. Alex Ross Reads from the Book Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/17592220/17529280" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Books Peter Gomes Preaches 'The Scandalous Gospel' December 18, 2007 In his new book, The Scandalous Gospel of Jesus, Harvard minister and professor Peter Gomes asks Christians to focus on Jesus' teachings — rather than Jesus himself — in an attempt to rediscover the gospel. The Rev. Peter Gomes Reads from the Book Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/17167168/17331368" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Books Jarrett J. Krosoczka Rocks with 'Punk Farm' December 11, 2007 When a rock quintet of farm animals hits the highway in a van, mayhem and music ensue. In his ninth vividly illustrated children's book, Jarrett J. Krosoczka brings to life the adventures of a barnyard band. Jarrett J. Krosoczka Reads from the Book Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/16863698/17107841" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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Tom Perrotta Introduces 'The Abstinence Teacher' December 4, 2007 In his new novel, the author of Election and Little Children returns to anxiety-struck suburbia. Perrotta's The Abstinence Teacher delicately explores the friction in a high school sex education class. Tom Perrotta Reads from the Book Listen Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/16718788/16836122" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
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