All Things Considered for August 31, 2017 Hear the All Things Considered program for August 31, 2017

All Things Considered

Jesmyn Ward poses for a portrait near DeLisle Bayou in DeLisle, Miss. Ward, 40, has chosen to return to DeLisle and raise her children there, despite her profound ambivalence about what the town represents. Emily Kask for NPR hide caption

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Emily Kask for NPR

The Week's Best Stories From NPR Books

Writing Mississippi: Jesmyn Ward Salvages Stories Of The Silenced

The author's books are set in the poor, black Mississippi community where she grew up, a place where, she says, "the past bears very heavily on the present."

There are a record number of jobs open in the United States, but matching the unemployed with the right job is difficult. One problem is that companies are posting openings with required qualifications that aren't really necessary for the job. Ikon Images/Getty Images hide caption

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Ikon Images/Getty Images

U.S. Employers Struggle To Match Workers With Open Jobs

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Larry Koser Jr. (left) and his son, Matthew, look for important papers and heirlooms inside his house after it was flooded by heavy rains from Hurricane Harvey. Erich Schlegel/Getty Images hide caption

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Erich Schlegel/Getty Images

Insurers Gear Up For Deluge Of Claims, Hope To Avoid Sandy Repeat

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Jesmyn Ward poses for a portrait near DeLisle Bayou in DeLisle, Miss. Ward, 40, has chosen to return to DeLisle and raise her children there, despite her profound ambivalence about what the town represents. Emily Kask for NPR hide caption

toggle caption
Emily Kask for NPR

Writing Mississippi: Jesmyn Ward Salvages Stories Of The Silenced

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  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/547271081/547646750" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

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