Poet Seamus Heaney, who won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1995, is seen here in a file photo from 1991, when he was a professor at Harvard. Heaney has died at age 74. Joe Wrinn/AP hide caption
The Week's Best Stories From NPR Books This week: Meg Wolitzer's latest, Charles Frazier returns to the Civil War, the pressures of being the only black person in the room, a new Macbeth, and marriage-saving tips from a divorce lawyer.
The view down Main Street in Concord, N.H., reflects the community's small-town feel. Author Ben Winters doesn't live in Concord, but he sets his mystery novels there — he says the city's peaceful, unpretentious atmosphere makes it an appealing setting. Michel Gagnon/Flickr hide caption
In his home library, Leonard kept copies of every book he'd ever written. Paul Sancya/AP hide caption
The Tyson Library in Ludlow, Vt., is required to support itself independently; public libraries in Vermont receive no state funding. Neda Ulaby/NPR hide caption
Debbie Macomber's latest book is Rose Harbor in Bloom. Deborah Feingold hide caption
The Santa Barbara County Courthouse, a Spanish-Moorish landmark, was built in 1929. Anna Fox (harshlight)/Flickr hide caption
Taylor Schilling plays Piper in Netflix's Orange Is the New Black, which is based on Piper Kerman's memoir of her year in prison. Jessica Miglio/Netflix hide caption
Farmers market visitors browse the offerings of Seattle Public Library's "Books on Bikes" program. Gabriel Spitzer for NPR hide caption
cover for Dinner With Lenny Courtesy of the artist hide caption
Poor Donna Reed: Her Mary would have ended up working in a library — shudder — if not for the matrimonial intervention of Jimmy Stewart's George Bailey. Happily, 1946's It's a Wonderful Life isn't the only lens through which pop culture assesses the worth of the institution and those who make it tick. RKO Pictures/Getty Images hide caption
