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Literature

The Writers' Block | Nov 19, 2012

Yes, Chef

Marcus Samuelsson, James Beard Award recipient and winner of Top Chef Masters, reads a passage from his memoir, Yes, Chef. By Marcus Samuelsson   



NPR Books | Nov 18, 2012

Ian McEwan's 'Sweet Tooth' Leaves A Sour Taste

The novelist has won the National Book Critics Circle Award, the Booker Prize and the Whitbread Award. His latest novel, however, earns the ire of critic Maureen Corrigan, who usually numbers among McEwan's fans but finds herself dismayed by this book's attitudes toward women. By Maureen Corrigan   

The Writers' Block | Nov 12, 2012

More Fine Fine Music

Cassie J. Sneider reads "Homegrown," a story from her hilarious collection Fine Fine Music about Jersey, the importance of having a car antenna, and violent monkeys. By Cassie J. Sneider   



NPR Books | Nov 12, 2012

Going 'Marbles': From Manic Highs To Oceanic Lows

Cartoonist Ellen Forney documents her bipolar disorder in Marbles, a graphic memoir that sustains its honesty and humor through both manic and depressive phases. No matter what she's experiencing, Forney wants you to be there with her — and chances are you'll want to be there, too. By Myla Goldberg   

The Writers' Block | Nov 05, 2012

Memorized Poems

Sam Sax, the first ever Bay Area Unified Grand Slam Champion, reads a selection of his poems. By Sam Sax   



NPR Books | Nov 04, 2012

Vonnegut 'Letters' Hilarious And Heartbreaking

Kurt Vonnegut aspired to be a sort of "cultivated eccentric." Reviewer Drew Toal says a new collection of Vonnegut's letters — by turns hilarious, heartbreaking and mundane — reveals just how uneccentric the writer actually was. By Drew Toal   

The Writers' Block | Oct 29, 2012

Under Wildwood

Colin Meloy, also known as the lead singer of The Decemberists, reads from Under Wildwood, the second book in the Wildwood series. By Colin Meloy   



The Writers' Block | Oct 22, 2012

Distrust That Particular Flavor

William Gibson, author of Neuromancer and father of the cyberpunk subgenre of science fiction, reads the introduction from his new collection of essays, Distrust That Particular Flavor. By William Gibson   



NPR Books | Oct 21, 2012

Assaying The Legacy Of 'The Big Screen'

Film critic and historian David Thomson's new collection of essays covers a wide array of films, from Casablanca all the way to Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. Thomson digs through cinematic history to unearth truths about how what we watch reflects who we are. By Michael Schaub   

The Writers' Block | Oct 15, 2012

Winter Journal

Paul Auster, author of hits such as The New York Trilogy and The Invention of Solitude, reads a passage from his latest, Winter Journal. By Paul Auster   



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Author Interviews
  • A Race Against Time To Find WWI's Last 'Doughboys'

    In 2003, Richard Rubin set out to talk to every American veteran of World War I he could find. With help from the French, he tracked down dozens of centenarian vets and recorded their stories in a new book called The Last of the Doughboys.

  • 'Lunch Lady' Author Helps Students Draw Their Own Heroes

    Can you imagine your own superhero? That's the question author and illustrator Jarrett Krosoczka posed to kids on a recent afternoon at a school in Washington, D.C. Krosoczka also described how he overcame a difficult childhood to become the author of the beloved Lunch Lady series.

  • Fictional 'Mothers' Reveal Facts Of A Painful Adoption Process

    After years trying to conceive, novelist Jennifer Gilmore and her husband decided to adopt. What they thought would be a relatively simple process was instead a long and painful one. In her latest novel, Gilmore channels these autobiographical experiences into fiction.

  • After Crashing In Canadian 'Abyss,' Four Men Fight To Survive

    On an icy night in 1984, a commuter plane crashed in the wilderness. Six passengers died, but four survived: the pilot, a politician, a policeman and a prisoner. Carol Shaben's Into the Abyss describes their fight to make it through that frigid night alive.

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