Sarah Lyall discusses reading Madeleine L'Engle's classic novel at a pivotal moment in her childhood, and the lessons she has extracted from the book throughout her life.
Nov 14
Nicholas Boggs on Writing a James Baldwin Biography
<p>Nicholas Boggs’s “Baldwin: A Love Story,” is many things at once. It’s a comprehensive biography of James Baldwin. It’s a nimble excavation of Baldwin’s work, filled with astute literary analysis of his books and prose. And, most pressingly, it’s an argument for a new critical ... Show More
36m 28s
Nov 7
The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, 50 Years Later
<p>On Nov. 10, 1975, during a calamitous storm, the Edmund Fitzgerald sunk below the waves of Lake Superior. All 29 men aboard went down with the vessel. With no survivors and no eyewitnesses, there’s always been a sense of mystery to what is arguably the most famous shipwreck in ... Show More
39m 33s
Sep 2020
Ep 251: I love books and books love me back
Today’s guest is a self-proclaimed “book glutton” who reads in between everyday moments at home, at work, and even while she’s walking. Grettel Castro is a biostatistician living in Miami, Florida. She emigrated to the United States from Cuba at the age of 14, but her voracious a ... Show More
48m 37s
Dec 2023
Ep 409: Stories you can't stop thinking about
Our guest today may be familiar to many of you: Ariel Lawhon was one of Anne's early guests, back in Episode 15, and Anne recently recommended Ariel's new book The Frozen River in Episode 393. Today, Ariel is joining Anne to talk about books and publishing, from Ariel's new relea ... Show More
51m 39s
Apr 2020
#254 Holly Bourne on Writing Teen & Adult Novels
My guest today is the brilliant author Holly Bourne who started her writing career as a news journalist, where she was nominated for Best Print Journalist of the Year. She then spent six years working as an editor, a relationship advisor, and general 'agony aunt' for a youth char ... Show More
37m 19s
Mar 2022
'Checkout 19' explores the magic of escaping with a good book
The nameless narrator in author Claire-Louise Bennett's new novel, Checkout 19, absolutely loves books. Their mere presence puts her at ease. But her lifelong love of reading is, in part, because she feels let down by the people around her. Bennett told NPR's Scott Simon that lov ... Show More
8m 37s
Aug 2023
Ep 393: What makes you a "real" reader?
Today Anne is joined in conversation with Shana Ferguson, a NYC-based stage manager with a particularly bookish concern: she doesn't often feel like a "real" reader. Of course, we think any kind of reader is a "real" reader, so Anne couldn't wait to encourage Shana on her persona ... Show More
51m 14s