logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2025
18m 51s

'Paper Girl' and 'Joyride' are memoirs b...

NPR
About this episode
Today’s episode features new memoirs by journalists who aren’t afraid to connect deeply with their subjects. First, in Paper Girl, Beth Macy travels back to her hometown, Urbana, Ohio. In today’s episode, she tells NPR’s Ailsa Chang about the socioeconomic and cultural changes she found there. Then, Susan Orlean is known for going deep on niche subjects, like orchid enthusiasts or umbrella inventors. In today’s episode, she talks with NPR’s Scott Simon about her memoir Joyride and how she came across her best-known stories.


To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Yesterday
'The Shampoo Effect,' 'The Revelation of Dionne Daphne' are marked by big surprises
In two new novels, characters with glamorous lives have their routines disrupted by shocking news. The Shampoo Effect is a story about an extremely close friend group living in a small seaside town. In today’s episode, author Jenny Jackson speaks with All Things Considered’s Juan ... Show More
16m 50s
Jul 16
Mary Beard's 'Talking Classics' examines our obsession with the ancient world
Why are we obsessed with the ancient world, even the most ordinary parts of it? Mary Beard tackles that question in her new book Talking Classics: The Shock of the Old. Her personal interest in antiquity began with a 4,000 year-old piece of bread displayed at the British Museum. ... Show More
7m 40s
Jul 15
Artist and activist Ai Weiwei on political censorship in the West
In 2008, artist and activist Ai Weiwei clashed with the Chinese government over its response to the deadly Sichuan earthquake. The government had censored information about the death toll, so Ai Weiwei launched a citizen’s investigation, knocking on doors and visiting villages to ... Show More
11m 47s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2021
Ep 302: Books you can believe in
If you love books that make you think or spark a spirited discussion, you're on the same page as today's guests! Christine Pride and Jo Piazza have a shared passion for books where the stakes are high and the story is personal. From intimate memoirs to books featuring strong fema ... Show More
59m 32s
Oct 2018
Lisa Brennan-Jobs on 'Small Fry'
tail spinning
54m 17s
Oct 2024
Home Truths
This week, Oonagh Devitt Tremblay is intrigued by the multiple voices in Sarah Moss's new memoir; and Lucy Dallas speaks to artist William Kentridge.'My Good Bright Wolf', by Sarah Moss'Self-Portrait as a Coffee-Pot', by William Kentridge, streaming on Mubi Produced by Charlotte ... Show More
37m 34s
May 2015
Inside The New York Times Book Review: The Future of Work
<p>This week, Barbara Ehrenreich discusses “Rise of the Robots” and “Shadow Work”; Alexandra Alter has news from the publishing world; Andrew Solomon talks about Oliver Sacks’s new memoir, “On the Move”; and Gregory Cowles has best-seller news. Pamela Paul is the host.</p> <p><p> ... Show More
34m 16s
Dec 2021
Moms In Translation
An Irish journalist discovers she belongs in a place she's never been. A 6-year-old boy decides he's from another country. Stories about finding home far from home.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your ... Show More
41m 59s
May 2025
The best memoirs, existentialism, Substack, coming of age, and more
Welcome back to Espresso Epilogues, a podcast where two besties talk about books over coffee. Today we're talking about our all-time favorite memoirs - some of which you may have never heard of, and some of which might be on your TBR.We talk about existentialism, Substack, coming ... Show More
41m 45s
May 2018
Ep 133: Authors who get where you're coming from
Guest Sachi Argabright discovered a rich vein of books by Asian American authors who inspire her, and it’s given her reading life wings. In today's episode, Anne tops up her list with unique and soon-to-be-released titles so she can stay in that happy place for a long time to com ... Show More
56 m