Books & Literature

Book critic John Leonard says poet Brad Leithauser writes difficult fiction. The author's new novel, Hence, features an apocalyptic view of the modern world. Leonard calls it a contradictory book filled with Nabokovian cleverness.

Lorde is open about her identity as a black lesbian feminist; she hopes her visibility will help other women like her feel less alone. She joins Fresh Air to talk about her romantic relationships with men and women, and the tensions between African American and feminist communities. Her new collection of essays, A Burst of Light, deals with her experience with breast cancer.

Poet Mark Halliday reads a poem about the doo-wop group the Capris, and nostalgic recollections of teenage crushes.

Book critic Maureen Corrigan reflects on the literary legacy of the hard-boiled novelist, who was born one hundred years ago. She says Chandler's writing had an existentialist bent, and that Chandler may have been dismayed by the recent crop of politically-minded mystery novels, which feature gay and women detectives.

Ward Just is a former journalist who now writes fiction about the inner workings of American politics. Book critic John Leonard says his unassuming new novel, Jack Gance, about a Congressional candidate, has heart.

Steve Fishman was reporting in Nicaragua when a blood vessel burst in his brain. During his treatment, he researched his condition and its treatment, and interviewed the surgeons who operated on him. The blood vessel was repaired, but Fishman developed epilepsy as a result of the surgery. His book about the experience is called A Bomb in the Brain.

Book critic John Leonard says that Len Deighton's thriller Spy Hook, the first in a planned trilogy, lacks the edge of the author's earlier work, and spends too much time setting up the sequels.

New Yorker staff writer Alex Shoumatoff has a new book of essays called African Madness, about his travels throughout the continent. He joins Fresh Air to talk about the brutal reign of Emperor Bokassa in the Central African Republic, Dian Fossey's blind spots regarding the human populations near gorilla habitats, and the spread of AIDS.

Russo's latest book, The Risk Pool, is set in an upstate New York town, similar to where the author grew up. He says he didn't realize until later in his career how much inspiration he could draw from his formative years.

Hansen's books feature a gay man in the hyper-masculine role of private detective. Hansen himself is gay, and hopes that his novels will help his readers become more accepting of homosexuality.

Fleming was a well-regarded author whose book, The Make-Believers, was ignored by large publishing houses and readers alike. Guest critic Stuart Klawans says the novel deserved more attention, and hopes a new reissue will help it find a bigger audience.

Authors like Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler rose to prominence in pulp magazines like The Black Mask. Writer Ron Goulart's new book, The Dime Detectives, explores this history. Goulart is a genre author who publishes under a variety of different pseudonyms.

The writer inherited his family's ranch, but later sold it when he moved to Iowa for graduate school. Kittredge critiques the belief that humans have the moral authority to develop and tame the American West. This mythology, he says, has led to ecological destruction and the genocide of American Indians. His new collection of essays about the subject is called Owning it All.

John Leonard reviews the new biography of the 17th century Mexican poet, whom Octavio Paz uses as a jumping-off point to discuss the intellectual and social history of his home country. Leonard says the book is worthwhile, but warns that it's not easy reading.

As a young man, Democratic Socialists of America co-chair Michael Harrington worked as social worker in St. Louis -- an experience which he credits with leading him to a life of service. Fatherhood readjusted his priorities; he moved to the suburbs and felt less conflicted about earning money. He is now a writer and social commentator. His new memoir, called The Long-Distance Runner, is about his struggle with cancer.

Olds' writing is confessional and personal, but she says her work is not necessarily autobiographical. She wonders why readers have the desire to separate truth from invention in her work -- and the work of other women poets in particular.

Twenty-five-year-old writer Trey Ellis' new, experimental book Platitudes has garnered high praise, along with comparisons to fellow African American novelists Alice Walker and Ishmael Reed.

James Comer has written a new book about his mother, Maggie. She grew up in a poor black family, and later ran away from her abusive father. She led a strict household, and worked hard to ensure that her children received a good education. Comer now runs an educational program which aims to create a collaborative culture among teachers, parents, and mental health workers.

Lady Borton performed humanitarian work in Vietnam during and after the war. Her experiences in that country with refugees had a profound effect on her. She lives simply and, like many combat veterans, grapples with PTSD and flashbacks. Borton's book about Vietnamese refugees is called Sensing the Enemy.

Essayist Paul Gruchow has a new collection of essays called The Necessity of Empty Places, which celebrates the American wilderness. Rejecting the macho, survivalist approach to confronting nature, Gruchow sees the wilderness as a place of meditation and discovery.