Books & Literature

Trotter, aka Black Thought, reflects on his childhood in Philly, his decades-long friendship with Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson. Trotter's memoir is The Upcycled Self. Originally broadcast Nov. 7, 2023.

Christian Wiman's new book is called "Zero At The Bone: 50 Entries Against Despair." He teaches at Yale Divinity School and the Yale School of Sacred Music.

Cord Jefferson's new film, "American Fiction." Jefferson is an award-winning screenwriter. He won an Emmy in 2020 for Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series for "Watchmen," along with Damon Lindelof. He's also written for "Succession," "The Good Place," "Master Of None," and Larry Wilmore's former late night series "The Nightly Show."

In his new book, When I Was Your Age, Thompson shares stories from his life and career, including his early days at SNL and his estrangement from his longtime Nickelodeon co-star Kel Mitchell.

Maureen Corrigan shares her list of the 10 best books of 2023.

In her book, Prequel, Maddow describes ultra-right plots to overthrow the government in the days leading up to WWII — a subject she covered in her podcast Ultra. Originally broadcast Dec. 15, 2022.

Maureen Corrigan reviewed two new mystery novels: "Here In The Dark" by Alexis Soloski and "The Mystery Guest" by Nita Prose

Stephanie Land's new memoir, Class, picks up where her 2019 memoir, Maid, left off. Maid, which inspired a 10-part Netflix series, chronicled Land's life as a young single mother living below the poverty line, struggling with housing insecurity and an abusive relationship, and cleaning houses to support herself and her daughter.

In Class, Land is in her mid-30s at the University of Montana, desperately trying to fulfill her dream of becoming a writer, while juggling classes, working to pay for childcare and rent, and experiencing the loneliness of being a single mother.

Critics and fellow writers have used terms like one of the greatest and perfect to refer to Claire Keegan and her writing. Our book critic, Maureen Corrigan, says the only flaw she sees with Keegan's work is that there isn't enough of it. Here's her review of "So Late In The Day," a newly published collection of three of Keegan's short stories.

Alice McDermott, who won the National Book Award for her 1997 novel "Charming Billy," has come out with her ninth novel. It's called "Absolution," and our book critic Maureen Corrigan says it leaves the old neighborhood far behind.

The late spy novelist is the subject of a new documentary by Errol Morris, The Pigeon Tunnel. Le Carré worked for MI5 and MI6 early in his career. Originally broadcast in 1989 and 2017.

Author Scott Eyman explains how Chaplin was smeared in the press, scandalized for his affairs with young women, condemned for his alleged communist ties and banned from returning to the U.S.

Atlantic writer McKay Coppins spent countless hours with the Utah senator and shares Romney's take on what Republican leaders privately think about Donald Trump. Coppins' book is Romney: A Reckoning.

David Grann's 2017 book chronicled how members of the Osage Indian Nation were murdered in the 1920s by white people who wanted to take control of their land. Originally broadcast April 17, 2017.

In the new memoir, Worthy, Pinkett Smith writes about her marriage, her career in Hollywood, her upbringing in Baltimore and her friendship with the late rapper Tupac Shakur. She also chronicles her struggle with depression and her efforts to better understand and accept herself.

"I love the way that Texans talk," Wright says. His novel centers on a naïve rancher who lucks into a seat in the state legislature, where he meets lobbyists, veteran politicians and power brokers.

When Helen Garner published her first novel, "Monkey Grip," in 1977, it made her a literary sensation in her native Australia. She's been a famous writer there ever since. The American publisher Pantheon has begun releasing her most popular books, starting with her 1984 novel "The Children's Bach" and her 2014 true crime book "This House Of Grief." Our critic-at-large, John Powers, says that Garner is one of his favorite writers and that these books offer the ideal introduction to a woman who's forever grappling with the hard stuff of life.

Safiya Sinclair, grew up in a Rasta family in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Her father is a reggae singer and guitarist. Her hair was twisted into dreadlocks until she was 19. She came to realize that for her, being Rasta meant living in a cage. It was through reading and writing poems that she came to better know herself and to break out of the cage and enter the larger world.

Cat Bohannon is the author of the book "Eve" How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution". The book attempts to trace the evolution of women's bodies and how that evolution has shaped our lives.

A new tribute album offers musical interpretations of Ginsberg's poems. The poet and countercultural activist spoke to Terry Gross in 1994 about his poem "Howl," which was inspired by his mother.