Greta Thunberg has become a household name – but she doesn't want the attention on her to become a distraction from the severity of the climate crisis. In today's episode, Thunberg speaks with NPR's Ailsa Chang about how she hopes a new collection of essays written by her and more than 100 scientists and journalists – The Climate Book , can become a jumping off point to better understand environmental challenges. She explains why it's crucial for countries like the U.S. to step up and take accou...
Feb 20, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The deep sea – and the creatures that occupy it – can often feel like a scary and intimidating unknown. But in Sabrina Imbler's new book, How Far The Light Reaches , the author finds a lot of common ground with marine life ranging from the common goldfish to the Bobbitt worm. In today's episode, Imbler speaks with Greta Johnsen, host of WBEZ's Nerdette podcast, about writing a memoir that weaves biology and personal anecdotes into a greater understanding of gender, family and coming of age. Lear...
Feb 17, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hanna Pylväinen's new novel, The End of Drum-Time , opens with the ground quite literally shaking beneath a Lutheran congregation. It sets the tone for a novel wrapped up in understanding how faith, nature and human connection work alongside – and sometimes against – one another in an 1850s community of native Sámi reindeer herders in the Scandinavian Arctic. In today's episode, Pylväinen speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about the nuances of writing in an omniscient voice and the power of lived exp...
Feb 16, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the 1950s, pregnancy and adoption were topics often clouded in shame, secrecy – or both. That's certainly true for Eleanor and Ruby, the two protagonists of Sadeqa Johnson's new novel, The House of Eve . As the two young Black women try to maneuver the misogynoir in the society around them, they're also confronted with the complicated realities of becoming a mother. In today's episode, Johnson tells NPR's Ayesha Rascoe how those circumstances bring the characters together, and why she felt it...
Feb 15, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Here & Now 's Scott Tong describes ransomware as "a high-tech version of kidnapping." It's when a computer or tech system is hacked and money is demanded in order to get it back. In their new book, The Ransomware Hunting Team , ProPublica journalists Renee Dudley and Daniel Golden chronicle how ransomware has grown from individual attacks to large-scale operations against major corporations, universities and hospitals. But as they vividly explain to Tong, there's also a band of coding vigilantes...
Feb 14, 2023•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast There are three central characters in DK Nnuro's new novel, What Napoleon Could Not Do . Belinda and Jacob are Ghanaian siblings who aspire to move to America and be accepted into the opportunities offered there. On the contrary, Wilder – Belinda's American husband, a Black Texan – has a completely different view of his home country and its treatment towards people like him. In today's episode, Nnuro tells NPR's Scott Simon about how he hoped to capture the tension between African and American i...
Feb 13, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode covers two YA novels centered around Black youth and the portrayals they receive – or don't – in coming-of-age literature. First, NPR's Andrew Limbong speaks with Talia Hibbert about her new romantic comedy, Highly Suspicious And Unfairly Cute , which follows an unapologetically nerdy heroine reconciling with the ex-best friend jock that ditched her. Then, NPR's Ayesha Rascoe gets to talking with author Nick Brooks about his new mystery, Promise Boys , which revolves around how a...
Feb 10, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast The World And All That It Holds starts off in Sarajevo, in 1914, when shots ring out and World War I begins. It changes the course of protagonist Rafael Pinto's life, as he goes on to travel across time and conflict to find a twin flame in another Bosnian soldier named Osman. In today's episode, author Aleksandar Hemon paints a poetic backdrop for his striking new novel. He tells NPR's Scott Simon about the concept of macaronic language, a bilingual mix of ways to communicate, and how Pinto and ...
Feb 09, 2023•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Early on in today's episode, NPR's Scott Simon asks Dr. Henry Marsh a question – how could a medical professional miss the signs that they themselves are ill? Marsh, the neurosurgeon behind the new book, And Finally , answers quite simply. He tells Simon that it's common for doctors to feel consciously detached from what it's like to be on the other side of the examination table and, on a more subconscious level, to be in denial about their own ailments. That's what happened to him with his adva...
Feb 08, 2023•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Won Lee, the protagonist of the novel The Sense of Wonder, is the only Asian American player in the NBA. But as was true for real-life basketball star Jeremy Lin, things can get very ugly – and very racist – very quickly. In today's episode, author Matthew Salesses explains to NPR's Leila Fadel how he tried to balance his main character's "happy to be here" energy with the need to push back and stand up for himself. He also tells Fadel about his deep love for Korean dramas, and how that passion ...
Feb 07, 2023•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Patricia Engel's new collection of short stories, The Faraway World , reaches into the lives of imaginary characters scattered throughout Latin America. There's a family that's left reeling after a very important member disappears; there's an immigrant woman grappling with societal expectations of what her body and career should look like. In today's episode, Engel talks with NPR's Leila Fadel about some of the overarching themes that tie the ten stories together – and how the title came from a ...
Feb 06, 2023•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode features two books that examine wealth – or lack thereof – and gender in India. First, Deepti Kapoor chats with NPR's Scott Simon about her novel, Age of Vice , and the way it portrays indulgence in New Delhi society through a protagonist who is an "oppressed everyman." Then, NPR's Mary Louise Kelly asks Parini Shroff about The Bandit Queens , which follows a jewelry maker who refuses to set the record straight on the village rumor that she murdered her husband – and finds unexpe...
Feb 03, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Journalist Leila Philip first became interested in beavers when she saw a group of rodents building a pond near her house. Her fascination with what they were doing led her to research and report her new book, Beaverland , which takes a closer look at the animals' impact on North America, from the earliest transatlantic beaver fur trade to today's river restoration efforts. Philip spoke with NPR's Michel Martin about how learning their long history on our continent can highlight beavers' ongoing...
Feb 02, 2023•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Arabic, the rhyme Shubeik Lubeik means "your wish is my command." So it's an apt title for a new graphic novel by Deena Mohamed, which explores a world in which wishes are commodified and classified for consumption. Cheap wishes are packaged and sold in cans, while expensive wishes belong in bottles. In today's episode, Mohamed explains to NPR's Ayesha Rascoe how this system is meant to illustrate the ways wealth already works in our society, and how difficult it can be to decide what wishes ...
Feb 01, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Comedy writer Kashana Cauley grew up watching the film Conspiracy Theory , starring Mel Gibson and Julia Roberts, with her parents. She says that's likely her earliest entryway into a world she explores in her debut novel, The Survivalists – it follows a millennial lawyer falling in with a community of doomsday preppers. In this episode, Cauley tells NPR's Juana Summers about the control people might feel preparing for an impending apocalypse, and how that experience is ultimately shaped by our ...
Jan 31, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Saying sorry can be really difficult sometimes – it requires a certain amount of accountability, reflection and empathy. But that's precisely why it can go so far in a familial, romantic or professional relationship. In their new book, Sorry, Sorry, Sorry , Marjorie Ingall and Susan McCarthy break down six essential steps to a good apology – and explain why it's more important to think about the impact of our words than the intent behind them. They tell NPR's Mary Louise Kelly that while focusin...
Jan 30, 2023•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode features two books examining the sacrifices made by enslaved people in the U.S. First, NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with author Ilyan Woo about Master, Slave, Husband, Wife . It's a true story about a young couple that poses as an elderly white man and his slave in order to escape the South. Then, author Kai Thomas tells NPR's Ari Shapiro about how his novel, In the Upper Country , takes a closer look at the relationship between Black and indigenous people – and how free Black comm...
Jan 27, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jessica Johns' thriller, Bad Cree , opens with a startling image: a severed crow's head in someone's hand. In today's episode, Johns tells NPR's Ayesha Rascoe she hoped that image would set the tone for the winding mystery within her new novel. It follows a young Cree woman who returns to a home and culture she left behind in hopes of helping her cope with grief. Much of Mackenzie's story involves her dreams, and Johns explains why she felt it was so important to honor that world – especially af...
Jan 26, 2023•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast In 2019, John Hendrickson wrote a piece for The Atlantic about then-presidential candidate Joe Biden's life with a stutter. Hendrickson himself stutters – and in his new reported memoir, Life on Delay , he takes a closer look at his relationship with talking out loud. In this episode, Hendrickson tells NPR's Scott Simon about the physical discomfort that he and others experience when stuttering and how, beyond that, there are layers of mental work to be done to remember it's still worth it to ke...
Jan 25, 2023•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast In a small North Carolina town in 1976, three siblings are shot to death. That's the mystery at the center of De'Shawn Charles Winslow's new book, Decent People – and it's one the segregated town's white police officers aren't paying much attention to. In today's episode, Winslow tells NPR's Scott Simon about the heroine who takes it upon herself to solve the case, and why the author feels a need to paint a nuanced portrait of even the antagonists in his books. Learn more about sponsor message c...
Jan 24, 2023•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Author and podcast host Aubrey Gordon brings up an important reminder early in today's episode: In the United States, the average size is plus-sized. And yet there's an overwhelmingly negative connotation attached to both the word "fat" and to fat bodies. Gordon explores those societal taboos – as well as some of the misinformation surrounding them – in her new book, You Just Need to Lose Weight . She tells NPR's Juana Summers that there's a lot of power in reframing concerns about body image, e...
Jan 23, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode features interviews with two authors whose books on trans and queer gender identity are facing challenges in school districts across the U.S. First, NPR's Steve Inskeep sits down with writer and photographer Susan Kuklin to discuss her book, Beyond Magenta , which features the photos and narratives of six trans and nonbinary teens around the country. Then, NPR's Rachel Martin asks Maia Kobabe about Gender Queer , the graphic memoir detailing Kobabe's own experience navigating gen...
Jan 20, 2023•16 min•Transcript available on Metacast Author and cartoonist Art Spiegelman is familiar with the hysteria surrounding certain library books. In today's episode, he tells NPR's Scott Simon about how comic book burnings during his childhood in the 1950s weren't all that different from book bans taking place across the country today. Spiegelman says that though they tackled difficult subjects, he found then – and continues to find today – great emotional power in comics, such as his reissued collection Breakdowns . And he says he's felt...
Jan 19, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Author George M. Johnson says they knew their memoir, All Boys Aren't Blue , would be challenged by school boards – but they didn't realize just how much controversy it would stir up. The memoir explores Johnson's upbringing as a queer young person of color in New Jersey and Virginia. In today's episode, they tell NPR's Leila Fadel that despite all the pushback the book has received, it's been overwhelmingly gratifying to see how much it's helped teachers, librarians, parents...and especially th...
Jan 18, 2023•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jordan Banks, the protagonist of New Kid , is a seventh grade student who loves to draw and hopes to one day become a cartoonist. But the graphic novel following Jordan's arrival at a predominantly white, elite, private school has been challenged numerous times in the state of Texas by people claiming it promotes critical race theory. In today's episode, author Jerry Craft tells NPR's A Martinez how those challenges were often presented by parents who had not truly engaged with the material – an...
Jan 17, 2023•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Professor Ashley Hope Pérez's book Out of Darkness explores school segregation in 20th century Texas through a fictional love story between a young African-American boy and a Mexican-American girl. But the YA novel has been banned in a number of places and effectively pulled out of several school libraries. In today's episode, the author tells NPR's Rob Schmitz how sexual content is used as a scapegoat to target books addressing race, gender and other identity-based topics – and how those battle...
Jan 16, 2023•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode is all about professional longevity. First, actor Steve Martin and New Yorker cartoonist Harry Bliss sit down with NPR's Mary Louise Kelly to explain their new comic memoir, Number One Is Walking , focused on anecdotes from Martin's life in Hollywood. Then, NPR's Elissa Nadworny asks author Nick Hornby about his new book, Dickens and Prince , which finds similarities in how the literary and musical figures both managed to pump out an impressive amount of material throughout their...
Jan 13, 2023•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Anya is only 8 years old, but she's already got the weight of a nation on her shoulders. The protagonist of Winterland lives in an isolated Arctic town, where she's immersed in the world of 1970s Soviet gymnastics. In today's episode, author Rae Meadows tells NPR's David Folkenflik about her long-lasting fascination with that era of competitive sports, and how it shapes her main character's journey into womanhood. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy...
Jan 12, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Amélie Wen Zhao's fantasy novel, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night , is rooted in the Chinese genres of xianxia and wuxia. It follows a young girl uncovering the secrets of her tumultuous kingdom with the help of a magician. In today's episode, the author talks to Here & Now's Kalyani Saxena about how her imperfect characters make difficult choices in their search for power. Zhao draws clear comparisons between the themes of anti-imperialism and history depicted in the book to real world battles ...
Jan 11, 2023•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast The titular protagonist of Meredith, Alone has not left her home in three years. In today's episode, author Claire Alexander tells NPR's Scott Simon about the character's self-imposed isolation, and how trauma from earlier in life can leave long-lasting impacts on a person's mental health. And yet Meredith's trauma doesn't define her – so Alexander explains why she wanted to write a story that provided a full scope of what it means to overcome mental and emotional wounds. Learn more about sponso...
Jan 10, 2023•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
