Cindy Hohl, the current president of the American Library Association, says the political temperature surrounding book bans has remained at a boiling point. Over the last year of her tenure, Hohl has witnessed librarians exit the profession due to increased stress, ridicule and public pressure to remove certain titles from their libraries–particularly those related to race and LGBTQ+ identity. Although these battles are particularly pronounced in hot spots like Florida and Texas, they're being fought in communities all over the country. In today's episode, NPR's Andrew Limbong speaks with Hohl about what librarians can and can't do to push back against this cycle of censorship and what it's like to lead through times of crisis.
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Humans have probably had the desire to fly ever since they saw the first bird fly in the air.
Flying, as it turned out, was a very challenging problem for creatures without wings.
Throughout the 19th century, many people tackled the problem without success. It wasn’t until the first years of the 20th century that the problem was finally solved.
Learn more about the invention of the airplane and the solution to heavier-than-air travel on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
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In 1995, a mostly pre-digital age, it was much easier to get lost–especially on a strange road in the middle of the night. This time period is the setting for Simone St. James' thriller Murder Road, which came out earlier this year. In the book, newlyweds are en route to a lakeside cabin in Michigan when they take a wrong turn and discover a hitchhiker needing help. That chance meeting lands the young couple at the center of a series of mysterious murders. In today's episode, NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with St. James about weaving the supernatural into her fiction and the appeal of true crime.
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Join Rob in celebrating Amy Winehouse, and missing her voice like the rest of us. Along the way, Rob discusses the biopic ‘Back to Black’ and ‘Amy’ before taking some time to cherish Amy Winehouse’s iconic song and album ‘Back to Black.’ Later, Rob is joined by writer Julianne Escobedo Shepherd to discuss her memories of interviewing Amy Winehouse and more.
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Stephen Bruno is a doorman for a high-end building on Manhattan's Park Avenue, where he's worked for 14 years. Bruno says that while he treats every occupant like his boss, he routinely blurs professional boundaries by forming close friendships with his residents. Now, those friendships–and the many other stories from Bruno's building–form the basis of his new memoir, Building Material. In today's episode, Bruno speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about taking notes on the job, breaking the "don't get close rule," and a documentary about August Wilson that saved his writing career.
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At the end of the Second World War, Europe was a mess. The economies of most countries were in shambles and the threat of communism loomed over the continent.
In a speech at Harvard University on June 5, 1947, U.S. Secretary of State George C. Marshall proposed a plan which could help get Europe back on its feet.
The plan is widely considered one of the most successful foreign aid programs in history.
Learn more about the Marshall Plan, how it came about, and how it worked on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
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