NPR's Book of the Day - Author was struck by story of mixed-race orphans behind ‘Keeper of Lost Children’

Keeper of Lost Children is the latest work of historical fiction by Sadeqa Johnson. The novel is told from three vantage points and follows the story of mixed-race children orphaned in Germany after WWII. At the heart of the novel is Ethel Gathers, a character based on a real-life woman named Mabel Grammer. In today’s episode, Johnson tells NPR’s Emily Kwong about the Google search that inspired her novel and how she views the responsibility of writing historical fiction.


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NPR's Book of the Day - A psychoanalyst and a priest share insights in ‘Love’s Labor’ and ‘Work in Progress’

New books by a psychoanalyst and a priest have something in common: They draw on the experience of holding other people’s stories. Stephen Grosz says his book, Love’s Labor, is a collection of “hard-won truths” he’s arrived at through sessions with his patients. In today’s episode, he speaks with NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe about his observations on love, work and relationships. Then, Father James Martin joins NPR’s Scott Detrow for a conversation about Work in Progress. They discuss the litany of odd jobs Martin held before becoming a priest – and what ultimately led him to the church.


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PBS News Hour - Art Beat - Rose Byrne on her Oscar-nominated performance as an unraveling mother

Known for roles in both drama and comedy, Rose Byrne has already won a Golden Globe for Best Actress this award season for her role in the psychological drama "If I Had Legs I'd Kick You." She's been acting professionally for more than 30 years, and now she's up for her first Oscar. Jeffrey Brown joined her recently in New York for our arts and culture series, CANVAS. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

PBS News Hour - Art Beat - Michael Harriot and Geoff Bennett rethink Black history on ‘Settle In’

This month marks 100 years since Americans first held the celebration that would eventually become Black History Month. On our video podcast "Settle In," Geoff Bennett commemorated this anniversary with the award-winning journalist and writer Michael Harriot. His most recent book, "Black AF History," frames Black history not as a counter-narrative, but as the narrative of American history. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

NPR's Book of the Day - Reshona Landfair, formerly ‘Jane Doe,’ recounts abuse by R. Kelly in new memoir

Reshona Landfair met R. Kelly when she was a pre-teen in 1996. Starstruck, Landfair says she fell victim to his grooming tactics, followed by years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse.  A video of Kelly abusing Landfair eventually became public – and helped lead to Kelly’s conviction. Now, Landfair tells her story for the first time in her memoir Who’s Watching Shorty? In today’s episode, she tells NPR’s Juana Summers about being “kept” by Kelly, the way the public treats young Black women who survive abuse, and what she wants the world to know about her today.


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NPR's Book of the Day - Reshona Landfair, formerly ‘Jane Doe,’ recounts abuse by R. Kelly in new memoir

Reshona Landfair met R. Kelly when she was a pre-teen in 1996. Starstruck, Landfair says she fell victim to his grooming tactics, followed by years of sexual, physical and emotional abuse.  A video of Kelly abusing Landfair eventually became public – and helped lead to Kelly’s conviction. Now, Landfair tells her story for the first time in her memoir Who’s Watching Shorty? In today’s episode, she tells NPR’s Juana Summers about being “kept” by Kelly, the way the public treats young Black women who survive abuse, and what she wants the world to know about her today.


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PBS News Hour - Art Beat - Julian Shapiro-Barnum’s Brief But Spectacular take on Recess Therapy

Julian Shapiro-Barnum is the creator and host of "Recess Therapy," an online series where he talks with kids about everything from friendship to the meaning of life. He shares his Brief But Spectacular take on what adults can learn from the clarity and compassion of children. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

NPR's Book of the Day - ‘The Renovation’ is a novel with a surrealist take on prison structures big and small

There are many ways that a home renovation project can become a nightmare for all involved. But in The Renovation, narrator Dilara’s remodeling woes aren’t strictly financial or aesthetic—they’re absurdly surreal. When she finds her bathroom transformed into an armed Turkish prison cell, Dilara and her family must reckon with fragments of their past, present and future, all while fighting against the pace of time itself. In today’s episode, author Kenan Orhan joins NPR’s Scott Simon to discuss his debut novel, and how the concept of “prison” is a metaphor in far more ways than one.

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PBS News Hour - Art Beat - Norah O’Donnell spotlights overlooked women who shaped U.S. history in ‘We the Women’

America's 250-year history features prominent men who built and shaped the nation. But less is known about the women whose contributions were just as important. In "We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America," Norah O'Donnell writes about 35 remarkable women and their pivotal roles in influencing the country we live in today. Amna Nawaz sat down with O'Donnell to discuss the new book. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

NPR's Book of the Day - ‘Fly, Wild Swans’ weaves Jung Chang’s family history with the history of China

Jung Chang’s memoir Wild Swans, published in 1991, told the story of three generations of women in her family as they survived upheaval in 20th-century China. Now, Chang picks up her family’s story in Fly, Wild Swans, which she was moved to write as her mother’s health failed. In today’s episode, Chang talks with Here & Now’s Scott Tong about her inability to return to China, the biography of Mao she co-authored with her husband, and the Xi era.


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