South Korean author Han Kang is this year's recipient of the Nobel Prize in literature, making her the first Korean writer to win the award. In its citation, the Swedish Academy commended Han "for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life." Both of these themes are present in the author's 2007 novel, The Vegetarian, which tells the story of a young woman who decides to give up meat. In today's episode, we revisit a 2016 interview between Han and NPR's Linda Wertheimer, which took place around the time of The Vegetarian's publication in English. In the interview, they discussed gender politics, how women cope with trauma, and Han's "long-lasting question about human violence."
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
From 1899 to 1900, China underwent a widespread and violent uprising. The revolt, a reaction against China’s exploitation by foreign powers, was decades in the making.
In response to the revolt, a group of eight nations joined together to put down the rebellion and ultimately subjected China to yet another humiliating treaty.
The rebellion wasn’t successful, but it laid the groundwork for the seismic changes that would shape the country during the 20th century.
Learn more about the Boxer Rebellion and how it influenced China on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
Sign up at butcherbox.com/daily and use code daily to get chicken breast, salmon or ground beef FREE in every order for a year plus $20 off your first order!
In late 1944, the Allies were on a roll, and Germany was on the ropes. Some Allies, considering how fast they were advancing, thought the war might be over by Christmas.
However, Hitler had a plan. He would engage in one last desperate battle, which he thought would turn the tide of the war in the West and possibly wipe out the Allies completely.
The result was one of the largest battles of the Second World War and the German military's ultimate failure.
Learn more about the Battle of the Bulge and how it shaped the course of WWII on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
Sign up at butcherbox.com/daily and use code daily to get chicken breast, salmon or ground beef FREE in every order for a year plus $20 off your first order!
For centuries, sailors told tales of gigantic waves that they encountered at sea, and for centuries, scientists didn’t believe them.
However, over time, evidence began to pile up, which suggested that the legends of these freak waves were, in fact, true.
These waves are rare, still not well understood, and terrifying to ships and sailors because there is almost no way to detect or predict where or when they will occur.
Learn more about rogue waves, how they were discovered, and how they occur on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
Sign up at butcherbox.com/daily and use code daily to get chicken breast, salmon or ground beef FREE in every order for a year plus $20 off your first order!
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.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
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.
Sign up at butcherbox.com/daily and use code daily to get chicken breast, salmon or ground beef FREE in every order for a year plus $20 off your first order!
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.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
Sign up at butcherbox.com/daily and use code daily to get chicken breast, salmon or ground beef FREE in every order for a year plus $20 off your first order!
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.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
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.
Sign up at butcherbox.com/daily and use code daily to get chicken breast, salmon or ground beef FREE in every order for a year plus $20 off your first order!