Wiley/Jossey-Bass/NPR, Nicole Wickens/NPR
Divorce is a tool, not a weapon, says Karen McNenny, author of a new book on the subject. She explains how to end a marriage while protecting your family and your mental health.
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In his book 'The Midnight Special', author Colin Asher traces how prisons and the criminal justice system shaped American music, from Lead Belly and Johnny Cash to Tupac.
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NPR's Scott Simon asks Kathleen Rooney about her book, "Man Overboard!," and about finding the energy to overcome doubt.
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Peter Simons, author of 'Global Heartland: Cultivating the American Century on the Midwestern Farm,' shares an in-depth look at the role farmers throughout the Midwest played in America’s rise to power post-WWII. Then Adam Janke, Iowa State University wildlife extension specialist, joins the program. Janke's new series of articles shares low-cost, accessible tips for landowners and homeowners to sustain wildlife. (This show was originally produced August 11, 2025.)
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David S. Reynolds' book examines the twin legacies of the Mayflower, which carried the Pilgrims to Plymouth in 1620, and the White Lion, which brought the first enslaved Africans to Virginia in 1619. -
Saachi, 12, is a head-strong, confident 6th grader when the book opens, but soon she finds herself increasingly frustrated as the social dynamics of elementary school seem to unravel before her eyes. -
The romance books Ryan read growing up rarely included characters who looked like her. Now she deliberately centers people the genre has left out, including Black, Indigenous and queer women.
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"London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth," centers around the enigmatic life and death of 19-year-old Zac Brettler. -
Nicole Terrizzi joins the show to discuss her memoir, 'Learning in Free Fall: A Testimony of Mental Health, Poverty and Race in American Education.' Her book focuses on the crisis in America's education system. Every day school children feel the impacts of increasing budget cuts, teacher shortages and threats to the accessibility of a quality education. Terrizzi shares her path to teaching from growing up in rural Iowa, and asks what happens when those leading our classrooms are in crisis themselves? (This show was originally produced August 6, 2025.)
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NPR's Michel Martin speaks with acclaimed television showrunner and writer Mara Brock Akil about her debut novel, "The Revelation of Dionne Daphne."
