Books & Reading

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with former Poet Laureate of Mississippi Beth Ann Fennelly about "The Irish Goodbye," a book of micro-memoirs about childhood, marriage and the death of her sister.

NPR's Scott Simon speaks with Andrew Krivak, whose novel, "Mule Boy," is about the life of a child worker in a coal mine, and all the danger and trauma that he carried through his life as a result.

Junot Díaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao was removed from an English class at the public school. PEN America says it's part of a trend of scrubbing literature dealing with uncomfortable topics.

"Consciousness is under siege," says author Michael Pollan. His new book, A World Appears, explores consciousness on both a personal and technological level.

On this episode of Talk of Iowa, we discuss how educators are teaching teens about healthy relationships, consent and where to turn for help. Professor Carl Weems from the Department of Human Development and Family Studies joins us alongside project coordinators Rhonda Evans and Hannah Uhrich of the ADMYRE program. They discuss how teens define abuse, warning signs that often go unnoticed, and how schools can create safer spaces for students to ask for help. Later, we hear from Brandon D. Campbell, who wrote the book he wishes he had when growing up in a blended family. Through his new book, "Oh Brother, My Brother," he hopes to encourage dialogue between children and their parents.

NPR's Michel Martin asks professor Dorothy Roberts about her new memoir, "The Mixed Marriage Project," about her father's quest to challenge white supremacy by studying interracial couples in Chicago.

We're continuing to celebrate Black History Month by looking back at 2016, a year that brought big moments in the culture.

Of course now was the moment for a Charli xcx-assisted Wuthering Heights: Pop fandoms and literary ones have rarely had more in common, especially when it comes to epic romance.

With the recent layoffs of the Washington Post book section staff, the question arises: where do eager readers go to find out about books?

Loubna Mrie grew up in Syria, where her father was allegedly an assassin for the regime. She joined the Syrian revolution first as a protester and then as a photojournalist. Her memoir is Defiance.