Books

Obama: A New Force In Publishing

January 14, 2009 · Move over, Oprah. There's a new "O" causing a stir in the book world. As Barack Obama's reading list pushes book sales, publishers celebrate the election of a president who loves to read. ()  

Self-Publishing The Best Option For Black Authors?

January 13, 2009 · There was a time when major publishers were reluctant to release books written by black authors. Self-publishing, for many, was the only option. These days, with book sales dwindling and independent book stores closing, is self-publishing still a viable alternative? ()  

Three Books... By Jen Chaney

'Lost' Literature: Not Just For Desert Islands

January 13, 2009 · The ABC series Lost may focus on a mystical island, but it's also about larger themes like religious faith and the importance of community — the stuff of memorable novels. ()  

Arts & Entertainment

Joan Rivers Talks About Nips, Tucks And New Book

January 10, 2009 · Joan Rivers' plastic-surgery adventures are as well-known as her penchant for joking about them. And her new book, Men Are Stupid... And They Like Big Boobs: A Woman's Guide to Beauty Through Plastic Surgery, doesn't hold back any details. ()  

Books We Like By Simon Maxwell Apter

In Drug Underworld, Researcher Finds City's 'Soul'

January 12, 2009 · Social scientist Luke Bergmann put himself in the story when he moved to Detroit to study the underground drug economy. The risk was worth it: Getting Ghost provides an eye-opening portrait of a dark, alternative world hidden in plain site. ()  

Interviews

Former 'Post' Editor Details The 'Rules Of The Game'

January 12, 2009 · After 44 years as a newspaper man, former Washington Post executive editor Leonard Downie Jr. makes his debut as a fiction writer. His new novel, Rules Of The Game, features an investigative reporter on the beat of a hotly contested presidential election. ()  

'Songs For The Butcher's Daughter'

January 10, 2009 · Host Scott Simon talks with Peter Manseau about his first novel, Songs for the Butcher's Daughter, in which a young man befriends the last living Yiddish poet. ()  

Books We Like By Laurel Maury

Lethem Updates Cult Classic 'Omega' Comic Series

January 8, 2009 · Novelist Jonathan Lethem's retelling adds a post-modern twist to the mysterious superhero series Omega the Unknown, which introduced 1970s comic readers to a world of Borgesian paranoia. ()  

Richard Seaver: A Literary Man Of Great Taste

January 8, 2009 · Richard Seaver was best known for his distate for conventional literary standards, and was responsible for the publication of some of the most controversial — and revered— works of our time. Novelist John Irving remembers a man who remained passionate about literature. ()  

World

Russia's 'Great Gamble': Lessons From Afghanistan

January 8, 2009 · The common view of the Soviet war in Afghanistan was that it was a Soviet territorial grab. But the truth was much more confused, says Gregory Feifer, NPR's Moscow correspondent. He is the author of The Great Gamble, a new history of that conflict. ()  

'Go, Tell Michelle': Wisdom For The Future First Lady

January 7, 2009 · In a new book called Go, Tell Michelle: African American Women Write to the New First Lady, women published words of wisdom for Michelle Obama. The idea was to give the incoming first lady support, adulation and love for when she gets to the White House. ()  

Politics

Chuck Todd Examines 'How Barack Obama Won'

January 8, 2009 · NBC's newly appointed chief White House correspondent talks with Dave Davies about his new book, How Barack Obama Won: A State-by-State Guide to the Historic 2008 Presidential Election. ()