Books
Stephen DeSantisAudrey Niffenegger's Tale Of Sisterly 'Symmetry'
()The author of The Time Traveler's Wife says she has always been attracted to themes of death and dying. Audrey Niffenegger's new novel, Her Fearful Symmetry, features identical twin sisters living in a haunted London flat.
Books We Like
Nick Hornby's Latest Novel: New Tune, Same Key()
September 29, 2009 Nick Hornby's latest, Juliet, Naked, is another smart, soft-centered tale of hapless manchildren, precocious actual children and sensible women. This is what Hornby does, he does it well, and he's done it again.
Reading 9-to-5: Richard Russo's Favorite Office Lit()
September 29, 2009 Although the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist says working in an office is his idea of hell, he admits loving fictional portrayals of the workplace. He talks with Steve Inskeep about some of his favorite literary takes on office life.
Books We Like
An Exhaustive, Invigorating 'Case For God'()
September 28, 2009 When it comes to our current understanding of theology, former Roman Catholic nun Karen Armstrong attempts to bring "something fresh to the table." Reviewer Susan Jane Gilman calls Armstrong's Case for God a "stimulating, hopeful work."
Author Interviews
Francine Prose Explores Anne Frank's Literary Genius()
September 26, 2009 Anne Frank's diary is read and quoted around the world, by youngsters, statesmen and scholars alike. But novelist Francine Prose says it's time the diary was appreciated as literature — not just a historical document.
Author Interviews
'Adland' Searches For Meaning On Madison Ave.()
September 23, 2009 Former adman James Othmer spent two decades working in the ad industry as it was in the throes of a dramatic transformation. As more consumers zap commercials on DVRs and read magazines and newspapers online, Othmer has concluded that the Madison Avenue industry as he knew it is dying.
From 'Blotto' To 'Betty Booped,' A Dictionary Of Drink()
September 25, 2009 There are almost as many words for inebriation as there are mixed-drink recipes. Author Paul Dickson presents 2,964 intoxicating euphemisms — including "eating dirt" and going "off me pickle" — in his new book, Drunk: The Definitive Drinker's Dictionary.
Remembrances
Political Columnist William Safire Dies At 79()
September 27, 2009 The savvy speech stylist who turned phrases for President Nixon and later conjured up Pulitzer Prize-winning contrarian columns for The New York Times died Sunday.
Books We Like
An Escaped Con, A Single Mom, A Very Long Weekend()
September 24, 2009 In Joyce Maynard's Labor Day, a mysterious stranger enters the life of a single mother and her son for a holiday weekend. Apart from being a successful thriller, the book is a fascinating portrait of what causes a family to founder, and how much it can cost to put it back on the right path.
Author Interviews
Matt Latimer, Struck 'Speech-Less' By The D.C. Noise()
September 22, 2009 Matt Latimer, speechwriter to President George W. Bush during his last months in office, says his old boss didn't always stick to the script. His new tell-all memoir recounts more than one startling comment that Latimer says his boss made behind closed doors.
Books We Like
Going Green: What Cities Can Teach The Country()
September 23, 2009 David Owen is going to generate heat with Green Metropolis, his provocative manifesto that inverts sacred environmental assumptions. The book mounts a passionate, fact-studded case for the green advantages of Manhattan-style urban density.
